“The me of things.” Once again a Gregorian, befuddled word choice is quintessentially the thing. DrSuessian even! Self-interest Uber Alles, even The Rules. And from that, as Shiv warned, “Things do happen, Rome.” As in the fall of Rome. And our own republic, if we don’t manage to keep it in a way that is democratic and fair. While libertarians love to use the warning attributed to Ben Franklin (“a republic, if you can kept it”) as a warning against mob rule, Hamilton in the Federalist papers was just as concerned that the monied mob would starve the masses out of “the general welfare” and lose the plot of the point of government.
“America decides,” the title of episode 8 season 4. But actually the Roy bros of Waystar Royco decided for the electorate by calling Wisconsin early for the fascist played by Justin Kirk. Of course I recall once before, after that dog had caught “the car,” he dropped it. (But that was in another series and besides the wench ….) Maybe ……. But no …. Unlike Trump, Kirk’s Mencken seems to have wanted to win. Circa 2016 Trump and Melania had looked so surprised and regretful that they would be expected to serve.
Cogs in the wheel, Jess and Greg momentarily seem to think they might make a difference. Two minutes. What couldn’t happen in two minutes?
And so they go on to crown the American president, the crown George Washington had properly refused when urged to it by Colonel Nicola in 1782. Roman and Kendall affirm their grifting transactional decision while their anointed demogogue rants against the welfare kings and queens lower on the totem pole than he, accusing them of what he is. One thinks of all our libertarian business leaders who make their money from the government: from Ross Perot to Musk and Bezos.
Let reality be no impediment as their talking heads blame “antifa” and “false flag” (?) for the radical racist right firebombing of a ballot box in a district that would have swung to the democrats.
Some people can’t cut a deal, Kendall laments to his driver. Apart from failing to transact successfully with the presidential candidate he would have preferred to choose, he has just failed to arrange a meet and greet with his biracial step-daughter (in the custody of his ex and past their bedtime) who recently was shoved by a right winger, perhaps inspired by the rantings on his own channel. But he thinks he can keep her safe …
“Is that even true?” we wonder. It’s also a question asked by Tom Wambsgams in another plot line seemingly designed to demonstrate for us that yes women can get past the five-month mark with hardly showing at all.
Ending on this pregnant pause. Two more episodes until the series finale. Surely we will be treated to a reading of the founder’s will … although generally the high end of these sorts of things are handled through trusts, or so I have heard.