We lost our country to 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒?

I've had the Twitter post below filed away for quite some time. I've seen many an immature Trumper tweet, but none quite as infantile as this one. The person who wrote it was 49 years of age and the phrases he used — e.g., "the biggest pussies I've ever seen" — were rather less than suggestive of a man who holds master's degrees in both business administration and psychology. I repeat, psychology. Another reason I've held on to the post is that the tweeter, Dan Bongino — and this, you may have forgotten — is now the deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Naturally, Dan is also a former Fox News host. The post's object of his ire, what "they" were celebrating that night, was Trump's conviction in his hush money trial. Along with other phrases he used — like "you assholes wanted [asked] for it" — and the rancid personality that so clearly emerged from them would, in any other organization's search of a prospective employee's social media history, eliminate from consideration such a vile adolescent. But in the coming Trump regime, foul slop like Dan's only shot his name to the top of employment lists.

The position of FBI deputy director is a powerful one, made even more powerful by the man he reports to directly: the psychotically pixilated director of the FBI, Kash Patel, a lifelong grifter, MAGA major general, galactic conspiracy theorist, QAnon disciple, hunter of Satanist leftie pedophiles, author of monarchical Trumpist children's books, lord executioner of inquisitive journalists and the Captain Ahab of all political opponents of his dictatorial massa — in short, a fully autonomous hit man for Trump. Together, Dan and Kash can go about crushing the civil liberties of millions.

FBI executives and special agents report to the deputy director, who also leads all major investigations. So at the very top there exists a profanely incestuous duo with all the bureau's powers, privileges and personnel; a two-man team disturbingly loyal to Trump and thus, by definition, not the rule of law. That, however, will remain in force on a case-by-case basis.

Authoritarian regimes can be very strict when "right thinking" must be enforced and "wrong thinking" punished — they dutifully maintain an adherence to statutory requirements and the appearance of legal propriety. There, the minds of Dan Bongino, Kash Patel and of course Attorney General Pam Bondi will be swimming with corrective thoughts about "scumbag commie libs" and "assholes who asked for it." And by God they're going to "get it."

Is this what America will become, or has become? Are these the people destined to rule the nation's future? Is this what we've lost our country to? — a bunch of puerile, vengeful crackpots led by a man who at 78 years of age still can't grasp even the most elementary concepts of economics, fiscal policy, America's fundamental social needs and foreign trade?

The questions are frightening but, I'd like to think, premature in the way of bolting down unpleasant despositives. America's anti-Trump and Never Trump political elements, social welfare organizations, religious organizations, ballsier law firms, commercial consortiums and trade asscociations have yet to mobilize into a coherent form of unified opposition. And while Wall Street — a political as well as financial powerhouse — is mometarily bewildered, disoriented and yet too imtimidated to speak with one voice, and speak not truth but threats to despotic power, it soon could be — before 3 a.m. knocks at the door commence.

In a lengthy piece for The Atlantic, David Brooks writes upfront, "When I joined the conservative movement in the 1980s, there were two types of people: those who cared earnestly about ideas, and those who wanted only to shock the left. The reactionary fringe has won."

It has for now. But the victorious reactionary fringe is inhabited by intellectual featherweights, ranks opportunists, wackos, thugs and bullies like Dan Bongino and Kash Patel — all of them led by an erractic, stupendously unstable loon. In written reaction to these abominations I concede that I don't do "feelings" well. But Brooks does: "Maybe the best description for what I’m feeling is moral shame: To watch the loss of your nation’s honor is embarrassing and painful."

Still, I have long believed and written many times that though we're trapped in something akin to another 1850s sectional crisis, from this one we'll emerge without bloodshed and with honor re-intact. Because, as Brooks concludes, "Power without prudence and humility invariably fails."