John Singer Sargent:
Sketch of Sir David Murray [1849 - 1933]
and John Seymour Lucas [1849- 1923] (Jun 18, 1907)

This Seems Inevitable
Winter finally came in the middle of January. Its tardy arrival served as a lesson for me that all inevitabilities eventually occur, however delayed, and that I might depend upon this one principle. Hell might never freeze over, but nobody ever proposed that it should. It will be enough if the backyard pond freezes over, which it usually does, for a week or so before the end of February. Next week, another long-dreaded inevitability will occur when the least capable individual ever to be elected to the highest office twice is supposed to take an oath he has no intention of even trying to live up to. Warren G. Harding might have been less interested in the office, but he had the public courtesy to die before anybody proposed he run for a second term, and nobody would have. It's inevitable that our next incumbent's lies ultimately get the better of him, for he convinced a spare majority under decidedly false pretenses, and he will prove incapable of delivering on his many contradictory promises. I do not know where his sandcastle will first exhibit cracks, but I sense it won't stand long. He inherits an impossible act to follow, an economy in better shape than any odd anyone can remember, and an unparalleled-in-generations standing in the international order. It seems all downhill from here for him. This seems inevitable.

——

Weekly Writing Summary

This NextWorld Story, Pherocity, considers the phony ferocity exhibited by the MAGAs. They seem like paper tigers overplaying their parts, always outraged over something. Their performances prove alarming and tiring.

Spex: The sovereigns offered their subjects entertainment and fierce beast fights in circuses[Les souverains offraient à leurs sujets des divertissements et des combats de bêtes féroces dans les cirques] (1882 - 1884)
" … we cannot help but hear their disturbing noises."
—
I wrote this NextWorld Story to try to validate the SelfRecrimination I and my friends and colleagues have been experiencing since that last election. We're actively engaged in an utterly exhausting reframing exercise that seems interminable. I'm hopeful to find an end to this one soon.

William Blake: To annihilate the Self-hood of Deceit & false Forgiveness (1804-08)
"The usual answer will be, "No, there wasn't," but only because there never is."
—
This NextWorld Story, IntoFamiliarity, finds me coping with my dreading of the unfolding NextWorld by organizing my basement shop and workbench. My internal coherence had always been a mirror of the order on the top of my workbench.

Rembrandt van Rijn: Peasant Family on the Tramp (c. 1652)
"I might even rediscover who I always was …"
—
This NextWorld Story recounts the blesséd Ineptitude of the impending incumbent's first attempt at administrating our executive branch without any previous executive experience. He's nominated a fresh batch of inexperienced executives to execute his new initiatives, whatever they might be. We might reasonably anticipate more Ineptness ensuing.

Israel van Meckenem the Younger: The Fight over the Trousers (c. 1495)
" … the patience of Job and the countenance of Greek statuary …"
—
This NextWorld Story notices an atmosphere of Disingenuosity settling into our political discourse, a sure tell that we're entering sadly familiar territory. Buckle up. This will get turbulent!

Anonymous, after a design by Hans Baldung Grien: Tenth commandment: do not give false testimony about another [iende gebod: leg over een ander geen vals getuigenis af] 1539
" … the least qualified President in history about to begin his second term."
—
This NextWorld Story acknowledges that our incoming Chief Executive has always been most adept at TakingCredit, often for stuff he never had even a distant hand in creating. This remains a familiar part of his malign eight-year-old personality he cannot see.

Honoré Victorin Daumier: Very High and Mighty Legitimate Brats. Peoples, defend yourselves, tear yourselves to pieces, sacrifice yourselves for these royals, you belong to them, imbeciles, plate 19 (1834)
"He firmly believes he's smarter than everyone else, which renders him the stupidest …"
—
I continued delving into what initially seemed like unfamiliar territory this week, but the more I delved, the more I recognized where this NextWorld might be going. History might not repeat itself, but its patterns seem to replay, though with varying results. This series might have emerged to condition me and properly set my expectations, for we've probably seen whatever's coming next before. This might transform my question into what coping mechanisms I already possess to help me deal with whatever’s coming next? Each story this week revealed another familiar layer, though I'd never before considered them in this order or this orderly fashion. I have considerable experience dealing with phony ferocity, the Pherocity I'm seeing emerging from this transition team. I recognize my ability to wound myself with unnecessary SelfRecrimination, though I found it helpful as a reminder to reflect that a little of it is probably normal and even healthy. In the past, I have fled into familiarity when the world turned strange on me. This might continue being a handy refuge if I remember it's there. I found some reassurance in recognizing the inherent Ineptitude this dude and his surly entourage have always brought to every engagement, especially the most important. They have rarely shot straight. They are not serious but Disingenuous in all things. They have much to try to hide and few skills at keeping secrets. Finally, the bragging and boasting and the TakingCredit for everything reassures me that this monster preparing to take the oath he will find himself unable to keep feels really hollow underneath. Thank you for following along with me on this unwanted adventure.

©2025 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

Tags: #NextWorld