Part 2: A Journal Of A Plague Year. Actor Ed Norton Weighs In Eloquently.

-by Noah

We all have our own opinions about Trump's continued existence in power and how to deal with it. Personally, I have been sickened for decades by the Democratic Party's non-stop willingness to appease, compromise, and meet the Republicans halfway, especially when there is no reason whatsoever to give anything up. They embrace at least half of the Republican agenda every time and do it way too willingly, eagerly, in fact.

Now, in December 2020, the Democrats need to realize that Trump is not and never has been a president of the United States. They have denied the obvious about Trump for four years. He needs to be seen as bin Laden or Khalid Sheikh Mohammad. He has been responsible for more American deaths than them. We might as well have one of Putin's assassins sitting in the oval office.

I've always believed that the best way to handle a bully of any kind is to walk up to him and put your fist through his face with every ounce of your weight behind it. Repeat as necessary. There should be no chronically wimpy "understanding" or being cowed. The man is a psychopath. Both his treason and his lack of empathy have been demonstrated time and time again. Contrary with what democrats seem to think, there is no reasoning with such a person nor should there be, but, you can always call such a person's bluff, right before you put your fist through his face.

Here, Ed Norton uses a very apt poker analogy.

I’m no political pundit but I grew up with a dad who was a federal prosecutor, and he taught me a lot.

I’ve also sat at a fair amount of poker tables with serious players, and l’ll say this: I do not think Trump is trying to ‘make his base happy’ or ‘laying the groundwork for his own network’ or that ‘chaos is what he loves’.

The core of it is that he knows he’s in deep, multi-dimensional legal jeopardy, and this defines his every action.

We’re seeing 1) a tactical delay of the transition to buy time for a coverup and evidence suppression 2) above all, a desperate endgame, which is to create enough chaos and anxiety about a peaceful transfer of power, and fear of irreparable damage to the system, that he can cut a Nixon-style deal in exchange for finally conceding.

But he doesn’t have the cards. His bluff after ‘the flop’ has been called in court. His ‘turn card’ bluff will be an escalation and his ‘river card’ bluff could be really ugly. But they have to be called. We cannot let this mobster bully the USA into a deal to save his ass by threatening our democracy.

THAT is his play. But he’s got junk in his hand. So call him.

I will allow that he’s also a whiny, sulky, petulant, Grinchy, vindictive little 10-ply-super-soft bitch, who no doubt is just throwing a wicked pout fest and trying to give a tiny-hand middle finger to the whole country for pure spite, without a single thought for the dead and dying.

But his contemptible, treasonous, seditious assault on the stability of our political compact isn’t about 2024, personal enrichment or anything else other than trying to use chaos and threats to the foundation of the system as leverage to trade for a safe exit.

Call. His. Bluff.

Faith in the strength of our sacred institutions and founding principles is severely stretched, but they will hold. They will. He’s leaving, gracelessly and in infamy. But if we trade for it, give him some brokered settlement, we’ll be vulnerable to his return.

We can’t flinch.

As Ed Norton says, "No flinching." No trades. No appeasement. None. Zero. The operating direction should be: No negotiating with terrorists.