An American Disgrace IV: Trump Continues to Fortify the Corporate State

The Trump Presidency came further into focus in the past week with a rash of cabinet choices (at least they gave me the hives) that reinforce the notion that his promise of helping the working class, like his attacks on Clinton, were little more than campaign rhetoric along the path to his upset victory (Our Future) . Alongside the corporate lackeys that will now be at the epicenter of American power, we again saw the blustery and truth-impaired Trump many hoped would abate as he stood on the cusp of the highest office in the land. Instead, he showed the same petulance, the same penchant for lying and the same recklessness that has really defined his life from his early adult years.

The lowlights since my last post include the selection of the Exxon-Mobil CEO as the next Secretary of State, Rick Perry as the head of an office he couldn’t even remember in his last run for president (and one he thinks should be eliminated - Guardian), confirmation of a head of HUD who questioned his own credentials for government service ( and Trump questioning the American intelligence agencies for pointing out the help Russian hackers gave him on the road to the White House (TNY). In fact, his selection of Rex Tillerson appears to be a further sign that not only did Russia get the man they wanted but that he is going to repay them in spades with one of the biggest allies to their economic interests in all of America. 

So let’s look at the week in Trump in more detail:

1. The Post-Truth Era Accelerates: Presidents in the past have certainly had issues with the intelligence community, particularly when they release inconvenient facts like the foundation for the Iraq War being fake or that the Bush administration was warned of impending attack months before they occurred. Yet the extent of Trump’s attack on the CIA findings of Russian efforts to help get him elected might well be unprecedented. His penchant for lying and misinformation stands in clear repose here and is a clarion call to the mainstream media that they will have to hold all of his statements under a microscope, if they are to salvage their fading role as the fourth estate of government.

This call to arms will be made even more challenging as Trump appears to be intent on attacking the media on any instance that they don’t give him the positive PR he believes he deserves as a birthright (Salon; TNR). And, of course, the very press that might warn Americans of the fortifying Corporate State is a bigger and bigger part of that Corporate State. Six huge conglomerates now control over 90% of everything we see, read and listen to and their profit motives seem to override any concerns about the future of our democracy, playing right into the hands of our first fully corporate President. 

2. Corporate State Bodes Poorly for Most Americans Interests: not unlike the Bush administration, but arguably substantially more so, the oil and gas industry will be well represented in the new administration, particularly with the Secretary of State and Head of the Energy Department. But beyond the ties to one of the biggest polluters on the planet, he has lined his administration with corporate interests while making no secret of his own growing conflicts of interest.

A meeting today with heads of the major tech companies (Daily Mail) exemplifies the many problems with his presidency to come. For one thing, the three children who are supposed to be running his business while he runs the country (presumably into the ground) were all present at the meeting, as many of them have been at previous meetings with heads of state and business leaders. In this case, representatives from Apple, Microsoft, Facebook (though not Zuckerberg), Amazon/Washington Post, and the like were all in attendance looking for tax reform, deregulation and more favorable trade agreements in the future. Trump attacked the industry throughout his campaign but now seems to be on the cusp of doing a 180, having promised to try to help them succeed in the future while praising himself for the recent stock market price rises for most in the room.

Beyond the meeting today, the conflicts of interest just keep piling up and one does begin to wonder if there will be repercussions once he takes office (The Guardian). The Office of Government Ethics, in fact, just today warned that his business arrangement with his children is so far afield of the normal blind trusts that all previous presidents have installed that they have serious reservations about the potential ramifications (The Guardian). The problem, of course, is that it appears Trump has little reason to heed these warnings and has openly admitted at times that he might be running his business and the country at the same time. 

The potential for conflicts in either case are profound, and there are already worries about a changing relationship with Russia (that could have profound implications for, among others, Syria and Iran), business arrangements with Taiwan, Argentina, Turkey and others that could come with perks, the very presence of a Trump Towers in DC that business and organizations are lining up to utilize in return for favors or at least a meeting with the incoming President and broader concerns about Iran, South Korea, China and large swaths of Europe.

In a broader sense, it is becoming clear that the interests of Corporate America – whether it’s the health industry, gas and oil, fast food companies, for profit educational companies or the tech industry – will trump those of the average American on a whole host of matters from wages, job security and inequality to the environment, education, healthcare and globalization. The promises Trump made to middle America, particularly the Rust Belt, to rejuvenate the economy seem secondary to the business interests of his vast empire (TNY) and of the many corporations that increasingly define domestic and foreign policy in the U.S. Even on his welcome plan to rebuild the crumbling infrastructure of America appears to simply be a gift to contractors that may siphon billions of dollars of taxpayer money into the pockets of already bloated corporate profits. 

3. Russia Quietly Celebrates the Victory they Helped Secure: Russia could benefit greatly from the election of Donald Trump and he increasingly showing a proclivity to serve those interest (AGM). The most obvious case is his pick for Secretary of State, a man who once brokered one of the biggest deals in history between Russian and American economic interests, though the Crimean attacks scuppered that deal. That same deal could be back on the table in the future, with the CEO of Exxon Mobil actually benefitting his own company through his foreign policy actions. Trump’s stance on Syria and the Middle East could also benefit Russia as could a softer touch on their human rights abuses and potential plans to reengage in the Ukraine. 

The fact that the mainstream media has largely taken a pass on the deeper implications of this story is rather startling, as the ramifications of the hacking scandal could indicate a pay to play scandal never seen in the history of major political and economic competitors in history. That Trump has so blithely rejected the issue at hand seems like a good predictor of how future scandals will be treated and there is every reason to believe, at least for the next two years, that a Republican Congress with the unique power to push through radical policy initiatives like killing Obamacare, undermining Medicare, privatizing Social Security, deregulating industry, ignoring climate change and radical tax cuts, might simply ignore any of his many offenses against the national interest.

4. Foreign Affairs Already in Tatters: one of the biggest concerns surrounding Trump in the run-up to the election is that his demeanor was poorly matched to the needs of international diplomacy (Washington Times). Some believed that his ability to “make a deal” and take a hardline stance might, in the end, override concerns about his lack of tact and experience. That seems like a stretch if early indicators are to be believed. He has already offended China, radically transformed our rocky relationship with Russia and spent a considerable amount of time attacking leaders across the globe. With the opportunity to send a positive message regarding his foreign diplomacy team, he instead picked a woman with no international experience to the UN and now a corporate titan to lead our foreign affairs team. As with the general tenor of his transition, it appears allies and payback have played a much larger role in administration picks than experience or ideological reasonableness. Trump ran as an alt-right hero, but many believed that he would temper those positions upon taking office. There is little to indicate that that is, in fact, the case, and much to support the exact opposite position. With a world in flux and danger around every corner, Trump has every opportunity to do irrevocable damage to the interests of not only Americans but billions around the world.

5. Environment Gasps Final Breaths of Fresh Air: across the board, there have been selections that seem to undermine the rather mediocre attempts of the Obama administration to address climate change. At the top of the list is the new head of the EPA, Pruitt (Salon), who is a global warming doubter and friend to the oil and gas industry. With the Energy secretary, Rick Perry, we have another friend to the biggest polluters in the world and someone who doesn’t even believe the department should exist. And, of course, a man at the helm of the one of the biggest companies in the world that has consistently attempted to stop any attempts to address climate change will now have a huge role in dictating our foreign policy. If his role at Exxon-Mobil is any indicator, dictators are considered preferable to democratic regimes, poverty abatement and education secondary to corporate interests and the bottom line to even the interests of the United States. The entire country will most likely suffer under Trump -- excluding the Top 1 percent -- but it is the environment that could take the biggest blow.

In fact, that pretty much sums up Trump to date ...

Arsenal Slip Up at Goodison (2-1)

Arsenal have not lost in the league since the opening day … until today that is. After taking an early 1-0 lead, Arsenal gave one back before the break and then lost the remaining point available with four minutes left in regulation. Like previous seasons, this could well be a turning point, the sort of loss that starts a downward spiral that takes them out of contention. It is too early for dire predictions yet, and I’m hoping for a rebound against City this weekend, but losing all three points to a team that had won only one of its last 10 is not a good sign. Three thoughts on the game:

1. Sanchez Hot Streak Continues: Alexis Sanchez scored Arsenal’s only goal of the match in the 20th minute, a little fortuitously as his free kick careened off of Ashley Williams and into the net. Nonetheless, it was the 27th goal he has either scored or assisted in his last 27 games (19 goals and 8 assists). It was also his 12th goal of the season, drawing him level in the early golden boot race with Diego Costa, though Costa could forge ahead again tomorrow. Sanchez, of course, does more than just score goals and provide assists. He again led the line with verve here, chasing the ball and players around the pitch like a whirling dervish, though service was less than stellar from those around him, with Walcott and Ozil, in particular, having off days.

Giroud came on as the usual Plan B with about 20 minutes left on the clock, along with Iwobi, but the two were unable to have the intended impact, though Iwobi really should have done better with an excellent chance to equalize in extra time, finding the only place between the sticks where a Toffee was stationed, veteran Leighton Baines, who cleared his lines. And so Arsenal lost a game that probably should have won, allowing their first goal from a corner all season after allowing the two Everton fullbacks to connect for the opener. Sanchez was unable to find another, but he is the clear MVP of the season so far and a player Arsenal should pay over the odds to retain for the long term. Whether they’re willing to splash that cash may just play a pivotal role in their future prospects.  

2. Absences Prove Pivotal: while the absence of Cazorla has not been felt as acutely as some expected it might, at least after a few games of adjustment, his continued injury troubles were felt today, as the Gunners had difficulty getting the ball forward on the break. Coquelin sent several passes askew, Ozil was off his best and Xhaka did not have his usual acuity with the ball either. That left Sanchez to track back to pick up the ball and he too found it difficult to crack a spirited performance from a leaky Everton defense. Arsenal started the match with slick passing and dominated the match until their opener, but that goal seemed to wake the Toffees from their long slumber and Arsenal were unable to take advantage of the space made available as Everton chased the equalizer. With Cazorla still suffering from his Achilles problem and no return date yet announced, Arsenal will have to improve their transition play, possibly by trying out Ramsey as the box-to-box midfielder beside either Xhaka or Coquelin.

The absence felt even more profunndly, however, was Mustafi, who was still undefeated as a starter before his injury last weekend. He and Koscielny had developed into one of the best centreback pairings in the league this term, backed by the speed of Bellerin and the positional sensibility of Monreal. Gabriel put in a spirited performance, and is strong when the ball is in front of him, but seems to lack the positional sensibility on crosses and free kicks into the box and his lack of pace was taken advantage of on several occasions today. Mustafi is out for at least a month with a hamstring problem and Gabriel will hopefully return to the better form he showed after coming to the Gunners in the Winter transfer window two seasons ago. If not, Arsenal might have to score more goals to keep up with a rampant Chelsea.

3. Big Win for Everton: Everton had won one of their last 10 fixtures, as mentioned above, after a strong start to the season. They were too leaky at the back and not scoring enough goals beyond Lukaku. They seemed to have lost their confidence and several players were playing below their best at the same time, including veteran Jakielka at the back and Barkley, Mirallas and Lennon up front. Another loss seemed in the offing after Arsenal opened the scoring, but for not the first time this season, the Toffees only came alive after conceding the opening goal. This time that pressure finally paid off, as they snuck a goal in right before halftime and then largely dominated the second half, with Ashley Williams scoring his first goal for his new team in the 86th minute, off a corner that Arsene Wenger believed they should never have been awarded. Everton showed grit and determination today and a winning mentality that might just serve them well going forward. However, the defensive shortcomings were still on display late, as Arsenal really should have equalized in an extra time flurry that saw three chances just miss in quick succession.

Next up for both sides are important fixtures, with Arsenal heading to the Etihad with a chance to push the gap between them and City further while Everton have their first Meyerside derby of the season Monday. Arsenal face a City side that has been floundering, with only 4 wins in their last 12 games, though a loss could see them fall 9 points behind Chelsea (assuming they keep up their winning streak) while Everton host a Liverpool side that has struggled in their past two fixtures, their goalkeeper playing a role in six dropped points. Both matches could very well set the tone for the busy festive season and for the remainder of the season.

Arsenal Go Top at End of a Great Week (3-1 over Stoke)

The culmination of a very good eight days saw Arsenal go top of the table with a 3-1 victory over Stoke today. It was another game where the Gunners found themselves behind, after a tight penalty call was converted by birthday boy Charlie Adams, but came back to claim points, a trend that bodes well for their continued challenge for an elusive title. Three thoughts on the game:

1. A Team Effort: Alexis Sanchez had a mediocre game by his standards, failing to tally a goal or assist, but he was involved in countless ways nonetheless. It was his pass that opened up space for Bellerin on the left that allowed him to send the pitch perfect cross that Walcott nestled cleverly into the near post for his 100^th career Arsenal goal. The second came from the industry of Ox, who lofted the ball over the Stoke defense to a charging Ozil, who continued his own hot scoring streak with a lofted header over the keeper. The third again saw Sanchez involved, as he cut in from the left only to be fouled, with the ball falling kindly to Iwobi, who stormed into the box and then cut the ball powerfully low and across goal for his second in two league games.

It was really a whole team performance, with Gabriel having to move from right back to the center after Mustafi went down with a hamstring injury that will keep him out for at least three weeks. Bellerin came in for his first game in a month, quickly showing what Arsenal has missed as his forays down the right flank freed Walcott to cut in for the opener and on a few other occasions throughout the game. Gabriel was solid at the back, as were Koscielny and Monreal, himself back from a short injury layoff. Coquelin and Xhaka provided a solid shield in front of the back four and passed the ball forward with precision most of the game (though the latter more much than the former) and the forwards switched positions consistently, finding a way to break down Stoke’s usually solid defensive organization.

                                                                       

Arsenal now have weapons across the pitch, a more solid defense, a winning mentality and a relatively strong bench that should mean Wenger can avoid overworking his stars as he has in the past. Given the upcoming run of fixtures, the balance from front to back and several players chipping in goals, Arsenal could well find themselves in a strong position come May to atone for the lost title last season.

2. A Very Good Week: last Saturday, Arsenal cruised past West Ham 5-1 to move from fourth to second in the table. On Tuesday, they beat Basel 4-1 in their final UCL group game, to finish undefeated, though the assumption was it would not be enough to win the group. Instead, PSG somehow settled for a draw at home with Ludogorets and Arsenal finished on top, potentially setting up a better first round opponent, although Bayern and Real loom as two of their potential opponents. Their victory today pushed them even with Chelsea on points and goal difference, though Arsenal have scored more goals. So, for at least 24 hours, they sit at the summit of two tables simultaneously. Next up for the Gunners is a trip to Goodison Tuesday to face a reeling Everton side that has won only one in their last 10 and then to the Etihad for a key matchup against Man City, themselves on a string of only four victories in their past 15 games and 3 of 9 in the league. Get positive results from those two, and Arsenal face a run of winnable fixtures against West Brom, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Preston (in the FA Cup), Swansea, Burnley and Watford, before the return fixture at Chelsea in early February. Having only lost two games all season, Arsenal find themselves in their strongest position in years.

3. Around the Horn: Stoke played a solid game for long stretches, showing passing flair and creating more than a few chances, but were ultimately beat down by the Gunner’s relentless attack and high press, keeping them in what is becoming their de facto position – 9^th in the table. Mark Hughes has set up a solid side from front to back, though, and they look a good bet to finish in the top half of the table, and maybe even higher if some around them slip up.

In the other games Saturday, Swansea won 3-0 to moved out of the relegation zone, at least for a day, beating a suddenly hot Sunderland 3-0, to shuttle up to 17^th and provide American manager Bradley with only his second victory in eight league fixtures so far.

Later, Man City were absolutely demolished for most of their ultimate 4-2 loss to a side whose title defense has been the second worst in the history of English club football, even as Leicester City did win their group in their maiden foray into European football. The powder blues were missing three key players, but some of the blame for this loss must rest with Guardiola, who appeared to set up his team to play to Leicester’s strengths, allowing shambolic defending to assist all four counterattack goals for the home side. It was a big day for Vardy, who scored a hat trick after 16 games without a solitary goal but a tough one for City, who could be in fifth place if Tottenham can take maximum points at Old Trafford Sunday. In the other games tomorrow, Chelsea face off against a hot West Brom, Southampton host Middlesbrough and Liverpool try to keep pace against West Ham.

Overall, today was punctuated by an absolute deluge of goals, with every game at least tallying three. The lowest total was Swansea’s 3-0 victory, the only clean sheet Saturday. In the early game, Everton took the early lead against Watford on a Lukaku goal, only to cede three straight before a late second gave a glimmer of false hope. Burnley beat back a Bournemouth comeback to win 3-2, Hull and Crystal ultimately shared the spoils in a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw and then there were the Arsenal and Leicester victories. In total, 29 goals hit the net in 6 games, further amplifying the sense that EPL defenders have fallen behind their attacking foes of late. No complaints here, of course, on that score …

An American Disgrace (Part 3): Trump Continues to Disappoint Even My Low Expectations

Every day the circus that is the Trump transition provides us with more news of its ineptness, corruption and loose relationship with the truth. In fact, in the wake of his victory, a new phrase has become popular – the “post truth” era. After Obama won eight years ago, hopeful social critics and op ed writers claimed a “post racial” era, just as a few claimed a “post irony” era after 9/11. The latter two were, of course, greatly exaggerated, but the newest “post” seems a lot more realistic.

Since my last post, there has been too much chaos and poor decision-making to catalog in anything less than a novella, but I’ll try to hit some of the low lights here. Before doing so, it is worth noting the general tenor of the transition so far. While much of the mainstream media continues to normalize the burgeoning Trump era, MSNBC and a few other outlets have tried to temper any temperance with the reality that the President Elect seems intent on living up to our worst fears about his having the levers of power at his disposal. The themes that have emerged so far include a corporate takeover of the government at the Cabinet level, a diverse array of conflicts of interest that border on the level of a banana republic old CIA operatives might have covertly propped up, no coherent economic of foreign affairs policy beyond serving Trump’s interests, lying as a daily occurrence and hiring right wing ideologues and, pretty ironically, many of those generals he excoriated throughout his campaign.

For those interested, my analysis of the election itself is available here (a three-part series).

1. The Bush Administration Starting to Look Milquetoast in Retrospect: Right from the onset, with the hiring of Steve Bannon, Trump announced that there was a place for white supremacists and the far edges of right wing conspiracy theorists in his White House, but he hasn’t stopped there. Next we got Michael Flynn for national security advisor, a fervent anti-Muslim who has been connected with some of the most wacky right-wing conspiracies, including the Sandy Hook truthers, through his son (Politico). Of course, he looks downright pleasant in comparison to the racist, anti-immigrant, anti-disability-rights Jeff Sessions, who was once turned down for a judgeship by his own party, for his racist behavior (Salon).

We also get the constant crazy of Ben Carson to deal with in HUD (Think Progress). And these are but four examples of an administration that will be packed with white men who seem to have little regard for anyone but other white men (though only the wealthy variety), separation of merch and state, and anything that gets in the way of their radical right-wing agenda. The Bush Administration gave a huge windfall to the wealthy, deregulated industry and markets, added two radically pro-business Supreme Court justices who gifted us Citizens United, got us involved in a costly and unnecessary war, actually made the world less safe in the process and, for fun, almost destroyed the global economy. But they look like a rather sane, if iniquitous bunch, compared to this gang of right-wing, conspiracy theory selling corporatist thugs.    

2.  Fear of Corporate White House Intensify: There is plenty of crazy in this administration, but there are also a number of choices that, while saner, appear to be intent on serving the interests of corporations rather than the people. This starts with Trump’s choice for the Department of Health and Human Services, Tom Price, a strident opponent of Obamacare who wants to transform Medicaid to block grants for the states Enacting these two reforms would be a boon to the insurance and medical industries, but substantially less so for consumers (USA Today).

On the environmental front, the new head of the EPA Scott Pruitt is a global warming doubter who might as well be a paid lobbyist for the Oil and Gas industry (NYT). The right-wing education policy plans of billionaire Betsy DeVos should be a boon to business interests in education as well as anyone who think the poor and minorities should be kept ignorant and fleeced (NEA). And most recently, a Labor Secretary (Carl’s Jr. CEO Andrew Puzzler) who doesn’t believe in the minimum wage, overtime rules, gender equality, common decency, unions or, really, anything that might actually help labor in America (Common Dreams). There are plenty of other examples here as well, but these few serve to indicate that Trump has little interest in keeping the campaign promises he made to get the white working class vote. Instead, he will be paying back the corporate interests that helped underwrite his run to the White House, as he has already with many of his cabinet choices (big donors to his campaign themselves).

3. Conflicts of Interest, Schmonklicts of Interest: Donald Trump is the most dangerous of powerful figures – an arrogant narcissist who is also ignorant. By ignorant, I don’t mean stupid or even incurious, I mean that Trump’s arrogance is so pronounced that he simply assumes whatever he believes is inherently correct. This unwillingness to even hold his ideas up to the smallest scintilla of scrutiny means he believes he knows more about ISIS than generals, more about the economy than Nobel Winning economists, more about foreign policy than people who have spent decades working in that complex field, more about climate change than Nobel Winning scientists and more about governance than those who have, you know, ANY experience within the political realm. A fascinating character study of Trump appeared in the New Yorker in June, with the ghost writer of his bestselling biography The Art of the Deal warning that Trump was an egomaniac who believe truth was an inconvenient fact to be avoided whenever possible, who cared for little else but power and money, who had a fragile but relentless need for attention and positive reinforcement and how dramatically exaggerated his own abilities and successes. He was portrayed as a bully and sociopath who said or did whatever was necessary to serve his own interests and seemed to have no interest in improving the life of anyone but himself (TNY).

Much of this is of little surprise to those who have been terrified by the prospect of a Trump presidency from the beginning. But most assumed, rather naively it appears, that the one campaign promise Trump would keep would be to extricate himself from his business interests while in the Oval Office. That has turned out to be the farthest thing from the truth, as Trump is now purportedly even backing out of his post-election promise to create his rather shady “blind trust” with his own family. Now he might openly keep his business interests, claiming he can govern and run his vast empire at the same time (NYT). As I mentioned last week, there is already all sort of conflicts of interest that have emerged from real estate deals in Turkey, Scotland, Argentina and now Taiwan to Ivanka Trump’s Japanese business ventures that made major inroads a week after she sat in on a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister. There are also stories emerging every day of groups using the Trump Hotel in Washington DC or elsewhere for huge events that funnel money directly into the Donald’s pockets while arguably getting a seat at the table as latter decisions are made (the very definition of pay to play). Finally, as if the endless array of business interest that could affect both domestic and foreign policy aren’t enough, Trump is apparently going to serve as the executive producer of a new Celebrity Apprentice that is coming out early next year with Arnold Schwarzenegger as the host. One just can’t make this stuff up …

4. Post-truth World by the Numbers: I will write a separate post on the culmination of a four-decade assault on truth and science, but it is worth exploring the most recent polls that exemplify the level of “truth” immunity that Trump supporters appear to adhere to. In a PPP poll that will be released tomorrow morning, we learned some startling facts about Trump voters. Overall, Obama has a favorability level of 50% (to 45% unfavorable rating), but among Trump voters it stands at 5/90%. Under Obama, the Dow has risen from 7,946 to 19,615 and unemployment has fallen from 7.8 to 4.6 percent. Most Americans know this, but not Trump voters. Among them, 39 percent say the Dow has dropped under Obama and 67 percent believe unemployment has risen. On top of this, 40 percent of Trump voters believe he won the popular vote, 60 percent believe millions voted illegally, 73 percent believe George Soros is paying protestors against Trump and an astounding 53 percent somehow believe California’s votes should not count in the popular vote count. 

Beyond Trump voters, of course, the country is far less sanguine. Another poll for Pew Research center found only 26 percent seeing Trump as a “good role model,” 31 percent “moral,” 37 percent “well qualified,” 62 percent say he has “poor judgment” and 65 percent think he is “reckless.”

It is worth considering, as you read these numbers, that those Trump voters do not make up anywhere near half the country, but half of the half of eligible voters. It was actually around 62.8 million voters who cast their choice for Donald J. Trump, compared with 65.4 million for Clinton, which is approximately 26 percent of eligible voters (versus the 28 percent or so for Clinton). This is not the consensus that Trump is now pretending he has, nor is it reflective of the demographics of the country at large. Yes, Trump won the election fair and square, but he won it by a tight margin in a few swing states, largely along the lines of race (whites), location (rural, suburbs and exurbs) and education (the less educated, in general).

5. Recklessness and Fecklessness: Many hoped that Trump would soften the harsh rhetoric that defined his long campaign for the presidency. And after the meeting with Obama there was a sense that he might. Yeah, that hope is now all but gone. We have the twitter fights with the Saturday Night Live crew, the Hamilton cast, the CEO of Boeing (whose stock dipped rather precipitously before rebounding) and a whole host of others. We have the petulance with which he has claimed he actually won the popular vote, a fact that many of his supporters now blindly believe. We have the absence of any news conferences as our new President, I mean emperor, refuses to deign to actually speak to the media who he believes wronged him. And we have him apparently tricked into taking a call from Taiwan that could have easily started a global crisis (though it probably was good for Trump Taiwan!). Trump is a vindictive, vain, a**hole who appears unwilling or unable to actually act presidential and now stands a mere month and a half from ascending to the most powerful position in the world. The potential for him to do irreversible damage to the country and world is a very real threat and one that many will be hoping he somehow avoids as they prepare for the worst. Many of those people appear to be in his own transition team, sounding the alarm bells at a particularly high pitch (NY Magazine). The emperor truly is without clothes, but what does that mean for the rest of us …

Arsenal Cruise Past Stumbling, Bumbling West Ham 5-1

Arsenal were bright early, took the lead, seemed to meander a bit through the middle of the match and then exploded in the last twenty minutes for a comprehensive 5-1 victory over a reeling West Ham. Only three days after a disappointing 2-0 loss in the EFL Cup, where Wenger made 10 changes to the side, this was a much needed three points, keeping the Gunners apace with a rampant Chelsea. Three thoughts on the game:

1. Sanchez Surges Toward Superstar Status: the evolution of Alexis Sanchez since moving from Barcelona has been nothing short of staggering. Sure, he did have 19 goals and 10 assists in his last season with the Catalonian side, but that was not enough to convince the team to give him a bumper raise, instead seeking bigger fish to pan fry into titles. In his first season with Arsenal (2014/15), Wenger played him on the left wing to great effect, with 19 goals and 9 assists in all comps. Last season, suffering from injuries and a cold spell in the middle, he still finished with 16 goals and 9 assists, in far fewer appearances. This season, he has already hit 13 goals (11 in the league, 2 in the UCL) and added 6 assists. Those number are in 19 games, having created an astounding 15 goals in his last 11 appearances alone.

The difference this season, of course, is that he is playing through the middle, a position he struggled with over his first two years with Arsenal. That Wenger gave him another shot, even with other options to consider, is a testament to the manager’s vision, and has made Arsenal a more complete side than they ever were with Giroud up front. In fact, Arsenal are now a team that has talent and strength from front to back, and a hunger for victory long absent from a side that has gone 14 long years without a title.

The improvement this season was on full display against West Ham yesterday, from his high pressing up the pitch that, together with his pace, led to the opener, to his finishing touch later on, that made a tight game an ultimately comfortable victory, pushing the Gunner’s goal difference to second best in the league. The opener came in the 24^th minute, as Sanchez’s pressing pushed West Ham into an error – an interception by Coquelin that fortuitously flew forward toward Sanchez. The Chilean rushed toward the loose ball and beat solid West Ham defender Winston Reid to it before an excellent first touch and a simple cross to an onrushing Ozil, who finished coolly into the open net. That growing understanding between the two has been behind so much of the success of the Gunners this season with Ozil adding an assist later, his fourth of the season in all comps, alongside eight goals.

After some stops and starts in the middle, Sanchez doubled the lead in the 72^nd minute, with a wonderful first touch from a clever Xhaka pass, storming past two defenders and then scoring from an acute angle across goal from the right side of the box. His third came 8 minutes later, as he received a ball outside the box, turned and somehow slotted it wonderfully into the far post past a sprawling Hammers keeper.

West Ham got one back, as a Payet free kick bounded off the bar and right into the path of a charging Andy Carroll, who continued his fine scoring record against the Gunners. Rather than panic, as a few sides have in recent weeks as their deficits shrunk (including Liverpool today!), Ozil served up Ox about 25 yards on the left and the midfielder pushed the ball toward the middle of the pitch before placing it wonderfully in the far corner, two minutes after the Payet goal. And then Ox sent a perfectly-timed through ball to Sanchez, on the counter, that the Chilean dribbled up to the keeper before reversing the ball and sending it over him to complete the scoring.

2. The Wizardry of Ox: It was a complete performance by the Gunners, with Sanchez as the clear star of the day, but the performance of another player should also be highlighted. This was always going to be an important season for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, having failed to really live up to the high expectations that had only grown after his breakout performance against United way back in early 2012 (a game Wenger subbed him out, to Van Persie’s vocal consternation – maybe leading indirectly to United’s last title the next season as the Dutchman so famously demanded the transfer heard round the world). Injuries, poor finishing and inconsistency have kept the youngster from living up to that potential and there were growing fears he never would. That assessment is starting to change.

Ox is up to six goals and five assists in all competitions this season, with four of those goals and three of the assists coming in his last 11. He has always had the pace and dribbling ability, but his decision-making and finishing have improved dramatically. With Cazorla out for another three months, at least, and Ramsey less than stellar since his return, this could be a good opportunity for Ox to get more time in the side and to show Wenger that he, in fact, was worthy of the long, oft-maligned wait for him to light his fading star.

On that note, with the signing of Xhaka, many believed Coquelin, one of the stars of the failed title tilt last season, might be spending much of this season on the outside looking in. However, with Wenger’s trust in the Swiss International still tempered and Cazorla out for such a long stretch, Coquelin has reestablished himself as an almost certain starter in games that matter, having added a better range of passing to his strong defensive skills. Playing in front of an increasingly solid back four, where Koscielny leads the league in defensive interceptions and Mustafi has settled well, with Xhaka and Elneny as further potential defensive cover, Arsenal have the most solid defensive unit they have had since the early days of the century.

3. Title Race Tightening Even More: Man City were beaten back by Chelsea 3-1, after taking the early lead, missing a couple of quality chance that might have put the game away. Liverpool were cruising at Bournemouth, up first 2-0 and then 3-1, before blowing all three points in extra time with some questionable defending, 4-3. Barcelona were up 1-0 on Real and looking like their old selves, before Sergio Ramos again showed himself to be the cardiac kid of La Liga with an extra time equalizing header. And United blew another lead late, as Fellaini’s clumsy tackle in the box led to a Lleyton Baines equalizer from the spot. So, even as Arsenal dominated the game for long stretches, there was every chance they could pull their own “Barca” (or “Mourinho,” if you prefer) and settle for a point from a deserved three. Instead Arsenal found another gear, as they have done on more than a few occasions this season, and were able to secure all three points with ease.

Alongside Arsenal, Tottenham cruised to a comfortable 5-0 win over hapless Swansea, meaning that the gap from first to fifth is a mere seven points. And given the losses by City and Liverpool, Arsenal are back up to second place, having kept pace with a Chelsea side that has won seven straight in the league. Arsenal are only three points back and, beside a trip to the Etihad in a fortnight, have a nice run of fixtures that could see them rise to the summit of the table, if Chelsea slip up at all before their return fixture February 4 of next year.

On the flip side, Sunderland won again, beating the defending champs 2-1 to move to 18^th and threaten the Premier League future of their league struggling opponents. Like Leicester’s startling march down the table, West Ham appear completely lost since leaving their old home last May. They now stand a mere point above the bottom three in what is shaping up as a rousing battle to avoid relegation, with 14^th through 19^th place separated by a mere three points and Swansea only two points further back at a measly 9. West Ham have the talent to at least be a midtable team, but need to start defending less recklessly and find some wins or they could be scrapping for survival at the money side of the season – a year after fighting for the top four in the final weeks.