Day 191 – Why Do I Have to Play This Idiot?

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

So asked the chess master Paul Morphy when playing someone. He didn’t just ask the question he jumped on the seat of a chair and pointed at the player.

I’m reminded of this story from the 1800s when I read Paul Krugman’s essay on Trump’s “deal” with the EU. Imagine being the EU leader and meeting with this buffoon. He comes into the room talking constantly. You try to follow what he is saying, but it doesn’t make sense. Then he says he’ll impose a 50% tariff unless you do something or other. But what he proposes doesn’t make sense because it’s a worse deal for him than what he already has. You nod your head and he smiles like he has won a big concession and says okay 15%. You nod again and that’s the deal. Of course, it’s a bad deal. Bad for both sides, but better than what he was threatening.

Paul Krugman had made fun of the deal and he said he got push back from folks asking, “Okay wise guy, what would you have done?” So he outlines what he would have done:

– tariffs to 1%

– balance of trade to 90%

– U.S. companies allowed to operate freely in Europe

– European corporations to invest $150 billion a year in the U.S. – not loans, investments.

Now, why does Krugman think he could pull this off when Trump didn’t?

Because that’s the deal we had before the buffoon walked into the room!

Like most things Trump has done, if he had done nothing we would have been better off.

Art of the deal!

People often wonder how Trump was able to bankrupt a casino, and every other business he touched. Well, look no further than his trade deal with Europe for the answer.

Oh and the deal with Japan? It’s not an investment it’s loans. Loans they would have probably given the U.S. regardless, but now Trump’s name is on them. Trump Loans! More art of the deal.

Oh My God. Save Us.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Russia is descending into anarchy. Apparently, 25% or 174,000 police jobs are vacant, in some area the percentage is 75%. People who would do police work are now going to fight in Ukraine. Returning soldiers might go into police work but many are becoming vigilantes enforcing laws and rules as they see fit. This leads to arrests with no trials. Yes, they may have started with good intentions, but such intentions co not last.

What may happen next is these groups could take on the government.