David Lurie: A cabinet of dunces

[Nevilledog]

https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-cabinet-of-dunces-noem-bondi-rfk-mcmahon

As the second Trump administration passed its 100 day mark, pundits expressed awe at the “astonishing” amount the president had purportedly accomplished.

Trump and his cronies have certainly engaged in more flagrantly illegal and wantonly destructive activities than any modern presidential administration, and in a strikingly brief time. But as we head toward the sixth month of Trump 2.0, it is becoming increasingly clear how little there is to it apart from self-enrichment and nihilism.

In his second term in office, Trump is, truly, being Trump. He’s rigorously demanding that the government be “operated” the way he conducted business for decades — that is, solely and exclusively for short-term gain and self-aggrandizement. The result, it is becoming clear, is a regime that leaves chaos in its wake instead of creating anything approaching the foundation for a legacy.

Thus, far from setting out to institutionalize a sustainable right-wing revolution — like Ronald Reagan did, with some pernicious success — Trumpers are engaged in a project directed at sabotaging as much of the nation’s government, and destroying as much of its economic and political power, as possible.

While the consequences of this nihilistic assault are likely to be catastrophic, the hopeful possibility is they could also be remarkably short-lived.

*snip*