Jon Reisman

Amid increasing contretemps over Trump, tariffs, taxes, and transgender toxicity, I watched the Soros backed, matching blood-red shirt, pro-Hamas/anti-Israel/antisemitic protest/rant at Trump Tower in Manhattan Thursday afternoon, followed by the blood-red lunar eclipse moon at 2 a.m. Friday. 

Simultaneous Kabuki budget battles in Augusta and the swamp (D.C.) demonstrated partisan division and general governing dysfunction. There was some news that suggested Trump’s border, tariff, and sanity policies might trigger a recession, but they are paying some dividends — Rosie O’Donnell has self-deported to Ireland. The Emerald Isle will now have a trade surplus of malarkey and blarney. No joke! Rosie’s departure may lessen the immediate contretemps temperature, but comity is nowhere in sight.

As I watched the red shadows of the eclipse, I couldn’t help but wonder how political ideology and baseline assumptions determine how one views and understands the world. I see the Hamas-cide events since Oct 7, 2023, and wonder what parts of murder, rape, kidnapping, torture, Jew-hating, and sadistic barbarism the apologists for Palestinian policies find worth their vociferous support. I suspect they wonder how I can stand myself for being an Islamophobic apologist for colonialism, Zionism, capitalism, patriarchy, and systemic racism. News Flash/Bulletin: Comity would be wonderful but not at the soul-crushing cost of surrendering to the woke mob.

Representative/Handmaiden Laurel Libby refused to apologize to Speaker/toxic-bearded male Fecteau and the rainbow mafia. She sought equal protection for her and her constituents’ First Amendment rights in Maine’s Federal District Court, only to find that no Maine federal judge would hear her case (because the mother of the Transgender pole-vaulter is a District Court employee). Instead, a recent Biden appointee from Rhode Island who is a vocal LQBGQT+ advocate “volunteered” to hear the case. I’m sure that Rep. Libby will get equal justice under the law, and there is no reason whatsoever to question the fairness and impartiality of a judge who proudly represents the rainbow mafia. Trading Portland for Providence is something of a Hobson’s choice.

The country remains closely divided. Greater unity would be wonderful, but it is likely an unattainable pipe dream in our tribal DEI-tainted environment. Rather than judging by the content of character, talent, ability, and work ethic, the left wants America to judge by race, sexuality, gender identity, and climate cult membership. 

The Rhode Island, black, lesbian federal judge impartially hearing Representative Libby’s case is the poster pronoun for the decline of American exceptionalism and the promotion of morally suspect mediocrity. This is a prescription for tribal division, acrimony, decadence, and decline. That’s exactly what the woke American-hating left wants. I won’t stop pointing it out because avoiding controversy and contretemps will produce community collapse rather than community comity.

Conversations to restore community comity and cohesion will be difficult. It requires both hard, honest listening and hard, honest speaking. The various gubernatorial hopefuls will demonstrate their leadership strengths and weaknesses balancing contretemps and comity.

A united Maine may be unattainable, especially with the increasing differences across the Volvo line between the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts. But even if unity is a chimera, less division is worth pursuing, if only for a less dysfunctional and hopefully happier state.

Jon Reisman is an economist and policy analyst who retired from the University of Maine at Machias after 38 years. He resides on Cathance Lake in Cooper, where he is a Selectman and a Statler and Waldorf intern. Mr. Reisman’s views are his own, and he welcomes comments as letters to the editor here or to him directly via email at [email protected].