Charting Feb 9-11
Gulf of America, paper straws, and encouraging corruption
Yesterday was one of those days when an earthquake happens but you’re swimming at the gym or driving a car and you don’t feel the tremor directly—until the pool cracks or the road collapses into a sinkhole—with you and your family in it.
The earthquake was the (but aren’t they all?) misleadingly titled “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies” Act. In it, Trump claims sweeping unitary executive powers over all employees in the executive branch of the United States. This eliminates the independence of any agencies under the executive branch, independence that has previously given us a check on presidential retribution or reward directed at antagonists or friends. So the Department of Justice is now the Department of Trump Justice. Has a different ring to it somehow.
Further, and far more weirdly, Trump asserts that only he, the President, and his Attorney General(-lapdog) Pam Bondi are authorized to interpret the laws for anyone in the Executive Branch. Only their interpretation of laws may be used. The First Amendment was just killed within the Executive Branch.
See for yourself.
A reminder: Under “Purpose Scores,” there are four scores:
1) performative sops that he throws to his base like hush-puppy morsels; he performs these actions so that he can be seen performing them by crucial constituencies of his voters or other allies.
2) stilettos of personal spite; personal obsessions or acts of revenge against people or institutions that have defied or frustrated him in the past.
3) actions for the personal gain of himself, his peers, or favorites like Elon Musk.
4) long games—actions aimed at other eventual results. These may be thought of as opening bids, head-fakes, or preparations for subsequent actions. Americans—and our bank accounts.
And here’s a review of actions from Feb 9-11 in case you missed them. On those days, the president unilaterally decided that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the Gulf of America because he has a small dick, I guess. I can think of no other reason.
He also addressed the immensely important urgent necessity of banning paper drink straws because he personally doesn’t like them and he does like plastic. Figures.
He eliminated a federal executive training institute because he prefers people in the executive branch who are both unqualified and incurious about how to do their jobs.
Stopped the federal enforcement of laws against corruption because Corrupt ‘R' Us.
Slapped a 25% tariff on steel imports, guaranteeing that automakers in the US will pass that price jump onto American car buyers.
Put a 10% tariff on aluminum imports, again guaranteeing that American consumers will pay more for things made with imported aluminum.
Belatedly established DOGE, which Elon Musk apparently doesn’t run? Or does? Who knows?
He was a very busy boy.
Reminder:
Under “Purpose Scores,” there are four scores:
1) performative sops that he throws to his base like hush-puppy morsels; he performs these actions so that he can be seen performing them by crucial constituencies of his voters or other allies.
2) stilettos of personal spite; personal obsessions or acts of revenge against people or institutions that have defied or frustrated him in the past.
3) actions for the personal gain of himself, his peers, or favorites like Elon Musk.
4) long games—actions aimed at other eventual results. These may be thought of as opening bids, head-fakes, or preparations for subsequent actions. Americans—and our bank accounts.
