American voters got suckered again. Whether they voted for Republicans or Democrats. Doesn’t matter. The result is the same as it always is. Right after the election in “America’s Dirty Little Secret” I concluded: “And perhaps this is America’s real dirty little secret: The establishment always wins no matter who is president.”

Consider both political blocks of mental permafrost:

People who voted for Donald Trump to see the US retreat from the world’s conflicts and focus on America First and watch Obamacare get repealed on day 1 and see The Donald shove it to the establishment got completely suckered. For months since the election the establishment has gotten wealthier propelled by a stock market that sucked in retail money into expensive stocks. Goldman Sachs bankers took over all of the economic policy of the new administration. Republicans with a trifecta majority couldn’t get anything done on healthcare, and the very same Donald who berated president Obama about considering direct military action in Syria did the very same thing with less than 48 hours of strategic consideration.

Bombings first, healthcare and tax cuts later.

Any discerning observer should have clued in by now:

Whether supportive of @realDonaldTrump or not anyone should realize the man is not intellectually committed to any statement he ever makes.

— Sven Henrich (@NorthmanTrader) April 7, 2017

There are still holdouts of course that still think the billionaire hosting state dinners at his golf club and launching missile strikes against foreign nations without congressional approval from the same location is a man of the people who has an intellectual interest in helping the poor and middle class. If you choose to believe that I can’t dissuade you.

And Democrats? Feeling suckered too? If you don’t you should. While not the party in power they themselves are displaying an impressive feat in mental masturbation.

For months they ranted on Donald Trump’s mental instability, his proclivity to shoot from the hip, to lie, to not be trusted, in fact to not be trusted with military power, a man dangerous enough to use it on first instinct.

And Democrats what did you get? Your party immediately falling in line on the news of 59 cruise missiles launched into a virtually deserted airfield in Syria. Donald Trump did the right thing to immediately bomb a foreign country without a larger strategy or end goal game. When in doubt bomb. Even though it doesn’t change a single thing on the ground and the airbase was immediately operational again. But it makes us feel better. We look decisive. We demonstrate strength. Donald Trump looks presidential. You know all things we tell ourselves to be true, but really aren’t. And Democrats jumped on the praise wagon. After all, even the media gloated how “beautiful” the missiles glowed in the dark.

Oh America, You can’t agree on a healthcare system for your people, but you can always agree on bombing someplace somewhere. Unless of course it suits the politics of the day not to do it as many of the same Republicans cheering for Trump to bomb in Syria in 2017 were also opposed to the same proposed action by Obama in 2013. Politicians being hypocritical. Who knew?

On substance: The use of chemical weapons is a horrid war crime. But the world community has evidenced its use for years and has done nothing other than to take in millions of refugees whose plight has devolved into a massive humanitarian crisis. The US under Donald Trump has refused to take on any of these refugees. Instead they launched 59 cruise missiles at an empty airfield. That sure solved things. Believe it if you so wish.

Before any thoughts are wasted on a larger strategy or consideration the headlines are onto the next stop: North Korea

US navy strike group moves towards Korean peninsula, official says

Isolationism at its finest.

If you think this is posturing only think again. North Korea is actually a theme Donald Trump has been very consistent about for many years. Here’s a fascinating interview from 1999 with Tim Russert who asked him about the very same question. Check at 8:19 minutes in:

Preemptive strike against North Korea. The entire interview is well worth watching as it shows how little Donald Trump has adjusted his views in 17+ years, and also perhaps is highlights how much he has changed in his demeanor and mental acuity. The world may have changed, his slogans haven’t.

Donald Trump’s ego demands a place in the history books. And he won’t be in the history books by doing health care, or building a wall. War presidents are in the history books.

Also, war presidents don’t have to keep any campaign promises. Balance budgets? Couldn’t do it. You know the war. Growth figures don’t come in as promised? Sorry, it’s the war’s fault. Democrats opposing me in Congress? They’ll fall in line. It’s war after all, they have to be patriotic. Poor approval ratings? Don’t matter. Look at Bush’s approval ratings when he went to war. They sky rocketed.

On that note watch for Donald Trump to get a nice bump in ratings. And he’ll notice it with great satisfaction no doubt.

You see a war presidency comes with all kinds of advantages for a president who seeks to aggrandize his ego. But it doesn’t come with less wealth inequality, tax cuts or healthcare or balanced budgets. It comes with higher debt and greater deficits.

We’re 79 days into a new presidency. Tax payers have no major legislation passed to improve their lives. No new beautiful healthcare plan, no massive tax cuts.

But they got to spent over $24M on Donald Trump’s weekly golf course excursions, (you know the same ones he raged against Obama taking to a much lesser degree), and of course over $60m in  missile expenses (not to mention unmentioned operational costs) for the feel good strike in Syria. And now a carrier group is chugging toward the Korean peninsula.

But please don’t be surprised, after all it was clear right at the beginning of what the agenda was. A war president needs a war cabinet:

A cabinet run by big oil & Wall Street sprinkled with some generals in between.
Deep in your heart you know what will happen. https://t.co/dhZYLL6Yl7

— Sven Henrich (@NorthmanTrader) December 10, 2016

And if that doesn’t convince you pay close attention who apparently needs to be in the room when airstrikes are launched. The bankers:

If this is what you voted for, you got what you wished for. If this isn’t what you voted for, you got suckered.

Just remember: The establishment always wins no matter who is president. And when they finally come to present you a new healthcare system that cuts social security and medicare benefits know there was one man who called all this years ago:

“Because the owners of this country know the truth: It’s called the American Dream, cause you have to be sleep to believe it.”