In the Day
“Back in the Day”; before the era of texts, messages, Facebook, and all of the other instant communications applications, we had the “phone call”. And, in those days, one of the rules was not to call someone while under the influence of alcohol. That is, unless you were looking for a ride, or bail because you were caught drunk driving.
We called it “drunk calling”, and it almost always turned out badly. To state the obvious: being drunk often led to saying things that weren’t “thought out”. This was especially true when the “drunk caller” was calling the “sleeping receiver”. Not only did the drunk wake the answerer up. But, he then proceeded to say something that to him sounded heartfelt and profound, but to the annoyed-awakened one, sounded just stupid.
The outcome of “drunk calls” were inevitably bad. The caller didn’t really remember what they said, and the answerer was well aware that it was the “booze” talking, not the caller. All in all, one of the last vestiges of reason and common sense beyond alcohol was to NOT make THAT call. With any luck, the drinker might think about it, then pass out.
Got the App
Today, it’s so much easier to “drunk text”, or “drunk message”. And it’s not just about romance. Now, it’s about politics, or the neighbor violating “weekend rules” and cutting grass before eight, or those “damn kids” riding their bikes in the street. We have unlimited ways to issue a “stream of consciousness”, regardless of the state of mind and lack of frontal lobe restraint of the author. We do it with a post, or a text or a message. And once it’s out, it never comes back.
I’ve noticed this particularly on Facebook. There are several commentators, capable of reasoned thoughts about local politics. But once the sun goes down, they become aggressive and virulent in their posts. It’s like a switch flips. My guess is there’s a bottle beside the keyboard, and it’s open. They are “drunk posters”. And they have little compunction about attacking others, using epithets, and acting just like a drunk about to be tossed out of the bar. The problem is, there are no bouncers around the keyboard, and no bartenders to make “last call”.
Presidential Announcements
All of this is a long way to go to talk about nuclear war, but here we are. In our era of the Trump Presidency, American policy is made on Trump’s chosen social media, Truth Social. This weekend was a great example.
The Department of Labor’s Commissioner of Labor Statistics got fired Friday on Truth Social. Her fatal mistake: publishing this month’s unemployment statistics report. It showed that job growth was not only slow for July, but, as these reports often do, revised earlier reports to show that job growth was significantly slower than earlier reported for the months before July.
Trump wants employment to increase. He’s attacked Federal Reserve Chairman Powell over and over again for holding firm on interest rates, rather than lowering them to stimulate the economy as Trump demands. But what the Commissioner did was a “mortal sin” in Trump world. She told the truth.
I’m not accusing Trump of “drunk texting”. What I am saying is that he wields his executive authority as if he was a drunk. The sad part is he’s probably not.
So Chairman Powell gets burned in post after post. Now Commissioner Erika McEntarfer learns that she no longer has a job via social media. And while all of these seem to lack Trump’s “frontal lobe restraint”, they are now actions we expect. But last week, there was a more sinister set of “posts”, ones that could have a more profound impact on our Nation, and the world.
Horseshoes, Hand Grenades, and Nuclear Bombs
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, messaged the following:
“Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10… He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country…Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!”
Medvedev, like Trump, is a “midnight message-er”. And Trump won’t be upstaged by him, even if we’re talking about nuclear war.
“Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev … I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that…Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.”
Now, before “drunk texts” start a nuclear war, there are a couple of factors to consider. The US still has nuclear ballistic missile submarines stationed throughout the world. They are our “second strike” capability, our “Assured Mass Destruction” no matter what attack a nuclear foe might launch. So those Nuclear Submarines (do we have any other kind?) were probably on station within range of Russia anyway. But for the US President to “throw down” the nuclear word in a text “contest” with the former Russian President, seems a bit inflammatory (like, nuclear missile inflammatory).
I don’t know if Medvedev is a drinker, and while Trump acts like one (a lot) he claims to abstain. Either way, they are both “drunk messaging” in a way that makes our world much more dangerous. We get closer to war with each “messaged” saber rattle.
It’s a dangerous way to govern, sober or not.
