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The Real Reason Trump Is Fawning Over Saudi Arabia's Ruler (Noah Shachtman/New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/opinion/trump-saudi-crown-prince-fossil-fuel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3E8.Wyw1.zeX3FZetve98&smid=url-share
http://www.memeorandum.com/251122/p50#a251122p50

You remember the pictures.
The images of tech oligarchs kissing the ring at President Trump’s inauguration were instantly iconic,
markers of a new and rather unnerving era.
But months earlier, Trump made a corrosive pact with another set of moguls,
and that one is already remaking global politics,
wiping out jobs at home and strangling what little hope was left of avoiding a climate disaster.
This one happened behind closed doors.
These moguls wer…

Opinion | The Real Reason Trump Is Fawning Over Saudi Arabia’s Ruler
The story begins in the 1970s.

I keep coming back to the mirror dualities of the oppressed and oppressor under authoritarianism.
The oppressed is portrayed as both weak and godlike. The stereotypes are always some variation on sloth and incompetence, but yet somehow also a menace capable of destroying the "pure" society. To use the most relevant current example, Antifa being both little femme soy boys who would always get beat up by "real men" while also being an international terrorist organization on the brink of overthrowing the US government, the unarmed presence of whom makes the heavily armed agents of ICE flee for their lives. Antifa is both having absolutely no impact on ICE, and also having such an impact on ICE that the military needs to come in to protect them. The contradiction is obvious but never seems to occur to those who hold both to be true at the same time.
But few talk about the duality of the oppressor. The sovereign throughout history has always been both a ruler above the law, sometimes even the representative or incarnation of a divine force. Yet, this same superhuman/god-man is also a baby who needs constant care. This is absolutely a through line from the very earliest records of sovereign cults to modern cult leaders, CEOs, and Trump today. Power, for these people, is expressed both as the ability to force others to enact their will and in the ability to compel others to care for them. Can any of these "men" cook? Can they fix anything themselves? They are driven everywhere, cooked for all the time, constantly protected from danger. Kings are still dressed, at least for rituals. I could dissect masculinity here, but that's a whole thing.
It is as though the drive to care for our children, who must be taught to behave within acceptable norms, is hijacked by "leaders" who demand our care and attention... even at the expense of our literal children. And recently we've seen some of those very CEOs, with LLMs and return to office demands, show that their judgment is also little better than children, making decisions while pretending to understand a subject.
The oppressed are portrayed as both god-like and impotent and are, in fact, neither. Meanwhile the rulers portray themselves only as invulnerable and are, in fact, childish in their ability to survive without constant support. Their greatest fear from the collapse of society is figuring out how to make sure people keep taking care of them.
It just keeps rattling around in my head.
#USPol

Chiefs star Travis Kelce's latest venture is literal roller-coaster https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6738088/2025/10/21/travis-kelce-jana-partners-six-flags-investment/

Trump illegally blends governance and family business -- particularly in Persian Gulf countries.
Since returning to office, the Trump family and businesses have announced new ventures abroad involving billions of dollars,
made hundreds of millions from cryptocurrency,
and sold tickets to a private dinner hosted by Trump.
Trump is set to host Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, in Washington next week.
He hopes to sign a mutual defens…

Trump Organization Is Said to Be in Talks on a Saudi Government Real Estate Deal
The chief executive of a Saudi firm says a Trump-branded project is “just a matter of time.” The Trump Organization’s major foreign partner is also signaling new Saudi deals.

Time is ticking for 3 Cowboys to earn a new contract in 2026 https://insidethestar.com/time-is-ticking-for-3-cowboys-to-earn-a-new-contract-in-2026

It was an error to describe the 3 branches of government as "co-equal." They are not. The first three words of the Constitution are "We the people." The people are sovereign. We rule through Congress, and thereby have power to depose a president or a judge. A president is not a ruler, nor is a justice of the Supreme Court, nor a general, nor an admiral. They are servants of the people.

How long after a sovereign ruler of a repressive state murders one of your columnists should you make a deal with him?
The answer, it turns out, is a little over six years.
https://www.theverge.com/amazon/667916/jeff-bezos-amazon-saudi-arabia-jama…

Jeff Bezos makes his most ghoulish deal yet
How long after a nation-state murders one of your columnists is it appropriate to make a multibillion-dollar deal with it? For Bezos: five years.