Michael Cohen and I talk about Elon, Donald, and the rise of “paramonetary forces”
I hope many of you are getting some downtime over the holidays this week. If you happen to be simmering something for a very long time, or need something to play in your ears to avoid the sounds of your in-laws’ voices, we have got you covered.
In this episode of former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen’s podcast, Mea Culpa, we talk about the incoming Musk-Trump administration and how this new phase of billionaire power consolidation can be understood and then resisted.
Listen and tell me what you think. As always, we appreciate so much when you step up and subscribe. When you do, you give us the freedom to speak the truth.
I found this podcast interesting for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the unusual juxtaposition of Michael’s style with Anand’s. Frankly, I probably wouldn’t have listened to Mea Culpa if Anand wasn’t being interviewed.
A couple of points stuck out as very interesting. I agree with Anand’s point about the monetization of the fascist goons who allow Trump to exert pressure and take action that he wouldn’t be able to take directly without political or legal blowback. From Anand’s comments I gather he has talked about this previously, but it was a new concept to me. I want to hear more about it and I’m going to have to dig back into some previous reporting. It is an idea that I think is very insightful about what is going on with Musk.
Another point Anand made was that Trump really is quite intellectually challenged. Of course this has been made before, but I think it is all too easy to have this valid criticism of Trump digress into name calling. However, I think it is a very valid criticism and Anand does it well. The fact is, Trump really isn’t all that bright and he does not have the intellectual capacity to process the complex information that he is necessary to make the decisions that the president has to make. There is a huge smokescreen thrown around Trump by his MAGA henchmen that creates a myth that Trump is a masterful genius with an almost superhuman ability to understand and control a very complex world. Nothing could be further from the truth. Trump is in essence a bully with a very stunted intellect but an uncanny ability to intimidate and manipulate. We’ve all known people like this from our middle school years, but Trump really takes this unique ability to a higher level, but “stable genius” he is not.
Finally, I appreciate Anand trying to close the podcast on a hopeful note. I struggle to remain positive, and I appreciate the optimism.