PRAVDA

Long time ago, there was this thing called a Soviet Union.

Their main newspaper was called "Pravda," which is Russian for "Truth," but also sort of meant "Official Truth," or perhaps "Take it or leave it, this is what the politicians let us print."

Which tells you something about the Soviet Union.

Anyway, their president, or Premier, served a lifetime term. Which meant that sooner or later, he'd die in office. And when the Premier went into the hospital, the news services immediately began speculating.

The Russian news service was Tass, and they didn't speculate. The Premier was FINE, you hear us? FINE! He's FINE! He's having a WART removed!

And then, the dance would begin, as official news services, unofficial news services, leaks, spies, and everyone else began leaking their own version of what was happening.

He's got a cold. He's got pneumonia. He's got cancer. He's already dead. He has a brain embolism. He was poisoned by his political enemies. He was assassinated by Western agents. He died a month ago, and this is his body double. He's in a vegetative state. He had a stroke. He had a heart attack. He spontaneously combusted.

And so on.

Eventually, Tass and Pravda would agree: The Premier has died, of perfectly ordinary natural causes, and the Politburo is in session to democratically choose another Premier. But it would TAKE a while to get to this point, amidst the shitstorm of misinformation, speculation, and general crapola. The illness of a Soviet Premier was NOT a time for straight answers!

And it disturbs me to be seeing this same phenomenon.... decades after the fall of the Soviet Union...

... in America.

I'm not saying Trump is dead, or that he's even going to die. Lots of people recover from Covid-19, even old people who are complete assholes.

But the blatant similarities disturb me greatly.