Category: From The Editor

Pondering The Possibility Of WWII With Trump Attacking Iran & Putin Attacking Ukraine

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

I have for a long time said that Trump will wag the dog ASAP in an effort to prevent a “Blue Wave” from happening in the fall. But I always thought it was going to be the DPRK that would be the source of the war that would have people in the States humming Lee Greenwood’s greatest hits on their way to the polls in November.

But from all appearances, if there is going to be a World War III type event any time soon, it’s going to be something like this: while the States is buy attacking Iran, Russian will attack Ukraine. The States will be so busy having a patriotic circle jerk as we invade Iran that we won’t notice the enormous land grab in Ukraine on the part of the Russians.

Now, there are some enormous problems with Trump doing such a thing. It’s very possible that Iran and the DPRK might form some sort of secret Axis against us. They might say, “If we’re going down, we’re going down together.” It would be difficult for the United States to fight a war with both Iran and the DPRK. We’d win, of course, but with significant loss of life. Or, put another way, if Trump really wanted to go after Iran, Iran would have every reason to align itself directly with the DPRK in an effort to wave the States off any decision to attack.

How, exactly, that would go down is anyone’s guess. At this point, I honestly have no idea what is going to happen. But Trump is so batshit insane that it seems as though anything is, in fact, possible.

A Call To Arms, Redux: We Need A Twitter Killer App To Mobilize & Organize The Resistance

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

First, let me stress that I am only idly mentioning this. I have no money, can’t code and don’t want to learn. But eventually, I believe, someone is going to realize that not only does The Resistance need an app, but that same app could help kill Twitter. All you need to do is use the app initially to mobilize and organize The Resistance and then leverage it into an actual Twitter killer.

Among the things I could see this app doing are: 1) helping people register to vote 2) being a one-stop-shop for various GOTV efforts and general mobilization 3) general helping with organization of The Resistance 4) having several urgently needed features that Twitter currently doesn’t have.

If you made the on-boarding of the app really intuitive and made it so people felt connected to The Resistance on a personal, individual level, I think that would be very helpful. It’s just matter of someone doing it. I doubt it would cost all that much to develop to begin with. If you can get $50,000 together to help there being daily protests in front of the White House, you can at least get that much to develop a basic app to help The Resistance.

But, whatever, this is just fun to think about.

‘Tell Me What You Know’ — #Lyrics To A Pop-Rock Song

I felt inspired. I have no beat, just lyrics.

Tell Me What You Know
lyrics by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
please give credit if you produce or perform

tell me what you know
that’s what I need
tell me what you know
that’s how I’ll deal

you’re running through the streets
gun in hand
screaming at the top of your lungs
as if you have a plan
tell me what you know

I’ll be the first to admit
that you don’t seem to fit
the narrative is out of control
we’re all on a roll

tell me what you know
that’s what I need
tell me what you know
that’s how I’ll deal

[bridge]
we’ll know soon enough
that’s what I know
we’ll all be free of this
ready to roll
ready to roll
ready to roll

tell me what you know
that’s what I need
tell me what you know
that’s how I’ll deal

In Defense Of The ‘Radical Resistance’

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

When I say the “Radical Resistance” I’m not by any means advocating that The Resistance become violent. What I am suggesting is politically we need to take the gloves off. The only reason why I suggest this is it’s pretty obvious that a small but growing portion of The Resistance is growing more radicalized already, and I propose we embrace the energy and organization of those radicals instead of shunning them.

This won’t come without risks. You risk alienating so many people by becoming radicalized that you hurt, not help the cause. But, like I said, my sense of things is The Resistance is careening towards increased radicalization regardless of how many NeverTrump people clutch their pearls and say that just shouldn’t happen.

I think this because the usually bumpy Trump Administration is growing ever more alarming in its behavior. The Resistance can focus on dry policy issues for only so long before the base is going to grow disenchanted and take matters into its own hands. It is obvious that the 2018 mid-terms are going to be about enthusiasm. it’s going to be about which side can mobilize the base the best. So rather that fight the lurch towards political radicalization on the part of The Resistance, maybe it’s time to embrace it and try to focus it in a constructive manner.

So I would suggest we try to use the energy of increased radicalization to get people pumped to vote in the fall, to protest more, things like that. Stop worry about how we’re going to address policy issues and just get people excited to do things in a practical manner that will help The Resistance take Congress back.

The fate of our country depends on it.

Shelton Bumgarner is a writer and photographer living in Richmond, Va. He may be reached at migukin (at) gmail (dot) com.

Podcast: Talk To Me Internet’s Trumplandia: Trump As A Quisling

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

My friend Milo and I did a pretty great emergency podcast on recent developments between Trump and the Russians. It’s kind of long, but it’s well worth your time. It’s really informative and interesting.

V-Log: Talk To Me Internet –Trump Loses Kori Schake & The American Intelligentsia

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

In this wide-ranging video I talk a lot — A LOT! — about the fact that we’ve entered a new era in American history equal to the French intelligentsia’s refutation of Communism after the Russians squashed the Prague Spring. In essence, I suggest that while Trump may never be impeached because of white knuckled political reasons, he has, in fact, lost the American Intelligentsia and now thinking people are beginning to memorialize publicly their opposition to Trump & MAGA.

I ramble about other interesting things as well, but this video is actually worth your time.

V-Log — Take Back America: An Anti-Trump Rant

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

Here’s a rambling rant against Trump and his supporters.

Why Yes, Trump Is A Quisling

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

I have been saying for about a year now that Trump is a traitor, or more specifically, a “quisling.” Quisling was the leader of Norway who switched sides in WWII, allowing the Germans to march right in unopposed.

I propose that Trump is a modern day equivalent of him.

So, if you really want to pound away at the traitor angle when it comes to Trump, you need to call him a quisling, because that’s what he is. It’s easy to remember, pithy and rolls off the tongue quite easily. I’ve been calling Trump a quisling on this site for a long time now on this site, as this link shows.

I would suggest we really try to connect Trump with the term quisling as much as possible. Maybe, eventually, Trump’s name will go down in the proper infamy if we try hard enough. Trump is a traitor, a big old traitor. And that he would be a traitor in the guise of the type that Quisling was is pretty self-evident at this point.

Shelton Bumgarner is a writer and photographer living in Richmond, Va. He may be reached at migukin (at) gmail (dot) com.

Of Writing A Novel

by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls

As I sit down for a day’s writing, I find myself reflecting on difficult it is to write, period. Generally, at least for me, people tell me I suck and I should just go get a job at a bank. I think what I’m going to do is simply stop being so forthcoming when it comes to showing people the process of whatever it is I’m working on.

People want something from me that I just can’t give them. They want me to fit inside “the box” of the conventional. They hate the very idea that I would write anything at all because my grammar is bad or whatever. They come at me from the point of view of a professional writer when I’m just a struggling novice who enjoys writing and telling stories, regardless of how good the end produce might be.

But I think simply not being so open with what I’m writing will fix the issue. That and buckling down and doing the hard work of actually required to produce a novel someone in the end will want to read. Now that I have the basic plot down, the difficult part begins.

It’s surprising how absolute some people are about how they think I shouldn’t write, period. But I’ve never done what I’m supposed to do and so why should I start now. But the issue is I have to actually do the work. I have to start to do the hard work of development. There’s a lot of stuff you have to do in the background of writing a novel to produce something that is actually anywhere near what you might want to read. I’ve talked about writing enough. Time to act.

‘Ask Me Anything’ — #Lyrics To A Pop-Rock Ballad

Just screwing around with song titles and concepts. This one is pretty good. Just like telling stories in verse. That’s all that’s going on. It’s relaxing.

Ask Me Anything
lyrics by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
please give credit if you produce or perform

we’re all alone in this world
don’t know what I’m going to do
moan all you like but in the end
life can give you a twirl
so I say to fate with a wink

ask me anything

maybe you’re the one
I tell you and smirk
is it possible you’re my love
a white dove ready to coo
what ever am I going to do

don’t you fret at all
I’m ready to take the plunge
ready to open the door to our first date
but you’ve got to stop waiting
get off your ass and ask

ask me anything
let the questions flow
from your tongue to my mind
ask me anything
ask me anything

[bridge]
let me answer all your questions
ease all your fears
I’ll get you closer to
everything you hold dear

what is there to worry about
once you ask me anything
I’ll say yes
maybe tonight
we’ll get undressed

ask me anything
let the questions flow
from your tongue to my mind
ask me anything
ask me anything