The Circus in Cleveland: Trump Filled His Ring With Clown Acts and Crude Insult Comedy

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One of the problems with American discourse having moved to the Internet and the cable news networks is that we rush to the circus ring making the most noise, and somehow there aren’t enough rings to cover all the acts, even the most important. The rest of the world has become a sideshow.

It’s struck many people that of late the the guy in boots and top hat is getting all the attention, filling his ring with clown acts and crude insult comedy. A quashed rebellion in Turkey in which tens of thousands have been arrested in government and in the military was soon drowned out, and although many publications of late are quietly inquiring as to the security of US forces at Incirlik Air Base , we’re arguing over a poorly written and partially plagiarized speech by someone who isn’t running for president,

That airbase, with it’s stockpile of hydrogen bombs is only protected by the shaky, unstable Turkish military which has now cut off power. Incirlik is now running on backup generators. Top Turkish officers at the base have been arrested.

Why are such things designed for Armageddon still there? Why are we not asking? How do we trust Turkey to protect a world-destroying arsenal, NATO’s largest nuclear weapons cache? How do we deal with Syria and ISIL without that base? Why aren’t we talking about it? Why don’t we get more than bravado and braggadocio and “tough guy” posturing about Mexican walls and guns and what kind of life matters most?

It’s because all our attention is directed elsewhere by the ringmasters and the clowns. For half a year it’s been all about Trump, all about Benghazi, all about Bernie, all about bozos hurling insults and accusations at each other.

“When the whistle blows, everybody goes” Jonathan Winters used to say. Would we even hear it with all the background noise?