The thing that surprises me most about the Trump presidency at six months...

[Girard442]

...is that there don't seem to be any adults in charge anywhere. I mean, Dubya had Cheney and Rumsfeld. Hate them if you will, but at least you could imagine them having their stuff together enough to act in their own self interest. Priebus was sort of an adult, but in charge? No way. In any case, he's gone now. Sessions might not be a total brat, but he's way over in DOJ and went and got himself shitlisted right away. Kelly might be an adult, but if he's smart he won't bring a lot of his stuff into the office and he'll stick his nameplate on the door with Velcro.

Otherwise, it's all "Lord of the Flies". Whatever happened to the idea of a power vacuum that people rush to fill?

[unblock]

1. it's not a power vacuum, it's a competence vacuum.

benedict donald maintains power by surrounding himself with incompetents and by interfering with and undermining any accidental competence the people around him might have.

[byronius]

2. 'No enemy bomber can reach the Ruhr. If one reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Goering. You may call

me Meyer.'

-- Hermann Meyer

Incompetent, insecure, driven by deeply primitive lust and rage and fear -- the black hole of Bad Money and Bad Thinking.

[cheyanne]

3. Trump is playing a different game: oligarchy not democracy.

Do not assume the chaos is result of either stupidity, mental illness or incompetence. Trump needs to eviserate all other power centers in the democracy so that his power is complete. Not even "his" republicans are safe: he has cowed them with the threats.

Trump's self-interest is in ruling by fear and lies. As he takes over DoJ as his private police force, only the Democrats in Congress and the judiciary are left to stop him.

[marylandblue]

6. I think Republicans in Congress are turning on Trump

He doesn't give them what they want. He's a bully, but if you stand up to him, he backs down. Machievelli said it's better to be feared than loved. But if you are neither feared or loved, you are screwed.

[njhoneybadger]

7. I agree, this week was choreographed

[marylandblue]

4. There is a secret to staying alive with Trump

Flatter him, then do whatever the fuck you want. That seems to be how Scarramucchi got in. Also how Sessions stayed alive. Bannon too. My guess is that Kelly figured it out.

[0rganism]

5. i'm surprised we haven't been nuked yet

maybe saving that surprise for Christmas?