Diary

The Rousseau biography is quite long – over 900 pages in small print – but I am finding it worthwhile and think it deserves a close reading. I apologize to those of you who have no interest in the subject, since I'm only about a third of the way through, and it will take a month or two for me to finish it at the current rate.

This is the perfect time to be settled indoors, as cold weather and permanent snow have arrived. From footprints on the roof, I can see that one of the mice that I blocked out in 2017 is still trying unsuccessfully to enter the house. Other than reading and an occasional walk, there isn't much to do. I have been following the Trump debacle and hoping that it will end soon. I think that he is hanging by a thread, and that he could be gone quite rapidly, depending on the Mueller findings. A possible scenario would be that Mueller provides proof of Trump's direct involvement in the obstruction of justice, which causes a drop in Trump's popularity and a loss of support by Republican senators. Under such a scenario, Trump would face immediate impeachment and would probably resign under pressure. Even if the Mueller investigation doesn't pan out, there are several separate investigations underway in the House of Representatives which will probably uncover damaging information about Trump and perhaps reveal crimes not examined by Mueller.

Some pundits think that the normal democratic process – presidential votes – should be the deciding factor in what happens to Trump. I disagree, in that Trump is a menace to society, and the risks associated with his remaining in office for two more years outweigh the desirability of normal electoral procedures. Even if I were able to convince myself that he had a coherent set of policies that are plausibly in the American interest, he has repeatedly demonstrated that he has very little understanding of his responsibilities or what actions he should take to exercise them. For those who somehow manage to agree with him on anything, chances are that he will be unable to fulfill his promises, because he is demonstrably incompetent. Beyond this, it seems possible that he will ultimately be found guilty of multiple crimes. The writing is on the wall: he will be regarded as the worst president in American history, and, with any luck, Congress will pass a law to prevent such a mistake from occurring in the future. Trump is unfit for the presidency, and I would prefer to see him dead or in prison. Allowing him to remain the most powerful person in the world is beyond absurdity.