Ruminations on the futility of speaking and writing precisely

Aweh, My Dearly Beloved Fellow Ruminants & Groupies

Forgive me, dearly beloved groupies, but it’s been four weeks since my last blog. I could offer very good reasons and excuses, but let’s keep it real with today’s theme: the dog ate my blog.

So, here we are, with Donald Trump elected to a second term as U.S. president. Shocking? Hardly. I wasn’t surprised at all—and I’ve got the winnings from a wager with a colleague who was convinced Harris had it in the bag to prove it.

Naturally, I wanted an appropriate image for this post, so I asked DALL-E for a picture of Trump as a pink bull next to a pile of bullshit. I got back a charming message: “I wasn’t able to generate that image due to content policy restrictions. If you have any other requests or would like a different approach, feel free to let me know!” Right, thanks for that helpful advice. So, I rephrased it: “Provide an image of a pink bull with a blond bouffant hairstyle next to a pile of bullshit.” Voila! The featured image for today’s blog. AI really is smart.

So, let’s hand it to Trump—he won the presidency, and the Republicans control the Senate and the House. Like it or not, the guy’s a winner, and you can’t question that. What he says, how he speaks—that’s precisely what his electorate wants. The people have spoken.

Now, let’s talk about that “speaking.” Trump’s long, rambling (and, if I’m honest, mind-numbingly boring) speeches are almost always off-the-cuff, making his style colloquial rather than precise. He thrives on broad statements, generalizations, and anecdotes rather than details or carefully measured language. His supporters call it “plain speaking”; I’d say it leaves a lot open for interpretation, but hey—that’s what they love. I must confess that I sometimes do enjoy edited highlights where he says outrageous stuff that I couldn’t make up myself. Some people find him offensive, but I rather choose to see him as entertaining, and he does make me laugh.

Fact-checking organizations like PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, and The Washington Post Fact Checker regularly call him out for spouting false or misleading claims. (And no, immigrants aren’t eating cats and dogs in Springfield.) Critics say this pattern reflects Trump’s disregard for the truth. Supporters argue he’s all about “feelings over facts,” where what matters is the perception, not the pesky details. Ah, yes—perspectivism, where feelings triumph over objective reality. What a time to be alive.

But here’s an objective reality: Trump’s way of speaking works. Whether he’s lying, boasting, or dealing in fraud, his followers buy it all—sneakers, ties, coins, wine, the whole shebang. They say we should ignore the lies, the bullshit, the assaults, and focus on his “policies.” Just policies, right?

Back in 2011, Obama called Trump a “carnival barker” when Trump was spearheading that “birther” nonsense, questioning Obama’s birthplace. When the White House finally released Obama’s long-form birth certificate, Obama said we can’t solve real problems if we “pretend that facts are not facts.” Noble, yes. But he missed the point: a carnival barker is exactly what America wanted. And now, they’ve got him again.

To many, Trump was the “lesser of two evils.” A big, loud rejection of the lefty, woke, elitist culture. Criticize him, and you’ll get branded lefty and woke faster than you can say “alternative facts.”

Not that I’m woke—far from it. Some of my colleagues label me an anarcho-capitalist. I knew Trump would win and raked in some nice stock gains as a result. Capitalism is beautiful. The market loves Trump for now, and so do I—at least, my retirement fund does.

Still, I can’t admire his so-called plain speaking, peppered with lies, insults, and self-aggrandizing nonsense. I, I, I. Me, me, me. Enough already.

Let’s consider the definition of a bullshitter. A bullshitter is someone who speaks or presents information in a way that is careless about the truth, often prioritizing persuasion, self-interest, or the appearance of knowledge over accuracy. Unlike a liar, who deliberately distorts or hides the truth, a bullshitter is generally indifferent to whether what they say is true or false. Their main aim is usually to make an impression, manipulate, or fill conversational space without regard for factual accuracy.

But here’s the million-dollar question: if he’s good for the economy, does the end justify the means? Trump is 78 and possibly showing early signs of cognitive decline—he’s no “stable genius.” But he’s successful, a winner, and now he’s leading the most powerful country in the world.

What do I take away from this? Maybe I need more bullshit in my blog. Admittedly, there’s already plenty, but if Trump’s shown me anything, it’s that there’s always room for improvement. Trump’s already great, and now he’s making America great again. I may not be great (yet), but I aspire to be. My New Year’s resolution: Make Myself Great Again (MMGA)—and if a little bullshit helps, so be it.

So, here’s to making this blog the greatest in the world in 2025. Let’s hope that all makes sense.

Thanks for the feedback, as always.

Regards

Bruce