House Republicans Are Very Dumb

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Of all the reasons to impeach Joe Biden, some nebulous dealings with his son just doesn’t cut it. There are any number of other things that make a lot more political sense that he could be impeached for. Not that I would support such an impeachment, but at least it would make some sense.

The biggest reason I could see House Republicans impeaching Biden for is the “crisis at the border.” That, at least, from a political standpoint, makes some sense. There is some logic to it. It’s something they could pitch to the average person in a simple way that people could grasp — Biden isn’t addressing the “crisis at the border” and, as such, he needs to be removed from office.

But, no, those ding-dongs want to root around in Joe Biden’s love for his son Hunter. It’s all very, very dumb and misguided. It makes you wonder if the House Republicans have very poor abstract thought abilities. If they could rub two brain cells together, they would realize that while the “crisis on the border” is an abstract political problem, it’s at least exists and is easy to understand.

I just don’t know what is going to happen going forward. I still worry about a 1872 Election Endgame — I worry about the near-term health of both Biden and ding-dong Trump. Even though I despise Trump’s political vision for America, I don’t want anything to happen physically for two reasons.

One, there would be mass violence from all this kooky supporters assuming the “deep state” got rid of him. And, second, someone just as bad, but younger and more focused would simply slip in and do the exact same thing Trump would want to do without all the thrashing around.

There are some seriously fucked up things going on in America politics on a macro level and there just isn’t anything we can do about it. It’s all coming to a head in late 2024, early 2025, one way or another.

We’re Careening Towards A Dark Future With Our Eyes Wide Shut

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Jesus Christ. The thing about having to deal with macro trends on a personal basis is a lot of times events just make no fucking sense. But, here we are — because of a number of long-term macro trends, America is face to face with fascism for the first time in its history.

And if we don’t transition into a fucking fascist state, we’re going to collapse into either a civil war or a revolution. While we’re on the subject of shit like a civil war — we don’t need a big budget action movie about a civil war called Civil War, we need a Threads-like movie that depicts how much a civil war or revolution would s u c k.

My big complaint about the Civil War trailer is there is a basic assumption about communication that is just wrong. If a civil war / revolution really broke out in the US communication would be at a premium because that would be the first thing that each side tried to knock out. If the general population has no clue as to what is going on, then they’re a lot easier to attack.

And that doesn’t even begin to address the potential use of WMD by both sides if things REALLY got bad. AND, you have to address that outside the United States, about 1 billion people could die because, lulz, the US just won’t be able to make sure nations like India and Pakistan don’t use nukes on each other. It really could get that bad.

And, what’s more — there are no assurances that “the good guys” (IE, people I like) would win a revolution / civil war. And there are no assurances that the war would end in such a way that the country was put back together. In fact, our best bet is some sort of United States of North America is formed after whatever history gets done sorting out the massive clusterfuck that may be heading towards us.

Am I’m Missing Something? I’m Really Struggling With The Idea Of The U.S. Military Being Tyrant Trump’s Goons

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Jesus Christ. I continue to read a flood of articles that detail malignant ding-dong Trump’s plans for the U.S. Military when he is “dictator for a day.” The issue is — at its heart, the U.S. Military is a democratic institution. It just doesn’t make any sense that Tyrant Trump can order the U.S. Military to effectively be his SA.

The Nazi SA was a bunch of fucking street brawling thugs who would kick your teeth in if you stood your ground against Nazi aggression. And while, yes, there are plenty of paramilitary groups floating around the US at the moment — the Patriot Front being the one that unnerves me the most — the US of 2025 will not be Germany 1933.

It would take at LEAST 18 months for Tyrant Trump to organize and build out an American SA of no less than 1 million hateful thugs who would beat the shit out of people like me in the streets to “persuade” them to go alone with the America First agenda.

So. Trump and his toadies can pencil in “thugs TBA” in their 2025 agenda all they like — there would be a huge window of opportunity for a General Strike or a Woman’s Strike to pressure the U.S. Military to slow walk –at a minimum –the implementation of Tyrant Trump’s more tyrannical orders.

I mean, the U.S. Military wouldn’t even use tanks for Trump’s fucking 4th of July parade in D.C. because it would “tear up the pavement” and you mean to tell me they would turn into street brawlers at the behest of a ding-dong like Trump? Really?

It definitely seems as though someone hasn’t really though through the implications of all these nefarious, tyrannical plans they have gamed out for 2025. There will come a point soon after Trump goes full tyrant in 2025 when there will be a severe and direct reaction on the part of Blues against his tyrannical behavior.

I’m not advocating anything, just pointing out the obvious.

A Generative AI Equivalent of ‘Toy Story’ Is Less Than 18 Months Away

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It is clear to me that the first Hollywood genre to be totally “disrupted” by generative AI will be animated movies. As such, it will probably be produced by some plucky startup without a direct connection to the Hollywood system. But it will knock everyone’s socks off to the point that everyone will realize that Hollywood as we know it is about to be totally upended.

We have to prepare for the prospect that it will be the arts that will be the first to fall to generative AI. It will be Hollywood that may be so completely upended that there simply won’t be any human jobs left. And it could happen far, far quicker than any of us could possibly imagine.

I continue to believe that this particular clusterfuck will cause a massive resurgence in live theatre, from Broadway all the way down to local community theatre. People may even begin to give value to such a human-created experience to the point that instead of watch an personalized AI generated movie in the comfort of one’s home, people will go out of their way to see live theatre.

Or something. I can’t predict the future. But this particular scenario definitely at least seems possible. It definitely seems as though we’re zooming towards something akin to a “Petite Singularity” within about two years. Or, if you really wanted to get dark about it — we’ll have a perfect storm of The Fourth Turning in politics and the Petite Singularity in technology starting in late 2024, early 2025.

There Are No Moderate Republicans

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

With all front-line Republicans voting to begin an formal impeachment investigation into President Biden, it’s finally clear that there are no moderate Republicans. To be a Republican is to be completely and absolutely beholden to the wishes of malignant ding-dong Trump.

This is yet another ping from a very, very dark future. While I know this will sound like my usual “hysterical doom shit,” it definitely seems as though we continue to careen towards a historic moment in our nation’s history starting in late 2024, early 2025.

Either we slide peacefully into MAGA themed autocracy by electing Trump or Trump loses and we have a civil war because he doesn’t want to go to jail. Meanwhile, if Trump goes “full tyrant” in 2025, it’s possible that Blues won’t take Trump’s shit anymore and the country will collapse into revolution and civil war.

And all of this will be happening in the context of the entire post-WW2 liberal order collapsing as well. With the US preoccupied with trying to figure out what to do with Trump, the entire world will be up for grabs. With the US distracted with mass domestic chaos, you could see at least 1 billion people die as a number of nuclear-tipped frozen regional conflicts suddenly grow very, very hot.

It’s going to suck.

This is all a prime example of the old saying that you go bankrupt gradually, then all at once.

I would like to note something — most Republicans aren’t stupid, but rather craven. They know damn well what they’re doing in regards to impeaching Biden is dumb and unjustified, but they have a word salad they want to impress upon the minds of low information voters, so they just say whatever is necessary during their latest CNN hit to get a few key words shoehorned into the discussion.

They. Do. This. All. The. Time.

But the point is — things definitely *feel* like they’re coming to a head. It seems as though we’ve collectively decided to force the issue of the current Red vs Blue debate out into the open in as painful and dumb a way as possible. And, alas, as much as I hate to even think about it — this might result in a lot of innocent people getting hurt just because of “vibes.”

Yet racism, bigotry and sexism are all hell of a drug. So, barring something I really, really can’t predict, we’re totally and completely fucked. This is it. One way or another, we’re going to the show.

Get ready.

A Review Of the A24 Trailer For The Movie ‘Civil War’

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I am very pleased with this movie because it will give Americans an outlet for all the bad juju we’re feeling these days about the potential fate of our nation. It is interesting, however, that the producers of the movie decided to muddle the scenario by not making it a Blue Vs. Red civil war but something more fictional. The fact that the “Western forces” made up of Texas and California which are the rebels in this movie has already caught the attention of the Twitter hivemind.

People are really annoyed that they aren’t being given a clear, more realistic scenario to watch. Everyone knows that Texas and California would never join forces in a civil war — but that’s the point. If the producers didn’t do some fudging, then they would have to pick who the “good guys” of their scenario were.

Of course, there WAS a way that they could be more realistic — have the story be more about how a Red Vs. Blue civil war unfolding being the huge drama happening in the background of the lives of everyday people trying to just live through extraordinary times.

But that may be too nuanced for what people would want to see once you introduced the topic of a realistic civil war scenario. Both sides would be enraged if they weren’t the “good guys.”

Anyway. I probably will go see this movie, even if is really bad, just so I can have a cathartic viewing event and also so I can judge the quality of the scenario.

Invoking The Insurrection Act Would Not Be The Magic Fascist Pixie Dust That Trump Thinks It Would Be

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I continue to struggle with how, exactly, Trump could go full tyrant in 2025 by just invoking the Insurrection Act while corrupting the levers of power. That’s it? That’s all he’s going to do? And it’s not like all of that is going to happen in a vacuum.

The U.S. Military is not the Nazi SA. It’s a democratic institution to its core. It’s not going to be cool with being seen as MAGA thugs, hell bent on “making America great again” over a bunch of corpses. If anything, if Trump pushes that particular pressure point too much, the military will either implode from internal division on the subject or turn around and topple Trump for being such a dick.

What Trump will need is some sort of national paramilitary group, an American SA. But it would take 18 months to organize and call up the 500,000 bloodthirsty thugs to make up any sort of American SA. That would be plenty of time for a General Strike or Women’s Strike to persuade the U.S. Military to stand down or even help Blues topped Trump. (But even then, all that might do is cause a National Divorce and a civil war, so, lulz?)

Yes, Trump would weaponize the existing ICE infrastructure, but that STILL would not be enough goons for what Trump wants to do. Blues make up about half the population and once it became clear that Trump wasn’t “joking” about becoming a tyrant towards them….anything might happen.

This is not to say that Trump can’t get what he wants, just that maybe there’s more going on than I realize. If there isn’t, early 2025 could be very, very unstable. The key thing about Trump is he’s always been a one-man unpreceded stress test on the American political system.

Maybe Blues need to turn into “Blue Meanies” if Trump is re-elected.

If he uses the U.S. Military on the Blue parts of the U.S. to rule as a military dictator there, while being a more traditional autocrat with his Red State supporters….yikes. Trump could cause the situation in the United States to grow so unstable that many, many people die for no damn reason. The US could be wracked with revolution, counter-revolution, civil war all happening in the context of WW3.

I still believe that MAGA and Trump will soon be as loaded in the global mind as the Nazis and Hitler. Trump could be responsible for at least 1 billion dead if you factor in WW3 happening as a number of nuclear-tipped regional wars turn hot because the USA is too preoccupied with blowing itself up to do being the world’s “indispensable nation.”

But, thankfully, I can’t predict the future. No one can. But it does seem, in general, that if Trump wins re-election that we’re going to the show. That will be it. Either the US turns into a MAGA hellscape, or we somehow manage to destroy MAGA and found a Third Republic.

May God have mercy on our souls.

‘A Constant Companion’ — #lyrics to a #pop #rock protest song

This one is about how much I fucking hate MAGA. I’m TRYING to write in an oblique manner like Katy Perry in “Chained To The Rhythm.”

A Constant Companion
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

ignorance is bliss
keeps us all on our feet
it’s no small feat
given how everything is so dumb
as much we want to live
in a land of unicorns
we have to do deal with
a constant companion

(pre chorus)
keep the faith
never let it go
believe in you and me
believe in you and me

chorus
a constant companion
is always leering at us
a constant companion
is going to be our death
a constant companion
makes u all want to fret
constant companion
constant companion
constant companion

the sun is an orange black hole
sucking in all that is true
turning it us into fools
we give up our right to dance
because we are afraid of the night
what are we going to do
when we need the sun to rise
(what a surprise!)

(pre chorus)
keep the faith
never let it go
believe in you and me
believe in you and me

chorus
a constant companion
is always leering at us
a constant companion
is going to be our death
a constant companion
makes u all want to fret
constant companion
constant companion
constant companion

(bridge)
the truth is the truth
an no amount of evil
will change that everyone
everyone wants to be free, free, free

(pre chorus)
keep the faith
never let it go
believe in you and me
believe in you and me

chorus
a constant companion
is always leering at us
a constant companion
is going to be our death
a constant companion
makes u all want to fret
constant companion
constant companion
constant companion

It’s A Mystery

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I continue to get very…mysterious…pings in my Webstats from people poking around deep inside the site out of nowhere. The latest person is using Google Proxy so I have even less information about them than usual.

I can never tell if these mysterious people are interested in my political ranting or my creative ranting. I don’t even know if they’re doing some sort of due diligence on me for this or that reason.

It’s all very curious. I only bring it up because I’m such an anonymous nobody that *any* attention I get from someone trying to hide their domain name, etc is enough to pique my interest. But as “JCal” says, “chaos is a ladder” so, who knows, maybe when the US collapses into civil war, revolution and or tyranny I’ll become someone of note.

What’s more, I got a notification from Facebook telling me I qualified to be a “professional creator” because my content’s high engagement. This makes — on the face of it — no sense. I’ve noticed no additional engagement from my activity on Facebook. This makes me wonder if maybe people are looking at all the Facebook Lives I’ve posted to this site over the years (for some unknown reason) and I have videos with a lot of views and I just don’t know about it.

I continue to believe I have one last hattrick in me. But death be not proud. I could drop dead any day now and never live up to that “potential.”

‘All My Heroes Are Dead’ — #lyrics to a #rap -#rock protest song

I’m intoxicated and feel like venting. Not advocating anything. I will note that the angry rap protest songs of the late 1980s and early 1990s are really good!

All My Heroes Are Dead
lyrics by @sheltgarner
please give credit if you produce or perform

all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead

2024 is not just a number
history is rushing towards us
crashing down on our heads
the Man wants black and brown
to attack each other
while he rakes in the dough
that’s why

all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead

we need truth not lies
the power of the polls is fading
as we speak
in ways that would make Dr. King scream
we have to take the streets
in November
if the tyrant returns from under his sheet

all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead

(bridge)
listen to the radio
waiting for your sign
to make history come alive
when the Man learns the power
of angry men who want
the truth to rule the land

all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead
all my heroes are dead