#18. Filter Out Trump's Noise and Concentrate on the Signal
Trump himself could end up as a literal figurehead, a menacing orange gargoyle on the prow of his marauding ship of state
Signal-to-Noise Ratio in science and engineering is essentially a measure of clarity; the strength of the signal being analyzed diminishes as the background noise increases.
Politically speaking, we are drowning in noise right now, with mass deportations, a global tariff crisis, stock markets tanking, alliances crumbling, and government services being slashed and burned.
In calling this “noise,” by no means do I intend to minimize the pain, suffering and dislocation that further metastasize with each passing week. I do, however, have a few basic questions:
Where is the signal at the center of this evil cacophony?
Is there a coherent signal at all?
Coherent or not, is Donald Trump actually in control?
He is in charge, certainly. But actually in control of the chaos being wrought in his name? I think not.
As this becomes more apparent, and as Donald Trump increasingly flails and fails, I wonder if the President could make his last stand as a literal figurehead1, a menacing orange gargoyle lashed to the prow of a marauding pirate sloop.
The mutinous crew steering the ship of state will be very same co-conspirators Trump himself appointed to high office! They’ll battle each other tooth and nail, vie for control of the wheel, and claim their respective rights of pillage.
Reader question #1: “WTF is a ‘metamodern’ coup?”
A discerning reader noticed me dropping a particular turn of phrase in last week’s issue and asked me about it.
So what in particular makes this coup attempt metamodern? It’s the seamless integration, into Trumpworld’s fascistic zeitgeist, of a new generation of alienated, high-tech young white men ages 18 to 30. This toxic young manosphere ranges from incel bros and cryptocurrency scammers to extreme martial artists and TikTok influencers.
A somewhat older category that lumps these lumpen together for me is “Sigma male.” My favorite definition: “A Sigma male is someone who wants to be a self-designated "alpha" but doesn't have any friends."
So where do they come from? And how do they keep multiplying without sexual partners? Defying traditional sexual norms, the Sigmas, also referred to as “neomasculines,” are apparently just mindfucking each other.
The “neos” have added a veritable battalion to the ranks of the original “dark MAGA” subculture, who were mainly just unbridled racists and white nationalists, neofascist accelerationists, and “skull mask” groups who appropriated symbols from the Waffen SS.
Reader question #2: “Does Birkenstock actually make shitkickers?”
Also in last week’s issue, in exhorting my fellow Boomer alte kakers to get up off their asses and fight back, I specifically advised them to:
I was using the term “Combat Birkenstocks” facetiously, but who knew? Not me, apparently. So please put me down for a pair of Birkenstock Bryson boots in a 43 wide. They look fantastic and I’m sure the fit is heavenly. Availability is apparently spotty, but I have seen them listed online, for men and women alike, in black, roast brown, taupe, and a very attractive thyme green leather.
This is more than a bit ironic. Although the Birkenstock companies have been making shoes in Germany since 1744, they have never produced footwear for any military. In fact, the Birkenstock family, unlike some of their major competitors, apparently did no business at all with the Hitler regime during the Nazi era, nor did they employ slave labor at their plants, or gain advantage by “Aryanizing” Jewish-owned shoe factories.
Dr. Birkenstock’s invention of natural-footbed insoles, though, was a popular “homegrown” modification to uncomfortable combat boots, undertaken by enterprising young soldiers on both sides of World War II.
So move over, Doc Martens. The hippies were apparently ahead of their time.
Finally, remember this and do not despair:
Readers: Thanks for checking out this issue. Please, please, please like, share and comment. See you next week. -Art