Everything Is Madness. Or Have We All Gone Mad?

For many of us watching the new administration’s blitzkrieg attacks on its own government, allies and citizenry with the kind of horror we usually reserve for that episode of The Masked Singer when Rudy Giuliani was revealed, there’s a sense that the nation is awash in madness. It is, for sure, a cartoonish madness featuring Batman villain malevolence and Wile E. Coyote execution, but it’s a madness with real world consequences.

Even more maddening is the uncomfortable fact that most of the United States either still doesn’t recognize the peril at hand or, worse, supports it. President Trump’s approval ratings remain high (for him, they’re still fairly low).While we’ve seen occasional stirrings of rebellion from various congresspeople and the first significant protests from everyday Americans, most of the nation appears just fine, for now, with the wholesale evisceration of our government, the shredding of ethical standards and the reshuffling of our alliances to favor the world’s authoritarian regimes over their democratic counterparts.

Laughing Off Trump’s Agenda Would Be a Fatal ErrorFUNNY BUSINESS

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All of which raises the question for those of us spending our days yelling “Danger! Danger!” into the megaphone to little effect: are we the crazy ones?

Maybe we’re overreacting. Maybe Elon Musk’s spirited band of adolescent edgelords is taking a much-needed sledgehammer to a sclerotic bureaucracy. Maybe the best way to achieve peace is to coddle those who would make war. Maybe a little bribery between friends is hunky-dory. And maybe the sonorous response from Democratic leadership is the natural reaction to a new administration with big, bold ideas.

Or maybe not. For those of you questioning your own sanity, a word of reassurance: You’re not nuts. Things are bad and likely to get worse. There really is a coup underway. One unelected “senior government advisor” who, apparently, is not even in charge of the agency he previously said he leads, really is taking a brickbat to the machinery of American governance. He really is lying about the reasons for this undertaking. He really did give that salute at the Inauguration—and has continued to drop barely-veiled Nazi “jokes” and references on his social media site in the weeks since.

Dem Rep IDs the Real Job-Stealing Immigrant: Elon MuskPOINTING THE FINGER

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His junior partner really is trying to cut Ukraine out of negotiations to end Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion—and threatening the EU with tariffs while simultaneously pining for Russia to return to the G7. He really does plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza, although he didn’t use that term. He really is sending migrants to Guantanamo Bay. All of this while continuing to blame DEI for plane crashes and egg prices and whatever other problems addle the pickled lump of grievances that passes for his brain.

A month into the second reign of Burger King, I’m already exhausted. I suspect many of you are, too. Even though I’m sure you felt prepared for the floodgates of madness to be fully opened, as I did, it’s still easy to feel as if you’re drowning in the ensuing deluge. You may already feel like surrendering. I know I do. But I also know I won’t. And I don’t think you will, either.

Why Trump Is Already Headed For His Napoleon MomentPARDON MY FRENCH

Michael Ian Black

If we get through the next four years with something resembling our constitutional republic still intact, it will be because of people like you. People who recognize this moment for what it is and stand against it.

The nice thing about saving the country is it’s a group effort. We all have our roles. Find yours. Don’t make it your full-time job. Don’t trick yourself into believing you’re indispensable and therefore can’t pull back when you find yourself stretched too thin. Take frequent breaks. Others will pick up the slack.

Be kind to yourself—and to those who might not feel the same urgency as us. Either they’ll come around or they won’t, but leading by example is better than scolding people into action. And try to laugh. I know a lot of sh-t doesn’t feel very funny right now, but happy warriors stay in the fight a lot longer than miserable ones.

In fact, have fun. They are. Trump golfs. You should, too. Elon takes ketamine. You should, too. (That’s a joke, although I absolutely would take ketamine if the opportunity presented itself. Please send all surplus ketamine c/o The Daily Beast.) Do whatever you need to do to take care of yourself and your loved ones first. Then worry about the rest of the world.

Maybe you don’t need this pep talk. Maybe you’re already fully committed to the cause, you’re fully energized and ready to take to the streets. Maybe you’ve even already selected your saboteur ensemble–personally, I prefer a slimming black turtleneck.

But maybe, a month in, you’re like me. Looking around and wondering why you’ve got a fistful of clutched pearls (which, look at that, pair perfectly with a black turtleneck) while the rest of the nation is paying more attention to the NBA all-star game than the dismantling of that very nation. If so, take heart. You’re not crazy. It’s really happening. And it’s scary AF.