Consequences

Today I'm going to tie together three stories which have a common theme.

First off, Mike Lindell is in a bit of bother:

Mike Lindell's lawyers in the Dominion lawsuit have filed a Motion to Withdraw with the court to get off his case due to non-payment of fees.

The motion states that Lindell is in arrears to his attorneys by millions of dollars with no hope of getting caught up and no ability to pay future fees.

This comes on the heels of all retailers cancelling his MyPillows, his banks cancelling him, AMEX closing his line of credit, the FBI seizing his phone, multiple lawsuits, and the IRS recently opening a tax fraud investigation of him.

Lindell was a true American success story. He went from homeless crack addict to hugely successful entrepreneur with 3,500 employees in Minnesota.

Then he met Donald Trump.

And everything that Trump touches dies.

Yes. Mike Lindell has lost everything. As the Meidas Touch write-up says, he was a truly inspirational figure, going from homeless crackhead to owner of a successful company. But addiction doesn't disappear, and he replaced his need for drugs with Donald Trump. The consequences were the same: a descent into Hell from which there will be no return.

Then there's this excellent thread from John Stoehr. In summary, unlike the Very Serious People who have been opining that Democrats betrayed their own values—and even the country—by not saving Kevin McCarthy's job, Stoehr, like those of us on this blog, says that enough was enough. The leadership crisis was engendered by the very same radical Republicans whom McCarthy bent over backwards to accommodate, pushing their crazed agenda to the detriment of this Republic. Democrats are always expected to clean up the messes Republicans make, because Democrats are the sensible mothers, while Republicans are the good-for-nothing fathers. That ended this week. Democrats removed the safety net from the irresponsible GOP and allowed them to face the consequences of their actions. This will create short-to-midterm pain; but overall, it will benefit the country. Republicans have spent decades releasing their ids, with the expectation that Democrats will come along and repair the results of their excesses. Democrats this week decided that it was time for Republicans—and their voters—to bear the full brunt of their decisions.

And then there's Donald Trump.

He has had a no good, very bad, awful week. The House GOP is imploding. A bombshell report came out from ABC that he divulged nuclear secrets to an Australian billionaire, who then told his friends. And then this:

BREAKING- Judge Engoron in Trump's NY fraud case has hit Trump and the brats w/ a devastating order that will expose them. Check out section 6. They have to disclose third party co-owners, equity partners and lenders for ALL of their businesses including the 500 LLCs. This will… pic.twitter.com/yJIdZVgW8p

— Tom Joseph (@TomJChicago) October 5, 2023

To sum-up the judge's order: the Trump Organization will have to reveal who, in fact, owns or has a stake in all the companies Trump and his sons have incorporated. How many Chinese, Saudis, and Russians will be revealed? What level of money-laundering will be uncovered? Does Trump own anything, or is he in fact the one who is owned? Is his sprawling "empire" merely a front for corrupt foreign actors? And no, he won't be able to delay. Judge Engoron has already placed a special master in charge of Trump's companies. Trump and his sons have no say in executing Judge Engoron's order. The consequences for his life of crime are coming due.

Consequences. That is what we're seeing here. And it's jarring because we're unused to seeing men like Trump facing consequences for their actions. The justice system dispenses "special" justice to those with power, wealth, and influence. But from Trump to Lindell to the House GOP, the country is collectively exacting consequences for the dysfunction into which they and their cohorts have plunged this nation. It's taken far too long, but justice is often a late dinner guest, if it appears at all. Now it is seated at the table, the feast laid out, good drink at hand, and it is savoring the repast.

Men (and women) like them think that the law doesn't apply to them. And, sadly, many times it doesn't. But that is neither here nor there. Generations of karmic justice are bearing down on these malefactors, and it is a remarkable sight. I can't see anything which can save them. No Hail Mary of Trump becoming Speaker of the House. No Republican shutdown. Nothing. The wheels have been set in motion, and they have a motive force which will not be shunted off the track.

None of this needed to happen. But, no, it did need to happen. The inherent contradictions of our Republic needed to finally come to a head. The myth of American exceptionalism needed to be tested: are we exceptional because of our wealth and military might, or are we exceptional because of our lived ideals? Our ideals are most often honored in the breach rather than the observance. Now is the time for the words of the Declaration of Independence to be given life. And that wasn't going to occur with us delaying the inevitable reckoning.

No generation wishes to be the one to set the world to rights. It's hard, and frightening, and bloody. But this is that task which has been set for us. This will be our legacy to our children and grandchildren. We will succeed.

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