Memes in the Time of Trump 2.0: May edition

Whew. The longer this regime goes on, the more people come up with material.

I just took a primer in memes given by Drs. Heather Woods an Leslie Hahner who have literally written the book about memes in all dimensions of social media, as media for misinformation, legitimate and nuanced discourse, Make America Meme Again: the Rhetoric of the Alt-Right (it’s a pretty expensive tome, even digitally, but go for it). 

I’ve made memes before, using Photoshop or GIMP, but this was the first time I used an online utility and the first time that I made one so quickly (yes, I’ll include it). I don’t know if I’ll jump on the meme-making machinery/bandwagon, but my hat’s off to those who are. There are a couple of people on Bluesky I want to spotlight today, and you’ll meet them soon below.

I’m also adding in screenshots of posts from Bluesky that I found either pithy or amusing or both.  “Amusing” is where mileage varies. So much of what we find ourselves laughing at is abject terror-inducing, if we give it due thought. Obviously, we laugh to keep from screaming into the void.

I’m going to try to break this up into broad categories because it appears that the Regime has damaged some part of almost every area of governance and our lives. And yeah, keep The Boss and Tay-Tay out of your damn mouth, you creep.

Showcase:

My friend Dark Nakano on Bluesky is astounding. I enjoy our discussion and it’s inspiring to venture into what are uncomfortable areas of existence in the current hellscape. That said, there’s a masterful visual command in each of these pieces, as well as that astute intelligence and piercing observation. 

@nakanotakeko.bsky.social

Just John @justjohn1962.bsky.social has been on a run. Following are just a few of his works. Holy hell, I find myself giggling altogether too much. Out loud and in public.

The Constitution

This is very broad because the Regime has instituted the very inverse of government as codified in both the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution.

News media

Frankly, legacy media has disappointed in so many ways. Whether through capitulation, compliance, or adhering to some editorial standard of “accuracy” that translates to underplaying the monstrous and sane-washing the psychopathic, other resources are still available. Certainly, PBS maintains some degree of resolve, and there is still the BBC, Al-Jazeera, and others, but it’s heartening to see Wired and Rolling Stone step up to the plate and dedicate more resources to investigating the malfeasance infesting DC.

Online, there’s Meidas, The Bulwark, The Contrarian, and so on. These are voices like Joyce Vance, Laura Trump, Jim Stewartson, and Brian Tyler Cohen. CNN, MSNBC, and many of the other outlets may still occasionally have some decent stories, but you can feel the skittishness oozing out of their reportage. “What if the administration doesn’t like us?”

Immigration, deportation, disappearing non-citizens and citizens alike

Do I really need to write much on this? 

Identity politics

The Regime would like shove gay people back in the closet, and disappear trans people completely. Erasure is the name of the game here. The utter fear and ugliness in their policies excretes a foul stench.

I’m breaking this into the components that seem to trigger the far right/MAGA.

Racism

Women’s rights

LGBTQ+

Healthcare

It’s fascinating how we keep saying we’re the greatest nation on earth with the best healthcare and that might be true if you can afford it. But with the reconciliation bill before the Senate, millions more will be left without. 

Wealth disparity/The War on the Poor

Religion

This is mostly a collection that calls out the utter hypocrisy of so-called Christians. Specifically, that of the Evangelical base that is quite literally hell-bent on seeing those they deem sinners suffering and dying and thinking that the Occupier was sent by God to execute his divine plan. These are not very bright people. I also consider their version of Christianity evil. 

 

Legislation 

The SAVE Act and the Reconciliation bill are both designed to crater voting rights and democracy as we know it. The former will add increasing obstacles to voting access, the latter will render the constitution null and set the foundation for the final step in establishing Trump and his Regime as rulers instead of representatives.

Corruption, authoritarianism, abuse of power

Oh, here’s where the game is most assuredly afoot. They’re not interested in governing, they’re interested in supporting or being there for their constituents, they’re not there to serve, they’re here to grift and make MONEY. The environment? Education? Healthcare? Infrastructure? Poverty? Hunger? International alliances? Get real! Only chumps give a shit about that stuff! 

WEALTH and POWER, these are the guiding principles of these assholes in government and the billionaires who support them. 

MAGA, anti-“woke” rhetoric, and the weird approach to life the Occupier’s supporters seem to have. 

And now, let’s go to town on the Boil that is the full-flowering of all that has been pustulating beneath the skin of the Republic. Trump is not a cause, he’s a symptom. He’s not even the main idea man, he’s the front. The cabal of billionaires and the GOP are perfectly happy to let him ramble and sign executive orders that disrupt the social order and the markets and destroy our relationships with (former) allies. For the simple-minded, he’s a tough-talker who says whatever’s on his mind; unfortunately, what’s on his mind is often a toxic admixture of hatred, greivances, and idiocy. Of course, they find a kinship with his small-mindedness, racism, and hatred of everything that is not white and evangelical christian. Yes, I’m leaving that last in small font.