Fireworks, Floods, and Falsehoods

The Spectacle Trump Wants vs. the Reality We’re Living

Good morning! Donald Trump really wanted Independence Day to be all about him. And, well, it was. While families in Texas were climbing onto rooftops as floodwaters swallowed entire neighborhoods, while Ukrainians huddled in subway tunnels as Russia unleashed its deadliest assault yet, while “No Kings” protests rippled across the country demanding an end to Trump’s authoritarian fantasy, there he was, dancing to the YMCA on the taxpayer dime, golf club in one hand, social media phone in the other, all under the roar of B-2 bombers that cost millions per flyover.

Trump used the day to promote his latest “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which, in the tradition of Trump’s branding, is neither beautiful nor beneficial to most Americans. He claimed the bill “saves Social Security.” It doesn’t. He claimed it “doesn’t cut Medicaid.” It does, and in ways that will devastate rural hospitals and low-income families while funneling yet more money upward to people who can already afford private jets, Mar-a-Lago memberships, and Trump’s NFT drops.

And here’s the kicker: the bill is about as popular as a wet sparkler. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump’s Megabill is so toxic in polling that Republicans are already preparing to explain to voters in 2026 why gutting Medicaid to fund tax cuts for billionaires was actually good for them, you see, because freedom or something. Internal GOP polling warns that the “cut Medicaid for tax cuts” angle could cost them swing districts by 21 points. But for now, they’re counting on voters not noticing until after the next election, when the bill’s real pain hits.

Meanwhile, in Kerr County, Texas, a catastrophic flood ripped through communities, killing at least 13 people and leaving 23 girls from a Christian summer camp missing. Officials shrugged and said they “didn’t know it would be this bad,” even as Trump’s regime continues to slash funding for FEMA, NOAA, and other agencies tasked with, you know, warning people that a deadly wall of water is coming. You can almost hear the MAGA logic: who needs functioning government when you’ve got a flyover?

On the same day, Russia decided to celebrate America’s birthday by launching the largest drone and missile assault on Ukraine since the invasion began, 539 drones and 11 missiles, a fireworks show from hell that sent families scrambling for shelter in Kyiv and left dozens wounded. Trump, for his part, said he was “very unhappy” about his call with Putin and hinted that sanctions “may be coming.” You know, maybe, at some point, if he feels like it. This, while his administration reduces military aid to Ukraine and leaves Zelensky begging for air defense systems that once came without strings attached.

Oh, and Canada? Canada is quietly doing what competent governments do when faced with the chaos of Trump’s trade tantrums: buffering itself. Under Prime Minister Mark Carney, a technocrat in the best sense of the word, and exactly the kind of leader the U.S. could use right now, Canada is locking down trade deals with Greenland, Europe, and China, working to diversify its markets so it isn’t held hostage to Trump’s threats of 70% tariffs on steel, autos, and agriculture. Carney’s team even made the calculated decision to pause the digital services tax, not out of fear, but as a strategic tradeoff to protect key sectors while navigating the instability of a neighbor who lurches from one trade war to the next with all the finesse of a wrecking ball. It’s a stark contrast to the spectacle south of the border: while Trump dances for the cameras and throws tantrums on tariffs, Canada is quietly, methodically, building resilience.

This is the reality behind the spectacle: a president who spends your tax dollars on a personal propaganda party while ignoring climate disasters, gutting social safety nets, and mumbling half-promises about “maybe sanctions” as the world burns. But hey, at least there were fireworks.

They want you to look at the flags and flyovers, the dancing and the drama, while they loot the public trust, gut Medicaid, ignore the floods, abandon Ukraine, and shove the bill into your hands later.

And that, dear reader, is the state of the American Empire this Independence Day weekend. We deserve better than a regime that turns tragedy into an afterthought and governance into a reality show. We deserve leaders who show up when children go missing in floods, when democracy needs defending, when families are scraping by and told they should be grateful for scraps while billionaires get tax cuts on their fourth yacht.

But that’s not what we’ve got right now. So, let’s keep paying attention, keep telling the truth, and keep reminding each other: they want you distracted, exhausted, and silent. Don’t give them the satisfaction.