It only took a week for Laura to go from wanting to teach Americans to sing in perfect harmony to considering not paying her taxes.

But this is Trump’s America. A country where a federal agent can cover his face, shoot a citizen, call her a fucking bitch, not offer aid, leave the scene, and immediately be exonerated by his superiors. No investigation needed. Just blame the victim and move on.

I get it, Laura’s frustrated. We all are. (Check out last week’s podcast to fully understand her transformation.)

It feels like teaching Americans to strategically evade capture while tone-deafly singing discordant notes is a more appropriate choice. Instead of buying everyone a Coke, we should buy them bulletproof vests? Combat drones? Panic rooms?

This week on the pod, we discuss the killing of Renee Good, whether peacefully protesting is enough, and what’s going to happen when gun owners start to defend their homes from ICE.

As I’m writing this, I’m remembering how PTSD became part of the zeitgeist in the early aughts(*). How long before a new disease is attributed to living through the Trump Years? What will it be called? Is there already a named ailment for being ruled by a malignant narcissist? Post-Traumatic Trump Syndrome has a nice ring to it. I wonder what cool meds and therapy techniques will be developed as a result?

Is that part of our dystopian future? People suffering from the PiTTS, searching for therapists who specialize in treating PiTTS? (Changing the spelling will be necessary to avoid disrespecting the University of Pittsburgh or HBOMax.)

Hmm, maybe a fictional Pitt student suffering from the PiTTS will be featured on The Pitt?

Speaking of which, Norman Weiss noted that, besides its medical accuracy, great writing, and acting, The Pitt is popular because it showcases “competency porn”. Apparently, feeling reassured, trusting what you’re watching, and rooting for people based on skill sets, not tight asses or square jawlines, provides a sense of relief that’s missing in our day-to-day lives. Now that incompetence is celebrated and glorified, watching capable humans crack open a chest, massage a heart, and save a life feels oddly calming.

Maybe that’s also part of the resistance? Having easily accessible ways to physically and mentally counter all that we’re doing, feeling, and worrying about as we save democracy?

And maybe I just stumbled on a future podcast topic?

Speaking of podcasts, check out this week’s episode, Stick It To The Money Man.

***After years of using “shell shock,” “war neurosis,” and “combat fatigue” to describe soldiers’ severe reactions, PTSD was officially added to the DSM in 1980. It was updated a few times after that, and by the 90s and 2000s, it became part of pop culture. Suddenly, it was making the rounds in films, literature, and the news media to explain behavioral changes. In 2010, a national “PTSD Awareness Day” was declared.