First-time readers, the dialogue in this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.  Annual assessment whether Revolution plausible.

Note: most characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Jordan’s office, Washington, DC, start of work day.  (Conversation starts Entry #225)

Gelly:  “Jordan, ready to get back to work?” 

Jordan:  “All set.  So far, we’ve discussed two lessons learned from the Revenge Revolution: (i) politicians need to act more rationally, and not act like Larry, Moe and Curley; (ii) people have a right to vote.  No more suppressing rights of eligible voters.  What’s next on your list of lessons?”

Gelly:  “People started to understand the Constitution.  That might sound silly but…”

Jordan:  “That’s an interesting point.  Any examples?”

Gelly:  “One that stands out for me is the difference between the perception of the power of the president and the power granted in the Constitution.  No question the president has enormous power to make change, but the power is much more limited than many people think…or at least used to think.”

Jordan:  “Be more specific, please.”

Gelly:  “To me what’s laughable…and in a way tragic…is how many Trump supporters in 2016 kept claiming that if Clinton were elected president, she would somehow overturn the 2^nd Amendment and take away all their toys, I mean guns.”

Jordan:  “What was their rationale?  How was she going to overturn the 2^nd Amendment?”

Gelly:  “That’s the laughable part.  I guess she was going to wave some magic wand.”

Jordan:  “Like the wicked witch of the West?”

Gelly:  “Presidents can’t run around an issue some Executive Order overturning part of the Constitution.  Overturning an Amendment is nearly impossible.  Did the Trumpsters ever listen in school?  They should have learned the fundamentals of the Constitution in 7^th or 8^th grade.”

Jordan:  “What else is on your list?”

Gelly:  “Let’s stick with Trump.  I think he realized…although it was some time after he took office…that the government does not operate like a business, and especially a family controlled business.”

Jordan:  “You mean the CEO can’t just go around mandating that money should be spent on this project or to build that wall…or whatever?  And do you mean that people in government aren’t just good little soldiers and jump up, salute and carry out the CEO’s orders?”

Gelly:  “That realization must have been a shock to his system, and many of his supporters.  Didn’t they understand that expenditures for the Federal Government are initiated and passed by the House?  Not the White House but the House of Representatives.  Clearly, the Donald was not used having someone else decide if, when and how much money could be spent on a particular project.”

Jordan:  “Probably the only time someone put him on a tight budget was after he declared bankruptcy and the lenders forced him.”

Gelly:  “Here’s another one that must have been a shock to Trump and many supporters.  Being president is not the same as being on a TV show.  Other than a few direct reports, the president can’t hire or fire anyone.  Even many of the direct reports have to be approved by the Senate.”

Jordan:  “You think he understood the many of the limitations of the presidency…let’s call them operational limitations?”

Gelly:  “He probably had some vague idea but let’s not forget that the Donald had no…as in zero…experience in any key management role other than a family controlled business.”

Jordan:  “You’re right.  And even very large family controlled organizations are tiny compared to the Federal government.  Government is a different game and Federal government is vastly more complicated.”

Gelly:  “So the post-Revenge Revolution lesson is a simple one that I think people are starting to understand.  The lesson is…”

Jordan:  “…let me try.  When candidates make bold claims during a campaign, the voting public needs to probe the candidate to understand how and why he or she will be successful in implementing the claim.  No more getting away with just arm waving and lots of vague statements.”

Gelly:  “Good boy, Jordan.  Want a rawhide treat?”

Jordan:  “Why do you and JC harass me?”

Gelly:  “You’re such an easy target.  Seriously, here’s another lesson — economics.  Wanna guess what the lesson is?”

Jordan:  “Claims for creating jobs, implementing tax cuts, reducing the deficit…and whatever else…make sure the approach is realistic and the numbers add up.”

Gelly:  “Exactly.  Let’s start with Trump’s claim to bring back manufacturing jobs so the under-employed or unemployed workers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and elsewhere could work again.  I mean really.  What a crock.”

Jordan:  “C’mon.  You’re being too hard on Trump.  All politicians shade the truth, a least a bit.”

Gelly:  “His claims about reclaiming old-line manufacturing were not little bitty exaggerations but ‘pants-on-fire’ lies.  It took a while for the Trumpsters to realize the old-line manufacturing jobs were gone…not just shifted to Mexico or China…but gone forever.”

Jordan:  “I agree.  The type of jobs in manufacturing are radically different from 20-30 years ago.”

Gelly:  “Recently, my younger sister asked me to help chaperone her daughter’s class field trip to an auto assembly plant.  I said yes because I thought it might be fun.  Besides, it was for my niece.”

Jordan:  “And…?”

Gelly:  “The assembly plant is a different world from what I remember as a kid when our class visited an assembly plant.  Rather than a bunch of people, which is what we saw, now there are a bunch of robots.  Robots seemed to being doing most everything.  There were some people…but not very many.”

Jordan:  “And you know what?  The robots don’t take lunch breaks, restroom breaks or vacations, or require healthcare benefits.  Plus, using the robots improves consistency and overall quality.”

Gelly:  “Has every manufacturing segment replaced people with robots?”

Jordan:  “In varying degrees.  And the number of robots and capabilities of robots is only going to increase.”

Gelly:  “Then where did Trump think the old-line manufacturing people were going to work – making buggies and buggy whips?”

Jordan:  “Who knows what he thought?  But this we do know.  The Trumpsters got very frustrated when the jobs didn’t come back.”

Gelly:  “And just like they were a driving force in electing Trump.  The old-line manufacturing guys were a driving force in leading the Revenge Revolution.” 

Jordan:  “Are you saying the Trump Administration was a kakistocracy?”