Failed Pols

21/08/2026

With the U.S. national debt surpassing $40 trillion, the per-capita share is approximately $116,800 to $119,500 for every person living in the United States. When broken down specifically by individual federal income taxpayers (rather than the general population), that share climbs to $285,000 to $360,000 per taxpayer.

* Three Things To Know About The $40 Trillion Federal debt (2026-08-20)

The U.S. federal debt hit a record $40 trillion this week. The debt has doubled since 2017, and just paying interest on the accumulated debt now costs the government more than $1 trillion a year.

05/08/2026

Dear people who think you just won. Think again. You may have won the battle but you have lost the war. You are like the sole buggy-whip manufacture in the dawn of the automobile age: you have an increasing share of a decreasing market. Good luck with that. (Speaking for myself as one of the 45% majority.)

* New High of 45% in U.S. Identify as Political Independents (2026-01-12)

A new high of 45% of U.S. adults identified as political independents in 2025.

05/08/2026

* ERIK'S EDITORIAL: How My Computer File System Keeps Track Of Trump's Chapters (2026-08-05)

I've been blogging about politics for years (https://www.failblog.com/). As part of that process, I collect PDFs of various news stores. I used to organize the stories by month. I also used to organize them by "Trump news" vs. "not Trump news," but since Trump's second term, EVERYTHING is Trump news.

Starting with Trump's second term, I started organizing my files and folders by CHAPTER. One new chapter for each new authoritarian/crazy/greedy/hateful/indulgent/insane/narcissistic/racist (pick your favorite adjective) act.

How does one decided when a new chapter begins? It's like art: you know it when you see it. Who decides: I do, natch.

What I've learned (or re-learned from Trump's first term) is that Trump is a pretty good (I'll stop short of saying "master") media manipulator. Want to distract from the Epstein files? Invade Greenland! (Out of order, I know, but you get my point.)

Most of these chapters have been forgotten. (Remember the "DC Plane Crash Blamed On DEI" chapter? Good times!) Some chapters are short. Some are long.

In 2025, Trump was able to rapidly pivot from one chapter to the other.

But in 2026, Trump has been stuck on the Iran War (AKA the Trump Iran War(TM)). He briefly moved on to the next chapter to "celebrate" America's 250th with a huge party for himself.

But then, it's back the Trump Iran War II. Maybe the midterms will be a new chapter, maybe not. But the Trump Iran Wars - this will be the legacy of His Orangeness.

But don't take my word for it, decide for yourself. I have color-coded the chapter folders by size: RED = top third; ORANGE = middle third; YELLOW = bottom third. See two screenshots: Trump News Chapters Sorted By Date, Trump News Chapter Sorted By Size.

ABOUT ERIK J. HEELS

Erik J. Heels ([email protected]) is an entrepreneur, veteran, and the founder of Clocktower Law LLC, a patent and trademark law firm in Great Boston (not a typo) that caters to startups. He earned his BS in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and his JD from the University of Maine School of Law (Maine Law). Except for a one-year stint from 2024-2025, Erik has never belonged to any political party. As it says in the 'political views' section of his Facebook profile: 'Independent. I vote for the smartest candidate. It doesn't always work out.'

04/08/2026

Even the name "Progressive" is obnoxious. It suggests that the only way to make "progress" is their way. As a mentor told me, "The problem with the progressives is that they are so certain of the correctness of their position. Their idea of a dialogue is for you to come around to their point of view."

06/07/2026

And now he has managed to ruin The World Cup:

03/07/2026

I feel the same way about America turning 250 as I do a nonagenarian turning 100. You made it, yes, but the end is clearly near...

The United States Semiquincentennial[a] celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. Festivities are marking various events leading up to the 250th Independence Day, July 4, 2026. Official festivities include commemorative coinage, UFC Freedom 250 at the White H...

01/07/2026

The "Supreme" Court. Honestly. How was this not a 9-0 decision?

* The Divided Supreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Decision Exposes Sharp Rifts Among Justices (2026-06-30)

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that children born in the U.S. are citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment, even if their parents are in the country unlawfully or temporarily.

21/06/2026

We all know who the vandal is:

* Trump Tries To Blame Reflecting Pool Woes On Vandalism, Without Offering Substantiation (2026-06-20)

President Donald Trump claims the problems with the Reflecting Pool in Washington are due to vandalism.

11/06/2026

The DNC has finally dropped it's ridiculous "War Room" branding for its news and press release page:

Under Trump, food and travel costs have risen dramatically  This Memorial Day weekend, millions of Americans are preparing for the traditional summer kickoff to be more expensive than ever. Donald Trump’s reckless trade war and unpopular war of choice with Iran have caused the cost of groceries a...

20/05/2026

Meanwhile, in the UK;

* Prince William is Selling 20% of His Duchy Landholdings to Build Affordable Housing and Restore Nature (2026-05-19)

Prince William is selling 20% of the Duchy of Cornwell estate to fund affordable housing and nature projects over the next decade. Established by King Edward III in 1337, the vast private estate spans 128,000 acres across 19 counties to provide the heir to the British throne with an independent inco...