Counting Coup
The Great Comeuppance
It is, yet again, fashionable amongst the dwindling tribe of progressives to yell loudly that what is happening now in DC is a coup.
Donald Trump (and his Muskian minions) are running roughshod over the government, destroying norms and constitutional precedents and being very rude about it in the process.
Despite being elected on a platform of doing exactly that only a few months ago, the deep and/or woke state (before woke became a cool and an easy way to grift graft billions, the deep state didn’t really care about things like trans whale rights, by the way) and its well-credentialed but poorly educated horde of government job dependent supporters are crying – literally – foul.
Elon Musk is unelected. You have no right. This is not a dictatorship. How dare you change anything that has worked so well for us for decades? At least slow it down. (note – if you really thought you were being murdered you would yell “stop!,” not “slow down,” so maybe even progwokes get it, at least at a sub-conscious level.)
This is a coup, they yell.
Well, no it’s not. The nation – eyes wide open – elected Trump to do exactly what he is doing right now, whirlwinding trough federal agencies to end the generational oligarchical scam.
Note – Joe Biden theoretically was elected to bring normalcy and decency to DC only to see his administration become a corrupt cavalcades of lies. In fact, unlike Trump, Biden did exactly the opposite of what he said (or mumbled or read) during the campaign that he was going to do as president.
If a coup involves false pretense, then look no further than Delaware.
Obviously, all actual coups involve change, but not all change is by definition a coup.
The concepts are not transitive.
And everything that has been done so far is well within the purview of the president – in theory, Joe Biden could have done everything Trump is doing now, if his handlers had let him or if it had ever occurred to him to do so.
What is happening is not a coup – it’s basic reform. It’s trying to sort out the absurdities of government spending and programs and to shut down the most egregious; case in point the USAID.
Vast billions slushed through the agency (one hopes the ludicrously named, cartoonishly-villianous National Endowment for Democracy is next) under the cover of political correctness and/or expediency on its way to around the globe, most of which ended up in odd pockets of strongmen and politicians and “civil society” power-base builders who would then turn around and support the agency and its many many QUANGOs and foundations and such.
The money was not about helping actual real people – it was about creating an international network that could be called upon to do the bidding of the American intelligence community and the globalist socialist socialite statists, now one and the same. When you pay people they will pay you back, however they can, from writing op-eds to going on MSNBC to railing against populism – whatever you need at the moment.
That being said, there is one possible interpretation of the idea of a coup that could have more than element of truth to it – counting coup.
Counting coup was a Plains Indians warrior tradition in that you didn’t necessarily have to kill your opponent in a battle but merely touch them - essentially bonk them on the head - and get away unscathed. That humiliated your opponent and counted – more than counted – as a moral victory (in fact, amongst the Crow – at least - it was one of four tasks that had to be completed in order to become a war chief.)
It was bravery personified.
And it can be said that Trump, Musk, and his hyper-caffeinated hackers are doing that with every move they make – counting coup.
Millions for gender diverse Serbians?
Bonk on the head.
Paying global media types to twist the truth to benefit the interests of the deep state, including pushing to prolong the war in Ukraine and even possibly support the impeachment of Trump?
Bonk on the head.
Trying to help overthrow foreign governments?
Bonk on the head.
Government DEI programs?
Bonk on the head.
NIH cutting grant overhead/administration costs?
Bonk on the head.
Security clearances revoked?
Bonk on the head.
Paying for the BBC, climate change silliness, and Iraqi puppet shows?
Bonk, bonk, bonk on the head.
Not only is this not an actual coup, this is not even revenge or retribution but long and desperately needed reform.
And while counting coup was a way to humiliate an opponent it is not clear if that is current intent, though one can be sure there is more than a little snickering glee amongst those involved in the process.
What is happening now is the tearing down – from the inside – of the ossified calcified oppressive state that has built up over the last 40 years.
Speaking of the BBC, it is just getting rid of the federal fatberg.
The deep state is finally getting its much deserved comeuppance and it may be happening just in time.
Bonk.
For more on counting coup, you can watch the film “Little Big Man” or check out this fascinating mini-doc about Joe Medicine Crow who counted coup and then some during World War II: