From the pressroom to the ballroom

Everything that everyone is afraid of has already happened: The fragility of capitalism, which we don’t want to admit; the loss of the empire of the United States; and American exceptionalism. In fact, American exceptionalism is that we are exceptionally backward in about fifteen different categories, from education to infrastructure.

–James Hillman, father of Archetypal Psychology

There’s nothing like a distraction from what’s really ailing the world, so here are a couple of big fat nothings from the last week.

Chinese cities are rolling out intelligent traffic barriers to enhance traffic control and facilitate smooth road travel. This is just one metric at which China is leading not only America, but most of the world.

Meanwhile, America’s President, who has become something of an international embarrassment, is tearing down a historical section of the White House to build a gigantic BALLROOM. One wonders why?

Is it to ease congestion on the dance floor of the White House East Room? Or is it to showcase Donald Trump’s signature hip swaying, air-punching dance move? You know, the “I started a dance that has the whole world laughing” routine (apologies to The Bee Gees).

Nothing says how backward America has become like building a big fat nothing to pander to the vanity of a big fat nothing. Meanwhile, I hadn’t realised before starting to write this piece that three of America’s recent Press Secretaries, all big fat liars, have names beginning with the letter “K.” There must be something in that.

It seems like we’ve all become agonizingly mesmerised by the consummate ease with which Donald Trump’s current Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, lies. I wonder if anyone still remembers Joe Biden’s Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre? She came to the podium like a breath of fresh air, but only managed to leave the press room reeking of bullshit. However, she was only marginally as effective as Trump’s former masterful emanator of alternative facts, Kayleigh McEnany.

Thankfully, she departed the press room scene to what we all thought would be blissful obscurity.

Unfortunately, Karine’s popped back into the spotlight, minus the dreadlocks, to promote a book she wrote (which I won’t promote here), when she should have been spending time in penitence instead. Interviewed on MSNBC by Aymen Mohyeldin [8:36 onwards], instead of apologising for her role in pushing lies about the Biden Administration’s role in the Gaza genocide, she doubled down instead to defend and justify his (Biden’s) disgraceful foreign policy.

As you will hear, she genuinely believes that the job of the White House Press Secretary is to lie on behalf of the President. I’m not kidding. She thinks that’s the job of every Press Secretary. Is it any wonder that Karoline Leavitt has practically perfected the art of lying, deflecting and obscuring while blatantly insulting the press corps, much like Trump does?

When pushed to reveal if she had any regrets about her performance as the Press Secretary, who supported a policy enabling a genocide, she had the temerity to use her race and sexual identity to justify why she was proud of her role.

For Karine, the genocide in Gaza is just “heartbreaking,” as I’m sure it is for many others who have only a superficial concern about the plight of the beleaguered Palestinians. No, Karine, it’s not simply heartbreaking; it’s much more than that. It’s bigger than just doing what you think is your job.