“Yet, after all, some kind of history will be written, and after those who actually remember the war are dead, it will be universally accepted. So for all practical purposes the lie will have become truth.”
George Orwell

Over the years there have been times when I've wanted to doubt my own suspicions of what Donald Trump was capable of because I simply didn't want to believe he was capable of the things I was suspecting. And yet another suspicion occurred to me some time ago that has had me arguing with myself, because surely what I'm thinking simply can't be right.

But what if I am?

Trump has never tried to hide his relationships with Putin and other dictators with agendas that are decidedly anti-American. They would love nothing better than for us to become weakened enough that they could almost nonchalantly mosey in and take over. And Trump is just greedy enough, and stupid enough, to allow them to do so because he would believe the promises they were making to install him as king or emperor in return for his treason. He has been showing signs of being their puppet for quite a while, if only more people were paying attention.

Since taking office earlier this year he, both directly and through his henchmen like Elon Musk, has systematically weakened our military by firing the men and women most capable of leading us in time of war. He has weakened our defenses further through budget and personnel cuts that support our defense structure. He is purging whole segments of patriotic service members for reasons that have nothing to do with their ability to fight, pandering to the prejudices of his deluded supporters (as well as simply because he can). He is likewise seeking to purge everyone else who stands between him and achieving his objectives. Through his actions he has bred fear in those who are here legally and often by right of birth. Even more alarmingly he is breeding fear in those who depend upon the government for the most basic of needs, like the elderly, the disabled, and those who desperately need medical assistance simply to survive. Fear is a key form of control. If he can do that to them, what can he do to the rest of us?

The question that keeps occurring to me is this: why would anyone be so determined to undermine their own country is such open ways? What is in it for them to do it?

The facts, as I've said, is that Trump is greedy and stupid enough to believe in his own delusions and whatever promises his “friends” are making to him. There is also what may be the hardest fact for Americans to swallow, especially those who bought into his rhetoric and voted for him. The fact is that Trump is mentally ill. Many mental health professionals have tried to help us recognize it, not the least of which are members of his own family. Despite his supposedly “acing” his cognitive exam, he has been roundly, though unofficially, diagnosed as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder, with some professionals even believing he is showing signs of burgeoning dementia (as evidenced by his increasingly stating he doesn't know the answers to important questions put to him by reporters). Ronald Reagan had the grace to admit to the America people that his mental state was diminishing due to Alzheimer's, a fact that had to have been known prior to his leaving office. Still, he did eventually disclose his condition. The problem with narcissists is that they are incapable of such honesty. They are all about themselves and not the sensibilities of others, and they will do whatever is necessary to manipulate others into doing what they want. Ask anyone who has ever been victimized by a narcissist.

So, having said all of that, I return to my original question: why would anyone be so determined to undermine their own country? Based on what I've seen so far, I believe greed, stupidity, and mental illness are all valid reasons to at least consider the possibility that we are being readied for a true new world order. Many have charged that America had become an Orwellian state.

I submit they ain't seen nothin' yet.

c. 2025