Maduro may be a villain, but US action is extremely problematic, and will incur fallout in many forms, though we cannot predict its exact nature.
The chance for long-term success is slim, while the opportunity for failure is great.
The chance for long-term success is slim, while the opportunity for failure is great.
January 3, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Maduro may be a villain, but US action is extremely problematic, and will incur fallout in many forms, though we cannot predict its exact nature.
The chance for long-term success is slim, while the opportunity for failure is great.
The chance for long-term success is slim, while the opportunity for failure is great.
What it tells us is that the US regime subscribes to the same colonialist spheres-of-influence ideology that Putin professes, that the US no longer has functional checks-and-balances, and that the rule of international law has been discarded as inconvenient.
January 3, 2026 at 10:50 PM
What it tells us is that the US regime subscribes to the same colonialist spheres-of-influence ideology that Putin professes, that the US no longer has functional checks-and-balances, and that the rule of international law has been discarded as inconvenient.
He may not want to lose, but he very definitely can lose.
One might argue that the Russian people have already lost, but obviously Putin is willing to use them as grist for the mill. The longer they persue their unjust war, the more people will be lost on both sides.
No one truly wins.
One might argue that the Russian people have already lost, but obviously Putin is willing to use them as grist for the mill. The longer they persue their unjust war, the more people will be lost on both sides.
No one truly wins.
December 30, 2025 at 9:46 PM
He may not want to lose, but he very definitely can lose.
One might argue that the Russian people have already lost, but obviously Putin is willing to use them as grist for the mill. The longer they persue their unjust war, the more people will be lost on both sides.
No one truly wins.
One might argue that the Russian people have already lost, but obviously Putin is willing to use them as grist for the mill. The longer they persue their unjust war, the more people will be lost on both sides.
No one truly wins.
The move toward martyrdom requires allegiance even as Trump falls, and the momentum of his fall may carry those closest with him to the bottom.
My fear is that they will take what's left of the republic with them.
My fear is that they will take what's left of the republic with them.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
The move toward martyrdom requires allegiance even as Trump falls, and the momentum of his fall may carry those closest with him to the bottom.
My fear is that they will take what's left of the republic with them.
My fear is that they will take what's left of the republic with them.
Yet, I doubt very much that the factions who now enjoy nearly unchecked power will relinquish it willingly.
[I am mildly surprised scotus struck down the use of National Guardsmen to back up CBP/ICE, but they have enabled CBP/ICE injustice. Guard presence was symbolic. Their exclusion is also.]
[I am mildly surprised scotus struck down the use of National Guardsmen to back up CBP/ICE, but they have enabled CBP/ICE injustice. Guard presence was symbolic. Their exclusion is also.]
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Yet, I doubt very much that the factions who now enjoy nearly unchecked power will relinquish it willingly.
[I am mildly surprised scotus struck down the use of National Guardsmen to back up CBP/ICE, but they have enabled CBP/ICE injustice. Guard presence was symbolic. Their exclusion is also.]
[I am mildly surprised scotus struck down the use of National Guardsmen to back up CBP/ICE, but they have enabled CBP/ICE injustice. Guard presence was symbolic. Their exclusion is also.]
They are squeezing every drop of corruption they can out of Trump while they can, consequences be damned, as if his fall will necessarily bring about their own.
For what it's worth, the stain of corruption upon the souls of all who have enabled him will haunt them even unto oblivion.
For what it's worth, the stain of corruption upon the souls of all who have enabled him will haunt them even unto oblivion.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
They are squeezing every drop of corruption they can out of Trump while they can, consequences be damned, as if his fall will necessarily bring about their own.
For what it's worth, the stain of corruption upon the souls of all who have enabled him will haunt them even unto oblivion.
For what it's worth, the stain of corruption upon the souls of all who have enabled him will haunt them even unto oblivion.
Unless he remains the lynchpin of the entire campaign, strategically, it makes sense to back away, let him burn, and pretend to be shocked by the whole sordid affair, promise to root out corruption, and break out the long knives, but they aren't doing that.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Unless he remains the lynchpin of the entire campaign, strategically, it makes sense to back away, let him burn, and pretend to be shocked by the whole sordid affair, promise to root out corruption, and break out the long knives, but they aren't doing that.
If they cannot survive the Donald J Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Scandal, they can burn Trump, and blame him for all of the suffering caused by his failed policies [which is partly just], but carry on through succession, with a less charismatic but still useful tool in Vance.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
If they cannot survive the Donald J Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Scandal, they can burn Trump, and blame him for all of the suffering caused by his failed policies [which is partly just], but carry on through succession, with a less charismatic but still useful tool in Vance.
Once they have consolidated power, the law is what they say it is, and failure to cooperate may well earn people forced incarceration, forced medical intervention, or worse.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Once they have consolidated power, the law is what they say it is, and failure to cooperate may well earn people forced incarceration, forced medical intervention, or worse.
At some point though, plausibility is stretched too thin, governance theater breaks down, and succession must occur. Although we have laws and procedures for this, we should consider the will of the antagonist factions has in a great many documented cases been in direct contravention of the law.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
At some point though, plausibility is stretched too thin, governance theater breaks down, and succession must occur. Although we have laws and procedures for this, we should consider the will of the antagonist factions has in a great many documented cases been in direct contravention of the law.
If they can survive the Donald J Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Scandal, they can claim the ordeal impacted his health, limiting mobility and engagement with the beloved public [but leaving his famously sharp mind miraculously intact for the signing of draconian orders]
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
If they can survive the Donald J Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Scandal, they can claim the ordeal impacted his health, limiting mobility and engagement with the beloved public [but leaving his famously sharp mind miraculously intact for the signing of draconian orders]
It should not surprise us that people who have revealed themselves as Christian nationalists and white nationalists engaged in a concerted effort to transform the nation would use Trump as a tool to accomplish their goals.
So, the longer his decline can be masked, the longer they can use him.
So, the longer his decline can be masked, the longer they can use him.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
It should not surprise us that people who have revealed themselves as Christian nationalists and white nationalists engaged in a concerted effort to transform the nation would use Trump as a tool to accomplish their goals.
So, the longer his decline can be masked, the longer they can use him.
So, the longer his decline can be masked, the longer they can use him.
Despite evidence of cognitive and physical decline, Trump's enablers and handlers encourage his delusion and enable his impulses as they drive societal transformation by any and all means.
This should tell you everything you need to know about their intent and their will to power.
This should tell you everything you need to know about their intent and their will to power.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Despite evidence of cognitive and physical decline, Trump's enablers and handlers encourage his delusion and enable his impulses as they drive societal transformation by any and all means.
This should tell you everything you need to know about their intent and their will to power.
This should tell you everything you need to know about their intent and their will to power.
The other is using Trump as a meat-puppet, which is coincidentally the very thing he accused Biden's staff of doing via the auto-pen debacle.
[Projection: all accusations are confessions]
[Projection: all accusations are confessions]
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
The other is using Trump as a meat-puppet, which is coincidentally the very thing he accused Biden's staff of doing via the auto-pen debacle.
[Projection: all accusations are confessions]
[Projection: all accusations are confessions]
One is using Trump as a scapegoat for the actions of the regime. They could attempt a pivot.
This seems completely implausible though. It seems more likely they will embrace him as a martyr and carry on his work and vision.
This seems completely implausible though. It seems more likely they will embrace him as a martyr and carry on his work and vision.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
One is using Trump as a scapegoat for the actions of the regime. They could attempt a pivot.
This seems completely implausible though. It seems more likely they will embrace him as a martyr and carry on his work and vision.
This seems completely implausible though. It seems more likely they will embrace him as a martyr and carry on his work and vision.
Everybody dies.
We have a reasonably well understood process of succession.
The factions which control the executive branch will probably seek to retain control. We should expect consolidation of power.
Two potential scenarios emerge.
We have a reasonably well understood process of succession.
The factions which control the executive branch will probably seek to retain control. We should expect consolidation of power.
Two potential scenarios emerge.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Everybody dies.
We have a reasonably well understood process of succession.
The factions which control the executive branch will probably seek to retain control. We should expect consolidation of power.
Two potential scenarios emerge.
We have a reasonably well understood process of succession.
The factions which control the executive branch will probably seek to retain control. We should expect consolidation of power.
Two potential scenarios emerge.
That observation was about eight years ago, so the hypothetical but plausible onset of first stage FTD may have preceded that. If the first stage lasts from one to three years, he would now be well into second stage or entering third stage. Either way, he would be within the terminal band.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
That observation was about eight years ago, so the hypothetical but plausible onset of first stage FTD may have preceded that. If the first stage lasts from one to three years, he would now be well into second stage or entering third stage. Either way, he would be within the terminal band.
The intent of that warning may have been different than my focus at present, but the point is that they are trained observers, and they reported symptoms which match some of the early stage characteristics of FTD noted by others.
[a moment of profound schadenfreude: FDT syndrome]
[a moment of profound schadenfreude: FDT syndrome]
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
The intent of that warning may have been different than my focus at present, but the point is that they are trained observers, and they reported symptoms which match some of the early stage characteristics of FTD noted by others.
[a moment of profound schadenfreude: FDT syndrome]
[a moment of profound schadenfreude: FDT syndrome]
"Trump is...impulsive, arrogant, ignorant, disorganised, chaotic, nihilistic, self-contradictory, self-important, and self-serving."
from The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, October 2017, 27
from The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, October 2017, 27
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
"Trump is...impulsive, arrogant, ignorant, disorganised, chaotic, nihilistic, self-contradictory, self-important, and self-serving."
from The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, October 2017, 27
from The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, October 2017, 27
but the Duty to Warn conference was in April 2017, so it was already evident to trained professionals [based on a well publicised history of speech and behavior in the public eye]:
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Books: The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President: Assessing Dangerousness
An official website of the United States government
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
but the Duty to Warn conference was in April 2017, so it was already evident to trained professionals [based on a well publicised history of speech and behavior in the public eye]:
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
From observation, early and middle stage symptoms are frequently exhibited in his speech and behavior, and some of the late stage symptoms such as slowness, weakness, and unsteadiness are apparent.
In terms of chronology, claim of dementia was reported in 2018
www.newsweek.com/joe-scarobor...
In terms of chronology, claim of dementia was reported in 2018
www.newsweek.com/joe-scarobor...
www.newsweek.com
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
From observation, early and middle stage symptoms are frequently exhibited in his speech and behavior, and some of the late stage symptoms such as slowness, weakness, and unsteadiness are apparent.
In terms of chronology, claim of dementia was reported in 2018
www.newsweek.com/joe-scarobor...
In terms of chronology, claim of dementia was reported in 2018
www.newsweek.com/joe-scarobor...
Late stages are marked by significant decline in function, resembling Alzheimer's, rigidity, slowness, muscle weakness, unsteadiness, difficulty swallowing, prominent memory loss, trouble recognizing loved ones, loss of all communication, increased risk of infection, and falls.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Late stages are marked by significant decline in function, resembling Alzheimer's, rigidity, slowness, muscle weakness, unsteadiness, difficulty swallowing, prominent memory loss, trouble recognizing loved ones, loss of all communication, increased risk of infection, and falls.
Middle stages are marked by more pronounced and consistent symptoms, overlap of behavioral and language issues, increased difficulty with planning, organizing, and concentrating.
December 27, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Middle stages are marked by more pronounced and consistent symptoms, overlap of behavioral and language issues, increased difficulty with planning, organizing, and concentrating.