If direct analogy questions are ever re-added to the SAT, I've got a new one for them!

SAT = "Scholastic Aptitude Text"; it was, and remains, something of a rite of passage for most high school students.

Analogy questions have since been removed from the SAT, but if they're ever returned to the test, the events of the past week have inspired a new one (and in a bonus, there's even a pop culture reference [admittedly, the reference is nearly 50 years old :) ]) -

Donald Trump is to Elon Musk as Grand Moff Tarkin is to__________.

A. Luke Skywalker

B. Princess Leia

C. Darth Vader

One hint (probably not going to be on a test) - the correct answer isn't A or B

Note:

Tarkin was a wholly evil character in the original Star Wars movie who was under the impression that he was in charge.  At least, he thought that until Vader disabused him of that notion.

This isn't a perfect analogy - in the movies, Vader had a spark of humanity...a deeply buried one, but one that was there; Musk hasn't shown any such thing.

He *has* shown a propensity for interceding.

From Business Insider -

Jeff Bezos and Trump had dinner at Mar-a-Lago, and were joined by Elon Musk

Jeff Bezos seems to be trying to patch up his feud with Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The former Amazon CEO was pictured at Mar-a-Lago with fiancé Lauren Sánchez on Wednesday night in images circulating on social media, as he joined the president-elect for dinner.

[snip]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was also in attendance, confirming that the meeting had taken place in a post on X, describing it as a "great conversation."

Of course, dinner isn't the only place where Musk has thrown his weight around. He used his influence to defeat a short-term federal spending bill.  The unelected Musk's interference in political matters hasn't been unnoticed.

From Rolling Stone -

Dems Troll Trump by Calling Elon the Real President

Elon Musk has not been elected to any public office, but after tanking Republicans’ most recent attempt at a stopgap funding bill to avoid a shutdown, some right-wing lawmakers are entertaining the idea of installing him as speaker of the House. Democrats, by contrast, are pointing out that if the party — which claims to loathe the unelected bureaucracy — is going to let themselves be controlled by the social media posts of the world’s richest man, they may as well hand him the keys to the White House.

“The US Congress this week came to an agreement to fund our government,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote on Wednesday. “Elon Musk, who became $200 BILLION richer since Trump was elected, objected. Are Republicans beholden to the American people? Or President Musk? This is oligarchy at work.” 

With Cheeto's, I expect him to kick Musk to the curb, or to otherwise bring him to heel...unless Emperor Palatine Vlad brings Cheeto to heel first.

Is Vlad picking Cheeto's national defense nominees?

Or are they being chosen by Vlad, but with Cheeto's input?

I'm leaning toward the 2nd possibility as these folks are Trump loyalists one and all, but I don't rule out the first.

From AP -

Gabbard’s sympathetic views toward Russia cause alarm as Trump’s pick to lead intelligence services

Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. intelligence services, in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s main justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens.

Moscow claimed Ukraine was using the labs to create deadly bioweapons similar to COVID-19 that could be used against Russia, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had no choice but to invade neighboring Ukraine to protect his country.

In fact, the labs are public and part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons.

From DefenseOne -

‘Extraordinarily dangerous’: Intelligence community insiders warn against Trump’s DNI pick

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, lacks experience, and her record of Russia-aligned public statements could undermine the ability of the United States to acquire intelligence from allies and partners, current and former intelligence officials say. 

Trump on Wednesday announced his intention to put Gabbard, who served in Congress as a Democrat from Hawaii, in charge of the national intelligence office. The office coordinates intelligence efforts across the entire government, forges intelligence-sharing relationships with other countries, and shapes the way the public and the White House understand threats to U.S. interests. The office takes a leading role in assembling the daily brief for the president, which  the White House uses to understand how adversaries are working against the United States, and in telling the public about threats Americans face.

 

I would liken the picks of her, Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary) Marco Rubio (Secretary of State) and others to the Keystone Kops, except the antics of the Keystone Kops brought laughter and joy to a lot of Americans.

The only people who will enjoy the antics of Cheeto's bunch will be Russian.

What's the Russian for "Chernobyl this, you people who copulate with your female parental figures!"

We may hear it sooner or later, and with Trump's "dream team" of Cabinet and adviser picks, it'll probably be sooner.

People like RFK, Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, Marco Rubio, Elon Musk, and Pete Hegseth (et. al.) shouldn't be allowed within even sniffing distance of a national office yet Cheeto has nominated/named them to seats at the big table.

Yet, as rancid as his personnel choices may be, his plan to purge the U.S. military of senior officers may be worse.

From Reuters -

Exclusive: Trump's team drawing up list of Pentagon officers to fire, sources say

Members of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team are drawing up a list of military officers to be fired, potentially to include the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two sources said, in what would be an unprecedented shakeup at the Pentagon.

The planning for the firings is at an early stage after Trump's Nov. 5 election victory and could change as Trump's administration takes shape, said the sources, who are familiar with the Trump transition and requested anonymity to speak candidly about the plans.

[snip]

The second source said the incoming administration would likely focus on U.S. military officers seen as connected to Mark Milley, Trump's former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Milley was quoted in the book "War" by Bob Woodward, which was published last month, calling Trump "fascist to the core" and Trump's allies have targeted him for perceived disloyalty to the former president.

"Every single person that was elevated and appointed by Milley will be gone," the second source said.

This scheme seems, well, *familiar.*

Some observers consider Cheeto's picks to be a "dream", but the linked observer at WaPo was probably being sarcastic.  She's a bit of a wiseass. 

Especially since my first reaction to this list was "it's a nightmare".

My next reaction was "the only person who has dreams like this is Vlad...and only if those dreams are wet."

Speaking of Vlad, his initial plan if Cheeto ever became POTUS again may have been to invade the western U.S.  That may still be the plan, but he's frittered away so much of Russia's military on his invasion of Ukraine that may no longer be an option.

He still has nukes, so he may simply turn the western U.S. into a radioactive slag heap.

It's not like Cheeto would do anything about it.  He might say "well, I have bone spurs" while thinking "well, most of them didn't vote for me."

Putin's character didn't merit a high opinion before this, but supporting Cheeto doesn't improve things

Not hardly.

From AP - 

Putin says prosecution of Trump shows US political system is ‘rotten’

Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted Tuesday that the criminal cases against former U.S. President Donald Trump are political revenge that show the fundamental corruption of the United States.

“As for the prosecution of Trump, for us what is happening in today’s conditions, in my opinion, is good because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others democracy,” Putin said at an Eastern Economic Forum gathering in Russia’s Pacific Coast city of Vladivostok.

Prigozhin presumed to be dead; Cheeto wishes that he could deal with adversaries the same way that Putin does

If Vlad was responsible, at least he changed things up this time - it wasn't a spontaneous defenestration.

From AP -

Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead after a plane crash outside Moscow

Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military earlier this year, was presumed dead Wednesday after a plane crash north of Moscow that killed all 10 people on board.

Prigozhin was on the plane, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency, which cited the airline. The crash immediately raised suspicions since the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny.

Cheeto, trying to do his idol one better

Of course, in this case, "better" might not be the right word to use.

First up, Cheeto.

From CNN -

Trump says he expects to be arrested Tuesday as New York law enforcement prepares for possible indictment

Former President Donald Trump said Saturday he expects to be arrested in connection with the investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney next week and called for protests as New York law enforcement prepares for a possible indictment.

In a social media post, Trump, referring to himself, said the “leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States will be arrested on Tuesday of next week.”

“Protest, take our nation back,” he wrote.

Two observations here:

1. For once, I hope he's right.

2. NYPD and the NY state police should expect violence from trumpkins.

Now Vlad.

From BuzzFeed -

Vladimir Putin Is Officially A Wanted Man

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, accusing him of war crimes over the invasion of Ukraine. 

Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, are both wanted by the ICC for unlawfully deporting and transporting Ukrainian children to Russia.

The International Criminal Court does not have its own police force, so any warrants issued by it have to be enforced by other jurisdictions, and unless the subjects of the arrest warrants visit some place that will enforce the warrants for the people named in them won't be arrested.

I don't expect Putin et. al. to do so

You just know that Vlad misses Cheeto right about now

Mostly because Cheeto would have blithely supported any/all of Vlad's depredations.

From AP -

US: Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine

The United States has determined that Russia has committed crimes 

against humanity in Ukraine, Vice President Kamala Harris said 

Saturday, insisting that “justice must be served” to the perpetratrors. [sic]

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Harris said that the 

international community has both a moral and a strategic interest 

in pursuing those crimes, pointing to a danger of other authoritarian 

governments taking advantage if international rules are undermined.

“Russian forces have pursued a widespread and systemic attack against 

a civilian population — gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape, and 

deportation,” Harris said. She also cited “execution-style killings, 

beatings, and electrocution.”

"Murder, torture, rape, and deportation."

Sounds like a summary of Cheeto.

Did Putin learn to lie from Cheeto or did he know that already?

Pointed to this by Taegan Goddard's Political Wire.

From the Telegraph (UK) -

Vladimir Putin 'poised to declare all-out war on Ukraine'

Army chiefs want the president to drop the term ‘special operation’ and declare war which would enable mass mobilisation of Russians

The rest of the piece is behind a paywall.

Funny, I thought attacking hospitals, schools, and civilian targets already qualified as "all-out war"

Oh, and Russian use of land mines doesn't change the idea that Putin and the Russians are already waging an all out war against the Ukraine,

Betcha I know what movie that they're watching in Congress tonight

Well, to be watched by the members that aren't otherwise occupied by hanging with Madison Cawthorn, doing coke, and participating in orgies.

From Politico -

No more 'dillydallying' and 'lollygagging': Congress finally puts its foot down on Russia

Congress finally came to grips this week with one simple fact about Russia’s war in Ukraine: the U.S. is in it for the long haul.

After weeks of delays, the Senate and House nearly unanimously passed legislation to isolate Moscow from the global economy in ways that some acknowledge could become permanent. It’s also the first time since Vladimir Putin’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine that lawmakers have sent sanctions measures to President Joe Biden’s desk.

[snip]

“We’re in the middle of a war,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks lamented. “This is serious business. They don’t have time to be lollygagging. That should not happen in a time of crisis. We have found ways on the House side to work together.”

"Lollygagging"?

That reference made me think of one particular scene from one particular movie.

Bull Durham. (link goes to a YouTube video and will have ads, and is probably not safe for work, so don't watch the video there.)

In the scene, the manager, played by Trey Wilson, threw some baseball bats at his players to scare them into not "lollygagging".

He described baseball as a "simple game"

Dealing with Vladimir Putin will be less simple.

Step one: Don't be like Cheeto.  Don't kiss Vlad's ass.

Caveat: Bull Durham is one of my favorite movies evah, and is, IMO, the best baseball movie ever.

Guessing that right about now, Cheeto is throwing a tantrum...or asking Vlad for some Russian hookers

From Newsweek -

Trump's Georgia Rally Sees 'Smallest Crowd' in State Since 2016: Reporters

Former President Donald Trump's Georgia rally on Saturday failed to draw the

 

number of supporters he has been accustomed to in the southern state,

 

according to multiple journalists covering the event.Trump held the event 

 

in support of several of Georgia's Republican primary candidates in 

 

Commerce, Georgia, which is about an hour drive northeast of

 

Atlanta. While the former president has regularly seen tens of thousands attend

 

his events in the state, as well as other states across the country, journalists assessed

 

that the crowd size was underwhelming this weekend.

Of course, Vlad has his own problems.