The mindset of America's enraged, vengeful dictator: Burn it all down

MAGA's political style

The post here yesterday mentioned that djt will get rid of two NASA satellites referred to as the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO). One was put in orbit in 2014 and the second was put in orbit in 2019. OCO collects data on carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. NASA distributes it to the public, e.g., farmers for planning. The satellites continue to work well and have been paid for by the public. The cost to build and send them into space was pretty high, ~$740 million. However, the data is of high quality and valuable. The cost to maintain the two satellites is low (~15 million/year). The needless destruction of the satellites is economically and scientifically damaging. So why do it? Q&As with Pxy give these responses:

Q1: The content as this link, https://futurism.com/white-house-orders-nasa-destroy-important-satellite, prompted this: "Destruction of the OCO satellite would not be just anti-Green, it is anti-intellectual. It is saying that feeling outweighs facts." Another way to view the overt anti-intellectualism of Trump and his MAGA wealth and power movement is to see Trump as being vindictive far beyond insanely destructive. That Trump and MAGA elites are kleptocratic, inflicting damage on the economy makes no sense, but is it plausible that Trump's enraged vindictiveness leads to pointless actions that damage the US economy? How can one explain actions like this? For each factual claim you make, first explain your reasoning and evidence, then verify the claim against available sources. If conflicting evidence exists, present both perspectives. .... (fact and bias reducing instructions)

A1: The Trump administration's directive to destroy NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) satellites represents a striking example of policy-making that appears to defy both economic rationality and scientific merit.

The economic case against terminating the OCO satellites is documented across multiple sources. The satellites cost only $15 million annually to maintain both observatories—representing merely 0.06% of NASA's $25.4 billion budget. This maintenance cost is minimal compared to the original investment of approximately $750 million for design, manufacture, and launch.

The satellites provide data used by diverse stakeholders including oil and gas companies, farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and climate scientists. NASA's own 2023 review praised the data as "exceptionally high quality" and recommended continued operation for at least three more years.

Multiple scholarly analyses document the Trump administration's unprecedented attacks on science. Research published in academic journals describes Trump's approach as uniquely targeting not just social sciences but also physical and biological sciences, which are "more firmly grounded in empirical fact".

The attacks extend beyond climate science to create what researchers term an "ideology of hostility to science". The administration has been documented as portraying scientists as part of a "deep state" conspiracy, representing what scholars call "non-epistemic" attacks designed to undermine scientific capacity in federal government.

.... long analysis ....

Synthesis and Assessment
The evidence strongly supports characterizing Trump's OCO satellite destruction order as anti-intellectual policy-making that prioritizes ideological goals over economic rationality. The action follows documented patterns of systematic attacks on scientific institutions and expertise, while the economic case for termination is virtually non-existent.

Q2: Do the following comments reasonably restate the situation? "The destruction of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory satellites represents more than environmental policy reversal—it exemplifies a pattern of vindictive anti-intellectualism that transcends mere political opposition. This action reflects deeper psychological and economic dynamics that help explain how authoritarian leaders can pursue policies that appear economically irrational yet serve specific psychological and political purposes.

.... long query focused on djt's psychological state of mind ....

A2: (answer highly truncated) Condensed summary: djt is a deranged pathological narcissist. He intentionally foments chaos to help him get what he wants. Getting rid of the OCO satellites is economically harmful, not helpful. What the psychology-focused question does not ask about is relevant political factors. Major relevant political factors are (1) corruption of djt and MAGA by fossil fuel industry power and money, (2) appeals to angry, fearful and/or resentful voters who also want to see everything mindlessly burned down, (3) radical MAGA anti-government regulation ideology that fosters and empowers special interest authoritarianism and kleptocracy while draining wealth and power from the public interest, and (4) MAGA's strategic, long-term political strategy to transform secular American democracy into some form of a kleptocratic dictatorship-plutocracy-Christian nationalist theocracy.

Little to none in this post is new to people who read this blog. Probably little to none of it is believable to people who staunchly support djt. Assuming they are aware of it, they appear to still be mostly OK with the vast damage to American democracy, the rule of law and our science and reason-based economy that MAGA's kleptocratic authoritarianism is inflicting every day. It is reasonable to believe that for most rank and file MAGA and djt supporters, ignorance of what is happening far outweighs knowledge. That minimizes psychological discomfort and maximizes self-identity and righteousness.