Jack Gould: Untitled [composite photograph of a man doing a jumping twist; continuous motion] (c. 1950)

I Dare Not Avert My Eyes
The content shift seemed stark enough, but the underlying context shift seemed more consequential as we moved away from a government sworn to tell the truth to one dedicated to delivering only self-serving lies. Lies betray even the liar, though, and prove unreliable. They backfire. What might have been intended to help the cause often hurts it. In just four days, our new/old Chief Executive sparked several constitutional lawsuits and ample attempted crimes and misdemeanors to justify at least one impeachment inquiry. More will be coming, for this guy clearly knows no limits and personifies self-delusion. His performance seems more feature than problem and reassures me that this NextWorld Series might prove to have been amply justifiable. Under Yogi Berra's old advice that one can see a lot by looking, merely observing and reflecting upon this performance seems to have already better prepared me to cope with its presence. I remain perhaps unjustifiably optimistic that this performance won't last long, certainly not for four more years, but its inherent self-sabotaging nature probably amplifies its fragility. Tough guys feel the weakest inside.

The most confident require continual reassurance. The most offensive seem to be the easiest to offend. His lies have remarkably short and narrow shelflives. They rarely survive a single news cycle before debunking themselves along with their accompanying smoke and mirrors. An eroding core of once-true believers excuses themselves to recuse themselves from further support. He's already chased away any possibility of enjoying his narrow majority. As usual, a remarkably few will prove to be the bulwark of our Democracy, which seems to require something terrible to inspire its resurgence. I intend to continue observing and commenting on what I see. I firmly believe that what you see really is what you've got. I dare not avert my eyes at this moment.

——

Weekly Writing Summary

This NextWorld Story paints a portrait of someone so entwined in Inconstancy that he possesses no ability to focus upon anything for long enough to accomplish anything. He's an itinerant flitterer, eternally absent. He's about to be sworn in as our Commander in Chief.

Allart van Everdingen: Reynard disguises as monk and distracts cock (17th century)
"Hail to the chief."
—
I am in no way satisfied with this NextWorld Story, DogEaters, for it exposes the underlying difference between the emerging evil and the abiding hopefulness that actually underpins this fragile society. Non-believers in the founding notion of this country seem to be in ascendency, and great obscenity seems to be poised to be played out across this great country. Those who cannot imagine this world being ruled by anything other than dog-eat-dog competition could be the death of this once-great nation.

Adriaen van de Velde: Dogs (17th century)
" … they will insist that they represent the real spirit of the laws …"
—
This NextWorld Story considers the all-too-human skill of Rationalizing, the conjuring up of stories intended to make some otherwise crazy-seeming action make more perfect sense. This often results in increasing the volume of nonsense in this world.

Helen Hyde: In the Rain (1898)
"The result will mete out its own punishment. Vengence was never mine to deliver."
—
This NextWorld Story considers the mansplainers in the retinue surrounding the incoming chief executive. They appear to clear up misconceptions between the incumbent's intended projected image and public perception. Apologists always insist that they dispense the one and only true story. They are inveterate liars.

Oliver Herford: The Goat, for "The Crocodile," by Oliver Herford (1891)
"When you're President, the Apologist supply is infinite."
—
This NextWorld Story describes one of the more prominent parts of every self-saboteur's administration: Backpedaling. For our entertainment value, it cannot be surpassed.

Unknown: Clown riding donkey backwards (1820 - 1835)
"Yadda yadda, spink, spank, spink!"
—
This NextWorld Story, ContinuouslyTranslating, investigates how gibberish can seem like inspired speech to some people but not to others. Some speech patterns can induce a pleasing trance in some listeners and annoyance in others.

John Singer Sargent: Figure and Head Studies (1872)
" … his Base eases into apparently effortless understanding."
—
This writing week marked the boundary between the anticipated and the experienced as our regrettable current President was sworn into office, though he forgot to place his hand upon the bibles his bride held. There were two bibles stacked there: Lincoln's Bible, which, contrary to betting parlor odds, did not spontaneously burst into flame, and the one his mother gave him when he was fourteen, which, by all reports, still looked to be in uncirculated mint condition, as if he'd never once opened it. Fortunately, there never was any requirement for anyone taking an oath to actually touch a bible, or any book, while performing that responsibility, so even though he had no intention of actually living up to that oath, he violated no statutes with that act. Make no mistake, he was acting. Immediately upon assuming office—for assuming seemed to be the best he could muster, appearing every inch the imposter—he set about making a public fool of himself. It was clear from the first seconds that he had no intention to appear in any way presidential as he set about publicly sabotaging himself, just as he always had. I felt grateful that I had invested the prior month in investigating what might constitute that NextWorld. I mostly witnessed what I anticipated, with actuals varying only by degree and never kind. The old familiar cruelty and crudity of his performance of his duties was consequently no shock or surprise to me. I still felt disappointed, though not devastated, for I'd more or less accurately anticipated his performance. The immediate Inconstancy impressed me. The defensive ring of DogEaters defending his errors was almost precisely as I'd expected. The Rationalizing of the absolutely irrational began with the ill-drafted acceptance speech, which seemed to reject the very premises upon which he'd sworn allegiance. The Apologists kicked in just when expected, offering most of the usual lame excuses. The Backpedaling began before he'd registered any discernible forward progress. Again, This was precisely as I’d anticipated. I ended this writing week by trying to explain how his curious dialect seems to work for his true believers and doesn't for the rest of us observers, with ContinuouslyTranslating. More adventures next week! Thank you for following along!

©2025 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

Tags: #NextWorld, #PureSchmaltz