It seems important to take note that today is possibly extremely important in national and world history. On this day the president of the United States has issued a direct threat to Russia, with the major comment being “ the missiles are coming.” A major problem is that the president (who will be called 45 from here) has more than Russia to contend with; he is under escalating attack internally; the raid on his lawyer’s house and office has, to all reports, completely undone him, provoking what is reported as a constant, helpless rage. In typical fashion, he calls the raid as “an assault on democracy” somehow equating his personal misfortunes with a threat to the country. Interrelating the country with himself though is precisely the problem that we should all be extremely worried about, and I can’t say that I see an appropriate level of anxiety expressed on the media as they still talk about Stormy Daniels.

This interrelating of self and country is reflected in 45’s speech, the associations are clear, and any thinking person has to wonder what will 45 do to “fight back” if international and national stresses are so entangled in his head? He has been the master of distracting the nation, including the press, from colossal levels on ineptness, boorishness, and breathtaking dishonesty, but extending his willingness to distract to threatening a fellow psychopath like Putin with a missile strike? That’s the response of a madman, and who is applying the brakes? Maybe there are grownups somewhere who have say in the White House, and maybe even some who can countermand patently dangerous, ill-considered militaristic commands, but if so, we little people “ on the ground” have no reassurance about that. How will we all sleep tonight?