Today is the 73rd  anniversary of the U.S. dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. As many must know, another such bomb was dropped on Nagasaki a few days later. Why? Well, the first one didn’t get the required result, that being unconditional surrender of Japan and thus the end of World War Two. Not since then has another atomic bomb been dropped in anger on another country, in spite of there being nine countries now possessing this “ultimate weapon”. The estimated total number of nukes spread across the Nuclear Club is 16,000. Evidently, the mutual assured destruction ethos of any country ever again using a nuke to express its disapproval about–hell, who knows what?– is working. Yes, it would be nukes-a-palooza and likely the beginning of the end for humanity given the initial incinerating blast and ensuing wind-whipped lethal radiation that detonation guarantees.

Nuclear WWIII. Can it happen? Of course it can. And will, someday, because as noted, the harsh reality is that all it will take is ONE impulsive launch to trigger  retaliation by various allies or enemies of the  country that orders the atomic attack. M.A.D.! And there are lots of global tensions festering these days. We here, in the only country to ever nuke anyone, have a rather disturbing character who somehow has been granted the keys to the White House and access to launch codes and the power to use them. This person is rather unsuited, mentally, to have this level of power: He’s given to Twitter fits, launching ad hominem attacks on anyone who dares defy him, be they athletes, entertainers, members of the press/media, or other members of our or any other government. This person has helped edge the so-called nuclear clock closer to midnight (meaning nuclear war)–now just two minutes away compared to 9 minutes in 1998. Oh, it’s been creeping closer for the past several years, even when we had other occupants of the White House; but its current resident is one very, very divisive and caustic person with the persona of an impulsive, self-absorbed, vindictive person with a predilection for prevarication, provocation and an apparent inability to ever, ever, admit to being wrong. This man is singularly, stunningly the wrong man for the job he has been given.

Unless the November mid-term elections take some of this person’s congressional support (enablers, really) away, I’m afraid the minute hand of that Doomsday timepiece is going to nudge closer and closer to End Game. He’s jousting with certain countries  (Iran most currently) with economic sanctions that may cause other countries (some with nukes) to defy his taunts and tirades, to essentially tell him bring it on, motherfucker. After all, there are other “loose cannons” out there running their countries. One is enough, no? No! One is too many! As I said, our White House tweetmeister with a nasty attitude doesn’t take well to criticism or defiance. Again, the mid-terms will show whether or not scores of the 260,000,000 Americans who did not vote for him in 2016 will push back against him and his so-called “base” of 60,000,000 who thought he was the right man for the job.

Ah, that term: his base. I keep hearing about this base in reference to whatever head-scratching proclamations he makes, about whatever policies he prescribes, or those that he proscribes, in combo with his above noted default level disturbing characteristics.

Keeping in mind that this “base” is, by any objective assessment, composed of people who apparently endorse this man’s racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, dispassionate, divisive, mojo, all of which were on full cringe-worthy, WTF? display for months on end during the campaign for President leading up to that surreal outcome on November 8th, 2016. Thus, his base, his fan club?, is ipso facto by virtue of having voted for him, also–by my reasoning–a deeply disturbed and disturbing people whom I assume must share his characteristics, who are profoundly morally hollow, ignorant at worst or willfully ignorant at best. And who knows if these “base” dwellers are limited to those 60,000,000 who voted for him (and of course it has been documented his opponent received close to 3,000,000 more votes than him, but never mind…). Maybe there are 100,000,000 members of his “base” including post-election  acolytes. I hope not! It’s just that when the media concludes that he strategically caters to this base, and that base clearly endorses his dangerous modus operandi, it’s as if these supporters trigger his deference to them, as if they, uh, well, trump any more widely broadcast, needed critical analysis and headline screaming denunciation of his dubious proclamations and actions. It’s expected, is that it?, for this base to be given an implied propulsive credibility as part of a dubious electoral system, alongside a blatant lap-dog–he’s good for ratings!–corporate media that aided and abetted by virtually endorsing his vulgar campaign antics, all clearly bereft of logical reasoning, thoughtfulness, empathy, compassion or barely a shred of human decency. It’s a creepshow of hate and simple-minded selfishness, and it’s that BASE that motivates him, is that it? They motivate and elicit his I alone am the answer bravado? Ha! He’s the 21st Century, sui generis of a rotten human being with all those nukes and negativity.  He unleashed them. Who knew so many Americans harbored so much hate in their hearts? He is motivated by his very own creepy callousness. His feckless fanBASE are simply avatars, drawn to him as a means for their true selves to fully emerge in his likeness, disgusting warts and all. I call them “pod people”. You know, akin to the classic 1950’s sci-fi film classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers. They’re out there. These pod-emerging political zombies. They’re in the next cubicle over. One is sitting next to you in a crowded theater. That person in front or behind you at the grocery store, or in front or behind you as you approach the escalator, maybe one is your next door neighbor,  or the one leaning into you on the elevator, or no doubt, in line waiting to vote!  They’re all lily-white and ready to defend the indefensible. They may be family members. Egad! 

Either your are a member of his “base” I keep hearing about or you are not. I’d like to think that there are far more folks that see this farce and fraud and affront to decency than anyone suspects. A silent majority, perhaps. Silent, because, well, they have yet to speak up, and speak when it counts the most. In just three months to the day, November 6th, a different, new and improved base might be formed. or at least partially formed but gaining numbers. Either that, or the pod people rule, here in the United States of (misaligned) Avatars. End Game.

In the meantime, remember Hiroshima, 73 years back, to this date. If there’s going to be another (metaphorical) atomic bomb dropped, it needs be launched via the ballot  in large enough numbers to preclude another “the loser wins!” outcome. Such a “bomb”would confine its debilitating fallout to that baseless base and its rapacious ringleader they somehow so adore.