Tom Toles for February 17, 2020

Hitler and Benito would be jealous.

Redirecting traffic indeed! It’s right on point, and it’s a rather long read (it’s The Atlantic, after all..), and it’s terrifying! The Billion-Dollar Disinformation Campaign to Reelect the President: How new technologies and techniques pioneered by dictators will shape the 2020 election https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-2020-disinformation-war/605530/ Be afraid, be very, VERY afraid.

It’s The Highway To Hell, and it is NOT paved with good intentions.

I love the little comment at the lower right.

Trumpian Road – {4 beats/line}

We shift our gear // to the Trumpian mode,

and hope we can steer // on his potholed road,

with our teeth clenched in fear // of what Democrats forebode.

… Coda:

In Trump’s commode // there’s an overload,

flooding his cesspool and over his road,

then throughout our nation into Everyman’s abode.

A putrid legacy this prez has bestowed:

his commode has caused our world to erode

and rot and stink and decay and corrode

{tho’ not in the FatCats’ hifalutin zip code}.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

{Off-topic:}

Unsubtle Rebuttal – {4 beats/line}

When to a Trumpster you type a rebuttal,

keep it simple {not overly subtle}, -

- ‘cause Trumpsters’ minds tend dull {not keen},

so Trumpsters can’t readily glean what you mean.

… Coda:

Their thinking’s trouble: – // – Their brain’s in a bubble

in which they exult // in their Trumpian cult.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Keep Right! Keep Right! (I repeat myself when under stress)( I repeat myself when under stress.)

What is curious is that the “Republicans” cannot accomplish anything that truly benefits all of America even when they control all branches of government, yet they insist that the Democrats cannot either … but only by Mitch blocking the Democrats’ legislation!

Face it, folks… The “Right” is WRONG!!

When you’re driving the country on a suicide mission, down a one-way street off a cliff into bankruptcy, sure give everybody a tax cut, we’ll get to our destination so much quicker…

“Bad Intentions Paving Company”

There is a place not on the map whereto many strive,

Two parties of stark contrast have packed up there to drive

Their entire clans in that obscure direction,

Promising arrival after the next election.

.

It’s EREHWON — not wrote of by Samuel Butler,

But a shining city, elusive and much subtler.

The BUPERs and the SOMEDs have many plans to show

Their model towns more certain to thrive and then to grow.

.

The BUPERs planned their town in shades of nearly white;

It would glisten crystal-like, reflecting heaven’s light.

The SOMEDs on the other hand, planned a many colored trend;

Their place would be of many hues, of a rainbow blend.

.

How garish are your plans, the BUPERs leaders claimed,

A circus clown designed your town, you should be ashamed.

How boring your town will be, the SOMEDs planners cried,

No diversity, your zest for life will soon have died.

.

So side by side on the road toward EREHWON they sped,

Shouting insults, and not watching the way ahead.

The road twisted sharply; they both drove off and crashed,

Their grand plans for the future were thoroughly smashed.

.

Some foreign families on that road slowed down to gawk,

Expressing great shock and much sympathetic talk.

But once the wreckage and bodies were hauled away,

Those families sped past to continue on their way.

.

The paving crew that had been working on that stretch of road

Had slyly switched construction signs that would have showed

The great danger up ahead. The foreman of that bunch

Spoke fluent Russian, is my well-considered hunch.

K A R M A

Hopefully in November 2020 we’ll see the elephants going over the cliffs in their madness like lemmings.

“And they’re coming to take me away ha-haaa / They’re coming to take me away ha-haaa ho-ho hee-hee / To the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time / And I’ll be happy to see those nice young men / In their clean white coats. . .” They’re Coming To Take Me Away: Napoleon XIV (aka Jerry Samuels who wrote the music and lyrics – 1966).

The off ramp to autocracy – seat belts are no longer of use.

It would be worth driving over a couple of curbs to get back on the right road.

Taking lessons from Chris Christie about blocking lanes.

{Off-topic:}

Hoping in Hope – {limerick}

They’d placed their hope in Hope Hicks,

that somehow the White House she’d fix; -

- that somehow she’d nix

The Donald’s dumb tricks,

and rein in his politics.

… Coda #1: – {4 beats/line}

Their hope was that Hope // might be able to cope

with The Donald, the Dotard, the sociopath Dope, -

- lest we continue on down the steep slope.

… Coda #2: – {4 beats/line}

But Alas, // this ploy idn’t likely to work,

‘cause the lass // is too loyal to The Donald, the Jerk.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Check this out, it’s great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQPeVJQaUSw

That’s right you’re wrong. Apologies to Kay Kyser.