Michael’s Substack
Michael’s Substack Podcast
The Chronicles of Don Snoreleone A President Adrift
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The Chronicles of Don Snoreleone A President Adrift

An imagined dream

The Oval Office, usually a chamber of solemn decision and gravitas, often felt more like a dimly lit backroom when President "Don Snoreleone" was in residence. His nickname, a whispered jest among the few advisors brave enough to retain their sense of humour, was a two-pronged indictment of his peculiar leadership style. The "Don" part, of course, was a nod to his uncanny ability to wield power with the calculated ruthlessness of a mob boss. Nations that hesitated to fall in line with his vision for the mutual defence pact found themselves abruptly facing the chilling prospect of financial sanctions, their economies suddenly vulnerable to his capricious whims. "You're either with us, or you're... less prosperous," he'd once snarled during a private call, the words delivered with the chilling precision of a veiled threat, a stark contrast to his earlier public declaration that "supporting others was for pussies and losers." This hypocrisy, like so many other aspects of his presidency, was a constant source of public bewilderment and international dismay.

But it was the "Snoreleone" half that truly defined his daily grind. His attention span was famously, disastrously short. Meetings, even those of critical national security, often devolved into a quiet vigil as aides watched their commander-in-chief's eyelids droop, his head nodding in rhythmic cadence. A particularly memorable incident involved a military parade, a spectacle of national pride and technological might, during which Don Snoreleone was captured on live television, head lolling, seemingly lost in a dream of grandeur far removed from the tanks rumbling past. The image of the President dozing through a display of the very military he commanded quickly became a widely circulated meme, yet he remained utterly unbothered, dismissing it as "fake news" dreamt up by his political opponents.

His disinterest extended beyond mere boredom; it was a defiant rejection of expertise. His intelligence chiefs, a cadre of seasoned professionals, had recently presented irrefutable evidence debunking the claim that a particular rogue nation was developing a bomb. Their meticulous reports, filled with satellite imagery and intercepted communications, were met with a dismissive wave of Snoreleone's hand. "Fake news," he'd scoffed, preferring the narrative he'd conjured in his own mind, one that served his immediate political agenda. To him, facts were malleable, easily bent to fit the contours of his fragile ego. Indeed, his self-serving nature knew no bounds, as illustrated by the leaked diplomatic cables that revealed his undignified pleas to a foreign potentate for the "gift" of a brand new, gold-plated private jet – a request that, naturally, was immediately uncovered and broadcast globally, much to the nation's collective embarrassment.

Ah, the ego. It was as brittle as spun glass, yet he wielded it like a shield, deflecting any criticism, any challenge with a torrent of outright falsehoods. Lying was not a last resort for Don Snoreleone; it was his default mode of communication, a first language spoken fluently and without remorse. The truth, in his world, was merely a suggestion, a concept to be disregarded if it inconveniently contradicted his pronouncements. This recklessness extended to his foreign policy, where investigations repeatedly uncovered his administration's clandestine funneling of funds to organisations widely implicated in heinous war crimes. One particularly chilling discovery involved an organisation named the 'GHF', a self-styled aid agency that Snoreleone's government had secretly promised millions in funding. The GHF, it transpired, was a cynical front, operating as a sophisticated trap designed to lure innocent civilians into specific areas where they could be easily targeted and eliminated. When the horrific details of this scheme came to light, along with recorded snippets of Snoreleone himself chillingly remarking, "fish in a barrel, getting rid of them will be fish in a barrel. Perhaps, the most fish in a barrel ever," the global outcry was immense. Yet, true to form, Snoreleone simply declared it another "witch hunt" while the world watched in horror and revulsion.

Adding to the circus, his family, a rapacious brood, seized every opportunity to exploit his name for personal gain. From "Presidential Purity Water" sold at ten times its worth to hastily branded "Snoreleone Success" hats made of dubious material, the market was flooded with tat, each item grossly inflated in price. The first family’s relentless pursuit of profit knew no bounds, with endorsement deals for everything from obscure dietary supplements to luxury real estate in developing nations, all leveraging the President’s perceived prestige. These blatant acts of profiteering, too, were uncovered with embarrassing regularity, painting a picture of an administration where public service was merely a stepping stone to private enrichment, a blatant disregard for ethical boundaries that stunned even his most cynical observers.

This aversion to inconvenient truths, coupled with a profound fear of direct confrontation, earned him yet another moniker, one whispered with a mixture of contempt and weary resignation: SACO – Snoreleone Always Chickens Out. When critical international summits loomed, or press conferences promised probing questions, the President would often find an urgent, unavoidable prior engagement – a sudden "cold", a pressing "scheduling conflict", anything to avoid facing direct challenges. His staff had become adept at crafting increasingly elaborate excuses for his absences, a bizarre diplomatic dance designed to mask his inherent cowardice. This pattern of evasion became so predictable that cartoonists began depicting him with tiny chicken legs peeking out from beneath his presidential suit, perpetually scurrying away from responsibility.

So it was that Don Snoreleone presided, a perplexing figure of power and absurdity, leaving a trail of bullied allies, ignored warnings and a presidency defined by its chronic inability to face reality, or, for that matter, to stay awake. His reign was a constant unravelling, each misdeed and act of self-interest relentlessly exposed, yet seemingly never enough to pierce the thick skin of his own delusion, a delusion he actively cultivated with every lie and every denial.

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