Trump Era – Page 3 – education and deconstruction.com

Scenes From an Orwellian Juggernaut – BONUS POST

[Please note: The word “Featured” on the left side above was NOT inserted by this blogger, but apparently was inserted by WordPress, and it cannot be removed. NO post in this blog is sponsored.]

A question for the ages:

How can Americans lower the likelihood of having to suffer through another sucky administration in the future? Stemming the propaganda would help a lot.

It will take decades to reverse the “fake news” trend, but it’s possible. The ways to do it involve lots of learning:

The American education system must teach critical thinking— in order to raise awareness of debating, public-speaking and propaganda techniques. In 1914, Oxford professor John Alexander Smith told his students the following: “…if you work hard and intelligently, you should be able to detect when a man is talking rot, and that, in my view, is the main, if not the sole purpose of education.”
Americans must read or listen to a vast quantity of entire books of nonfiction personal accounts written by all different stakeholders with different perspectives of the same historical incident or person or place or institution– and note which information is common to most or all accounts– making that information more likely to be true.
Americans must travel to get exposed to the rest of the world– get life-experience in true deprivation and trauma and learn gratitude for their living standards.

In sum, critical thinking, books and exposure to the world are a start. Everyone must reconcile science with religion in their own way, but keep in mind the philosophy, “Better to have unanswered questions than unquestioned answers.”

There are still an infinite number of unanswered questions about the second Trump administration, due to secrecy. However, the following song is a snapshot of the state of affairs in spring 2026.

SCENES FROM AN ORWELLIAN JUGGERNAUT

sung to the tune of “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” with apologies to Billy Joel and to whomever else the rights may concern. Please note: The lyrics in the beginning and end have been omitted because Prez T does not drink alcohol, and he is no longer a teenager. Only the “Brenda and Eddie” segment is relevant.

whoa whoa whoa oh oh oh whoa whoa whoa oh oh

Billionaires and Prez T are the populist steadies and the prez is drama queen of Iran, flying around with their GOP crowd, with their fancy PR on.

No one has more power. Fox is rewriting history by the hour.

We never knew they would take control of our lives.

We’re stuck now, with the prez’s scapegoating, profiteering spies.

whoa whoa whoa oh oh oh whoa whoa whoa oh oh

Billionaires and Prez T are still going steady with their Project 2025.

They’re a mean, greedy bunch of frat boys, still committing crimes.

They smear their foes like crazy.

AI software will make us ridiculously lazy.

Apparently GOP can afford to live that kind of life.

Oh, and the little people can’t wait to bid Prez T goodbye.

oh oh oh oh oh oh

Well the GOP’s losing ground and down for the count but they constantly play on our fears.

Need it be said we’re being led by chuckleheads who waste our tax dollars every year.

Internally they fight against threats to the Right.

They’re nervous as the midterms near.

whoa whoa whoa whoa Spouting cock-and-bull!

whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa

They got the MAGA minds. Voters missed the strongman signs.

Politics is always the same in the end.

They rule by fear and force as a matter of course, and Americans see Big Brother trends.

Billionaires and Prez T stay on the green but YOU might never go there again.

oh oh oh oh

Billionaires and Prez T are getting a last squeeze of Project 2025.

They’re stooping so low at the end of their show. They’ve messed up our lives.

Dems will no longer be appeasers. Dems have got fewer reactionary geezers.

We’re sure they’ll rise again, by the by.

Oh, and that’s all I’ll say about billionaires and Prez T.

Do expect midterm lies and hypocrisy.

And here we are wishing Prez T would bleep bleep bleep bleep.

whoa whoa whoa oh oh oh whoa whoa whoa oh oh…

Shady Donald – BONUS POST

As is well known, the United States is in a holding pattern. The billionaires still have yet to get together with the media to schedule Trump’s ousting. Here’s a song about that.

SHADY DONALD

sung to the tune of “Lady Madonna” with apologies to The Beatles and to whomever else the rights may concern.

Shady Donald, billionaires at your feet.

Wonder how you manage to keep your seat.

Who finds the money, when on war, you’re-hellbent.

Do you think your power is heaven-sent?

The far Right has trouble keeping a straight-face.

Sunday morning news shows aren’t fun.

Your messengers are counting down your last days.

Your reign is so done.

Shady Donald, Fox is doing its best, to express phony outrage at your behest.

Your reign is so done.

Shady Donald, lying with no cred.

We all wonder, what’s kicking around in your head.

Tuesday’s backtracking tune is never ending.

Wednesday morning papers leave you numb.

Thursday night your talking-points need amending.

Your reign is so done.

Shady Donald, billionaires at your feet.

Wonder how you manage to keep your seat.

Knocking Previous Prezzes – BONUS POST

As is well known, Trump’s goal is to surpass all previous American presidents– in terms of political retaliation, profiteering and power accumulation. Here’s a song about that.

KNOCKING PREVIOUS PREZZES

sung to the tune of “Takin’ Care of Business” with apologies to Bachman Turner Overdrive, and to whomever else the rights may concern.

Trump’s reversing all before him and ignoring global warming

and has great, great plans for his Party.

He’s supreme in his fakin’. In-that, he’s surpassed Obama and Reagan

in the world, he made topsy-turvy.

He’s committed numerous crimes but never done jail time.

He’s got a heartless, shameless mob to fill his needs.

He’s got his loyal envoys and his militaries deployed,

to exceed his predecessors’ deeds.

And Trump’s knocking previous prezzes. Every day.

Knocking previous prezzes. In-evil ways.

He’s been knocking previous prezzes. It’s all his.

Knocking previous prezzes, and making billions for his biz. (Kick him out!)

With some Middle Eastern putsches, he’s exceeding the warring Bush’s,

in his vengeful blood-for-oil guile.

Alleged sexual predator, he had whores at his resort. He and Clinton are in the Epstein file.

While the deficit balloons, Trump’s going to the moon.

He showed us he had to outdo JFK.

It’s serious issues he avoids. Like Nixon, he’s paranoid

in his quest to immortalize his name.

And Trump’s knocking previous prezzes. Every day.

Knocking previous prezzes. In-evil ways.

He’s been knocking previous prezzes. It’s all his.

Knocking previous prezzes, and making billions for his biz. (Kick him out!)

Trump’s reversing all before him and ignoring global warming

and has great, great plans for his Party.

He’s supreme in his fakin’. In-that, he’s surpassed Obama and Reagan

in the world, he made topsy-turvy.

He’s committed numerous crimes but never done jail time.

He’s got a heartless, shameless mob to fill his needs.

He’s got his loyal envoys and his militaries deployed,

to exceed his predecessors’ deeds.

And Trump’s knocking previous prezzes. Every day.

Knocking previous prezzes. In-evil ways.

He’s been knocking previous prezzes. It’s all his.

Knocking previous prezzes, and making billions for his biz. (Kick him out!)

Knocking previous prezzes.

And Trump’s knocking previous prezzes. Every day.

Knocking previous prezzes. In-evil ways.

He’s been knocking previous prezzes. It’s all his.

Knocking previous prezzes, and making billions for his biz. (Kick him out!)

Knocking previous prezzes.

Knocking previous prezzes…

Strongmen – BONUS POST

The Bonus Book of the Week is “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present” by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, published in 2021. In this hodgepodge of a volume, the author described the traits and behaviors of a “strongman” through a few real-life examples of dictators of the past hundred years.

A strongman is a male leader who finds ways (that happen to be nefarious) to maximize and maintain his power; including: causing needless deaths and ruined lives in the forms of propaganda (repeated scapegoating, generating crises and other brainwashing techniques), waging war, engaging in sexual conquests, seeking political dominance and enriching himself, usually through looting resources from the territory or territories he rules.

In October 1922, in an Italy of about forty million people, approximately thirty thousand people comprising the Fascist Party appointed Mussolini as prime minister. In the next two decades, in order to rule by fear and force, Mussolini formed various political and military groups, and passed laws that violated human rights. He incited excessive violence, and had dissidents killed.

In July 1925, Mussolini pardoned all political criminals (those who would help him stay in power). But by 1926, he had run out of money. Fortunately for him, he had friends in high places. Thomas Lamont– his contact at the American financial institution, J.P. Morgan, arranged a loan of one hundred million dollars for him. At that time, Hitler actually looked up to Mussolini and eventually got friendly with him, in order to get mentored. By 1933, the German industrialists had fallen for Hitler’s populist rhetoric.

In 1965, Mobutu, who engaged in drugs and arms sales, (with the help of the CIA) came to power in Zaire. He, along with a number of other dictators, had been war heroes, so they had military backing. Beginning in 1969, oil money allowed Gaddafi to give his government a socialistic bent– funding Libyans’ education, housing and other basic needs.

In 1994, Italy’s Berlusconi controlled very nearly all the messaging heard and seen by his people. He crafted laws to: give himself a get-out-of-jail-free card, and his businesses, to weasel out of legal and financial trouble. His propaganda screamed that immigrants were criminals. Gaddafi and Berlusconi (who should have been enemies) became besties– keeping their friends close and their enemies closer. Libya got weapons from Italy, and Italy got oil from Libya.

In Trump’s United States, “Women advance their careers by making it easier for the leader and his inner circle to harm other women.” Another strongman technique Trump uses is to put his assets in foreign bank accounts. In 2014, Eric Trump said, “We [Trump Organization] don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need from Russia.”

Like Berlusconi, Trump and his media outlet, Fox News, have repeatedly, emphatically smeared immigrants as criminals, and he has used his military, ICE, to detain or deport them. The author named locations of various detention camps that had inhumane conditions: in Florida– Homestead, and in Texas– Clint, McAllen, Rio Grande, and El Paso del Norte.

In sum, once the strongman has stolen all he can get from his citizens, his next tricks are to negotiate a peace treaty and schedule elections.

Read the book to learn much more about how the above-named and a few others have used strongman tactics to turn into not-so-benign dictators.

ENDNOTE: Here’s a song that describes Trump’s strongman tactics.

MODERN STRONGMAN

sung to the tune of “Modern Woman” with apologies to Billy Joel and to whomever else the rights may concern.

You see Trump on the idiot box touting his high-tech war-toys of his cronies’ design.

With his continual cruel smears he aggravates the tension. Tries to save face while losing his mind.

Now Trump’s in trouble. He fired all the intellectuals. He always figures voters aren’t very smart.

Or maybe he hopes his hype covers up his conflicts. Oh, he’s got to use PR tricks ’cause his wrongdoing’s off the charts.

He always puts on an ACT of ranting-frat-boy modern strongman. And he’s an old fascist man. He understands just what he’s doing. He’s a modern strongman.

His mean streak is exceptionally unprofessional. He’s got a lot of cockiness, it’s easy to see. You don’t want to be rude but you get so furious when he’s so injurious to American democracy.

He’s got bile and he’s got billionaires’ money and lots of attorneys so his-foes, he quickly disarms. His slow rise means you may not realize, YOU’RE jeopardized by his gradual harm.

He’s got his plan of attack and got the power-play knack of modern strongman. And he’s an old fascist man. He understands just what he’s doing. He’s a modern strongman.

The king won’t die. There is no president. He says he loves you but he treats you unkind. In the morning he detains you. You’re accused by your neighbors. It’s a cagey situation for an old fascist guy.

Times have changed, and you cry in vain, lately. He’s become extreme in his bad attitude. His cock-and-bull just used to be for kicks. But now he controls your politics. After 2026, you might get a clue.

You can’t relax and face the facts of modern strongman. And he’s an old fascist man, he forces your hand in the things he’s doing.

He’s a modern strongman. He’s a modern strongman.

He’s got the sociopathic zip that allows the grip of the modern strongman.

It’s an Uncertain World – BONUS POST

BREAKING NEWS: “America Spring” will continue until the media schedules the “Trump Is Out [he’s fired]” show via the 25th Amendment. Until then, here’s a song listing just a few of the people Trump has fired.

UNCERTAIN WORLD

sung to the tune of “End of the World” with apologies to R.E.M. and to whomever else the rights may concern.

What’s great? Trump parts with experts, truth-speakers and do-gooders, and his loyal cult is not afraid.

He fired: Streater, Hayden, Tillerson, Bunnell, Slaughter, Wilcox, Kruse, Grisham, Bolton, Geer, Doherty, Musk, Haugh, Kelly, Priebus, McEntarfer, Primus, Niceta, Matthews, Monarez, Chatfield, Salehi, Brown, down with a fight.

Flynn, Yachnin, Ramaswamy, Yates, and a government to fire, and Comey, Price, Krause, Linick, team by team, Richards, Samuels, trumped, Sessions cropped. Long, Atkinson, Fagan, Fine, then uh-oh O’Donnell, Noem, Perlmutter, Scaramucci, but it won’t do.

Save your wealth. Serve your stealth. Disturbed, and the world bleeds. Grim, Abruzzo, Martin, Bondi, chummy with the enraptured and the smeared and then gone. Right? Right!

ooh Hilton, patriotic Hanson slam fired blight Right. Feeling very iced.

It’s an uncertain world and you should know it.

And it’s on our dime.

Dellinger, Bharara. Don’t get caught in TV hearing slash and burn. Return. This is like a Stalin purge. Who cares about a uniform, Cook burning, bloodletting. Every move escalate. Ulterior motives. Insist it’s secret. Gaslight Bannon. Lewandowski. Low down. Low down. Watch your deals. crush crush uh-oh Be mean with no fear. Cavalier. Renegade. Deteriorating clear. A plethora, a plethora of lies, Pekoske. No solutions. Offers no alternatives. In droves, resign.

It’s an uncertain world and you should know it.

And we’re in decline.

It’s an uncertain world and you should know it.

And we’re in decline.

The Right has defended ICE, gone mental. Krebs, Bedoya, Burrows. Frat boys tow the line. Leading billionaires. Letting go Shogan. Cutting loose thousands. Bloodbath Party. Shapley. Hellish scheme boom ooh argh hate riot, slam like heck. Right? Right!

It’s an uncertain world and you should know it.

And we’re in decline.

It’s an uncertain world and you should know it.

And we’re in decline.

It’s an uncertain world and you should know it.

And we’re in decline.

It’s an uncertain world and you should know it.

And we’re in decline…

Iran’s Fighting Back – BONUS POST

Here’s a little ditty about what’s unsurprisingly going on.

IRAN’S FIGHTING BACK

sung to the tune of “My Boyfriend’s Back” with apologies to The Angels and to whomever else the rights may concern.

spoken:

After 2020, Trump never went away. He hung around and distracts us with radical actions every day and night. And when we don’t agree with him, he says and does things that aren’t very nice.

Iran’s fighting back and threatening more trouble.