Welcome to the age of the troll

am officially calling the time we are in the “Age of the Troll.”

Yesterday, I ran across an article from “NottheBee,” which reported from CPAC this week on a small group trying to get traction on a movement called the “Third Term Project,” which, as you might guess, would open the door for President Trump—as well as any future president—to run for a third term.

It turns out it isn’t just the left that needs a Civics or History class after all.

Then again, it kind of smells like something as a satire, or trolling, designed to get what the troll might hope to get a response out of people, usually an opponent.

I am writing this as though either scenario could be the case.

First, if this was a real thing, Notthebee was correct in calling this movement an idea from a bunch of ‘doofuses.” The Third Term Project, according to Notthebee, promoted their idea as introducing a Constitutional amendment that would overturn the 22nd Amendment, which limited the president to two terms.

Prior to that amendment, a president serving only two terms was a tradition set by George Washington, who officially didn’t run for a third term because he simply wanted to retire. However, he also cautioned about the executive branch becoming too powerful and felt two terms was enough.

Though not constitutionally forbidden, most presidents kept that tradition. Only a few actually ran for a third term, and none of them won until FDR.

Shortly after, a constitutional amendment (the 22nd) was proposed and passed, and now is the law of the land.

Now no one can run for a third term unless a new amendment passes overturning the 22nd, which is unlikely if not impossible today.

I am perfectly alright with a two-term presidency—even if I really like the guy. For one obvious reason is this: what if the guy running for a third term was an abject failure? Given how much the media, the bureaucracy, and the academic elitists carried his water for him, imagine allowing Biden a third term (that is if his age and mental decline wasn’t an issue).

Whatever the case, I find the constitution and its prescribed limits on government is a good thing. If we can’t get around within its limits, then it likely will take us in directions we would regret. If it is important enough for a change, then go through the amendment process, which is by design very difficult.

But, if the Third Term Project is a real thing, why would I be against it?

If Caesar is good, then why not let him rule for a life time?

Because of history.

I am a deep proponent of George Santayana’s maxim, “Those who fail to remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

As far back as ancient Athens, whenever the city-state would fall on severe crisis, there would always be one person who claimed he could fix it with unlimited power.

And often, he would fix it. Sometimes pretty effectively.

The problem with tyrants is that, once they fixed said problem, their only aim became remaining in power.

Therein lies the issue.

History has shown itself to repeat time and time again, and the ones who usually fall for it are the ones ignorant in history.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. I am pretty much in agreement with the current president: closing the border, removing the cancer of DEI, and shrinking a government which has been and is completely out of control. For every good thing it does, there seem a hundred corrupt things. So much money is unaccounted for, and the incessant whining from the bureaucrats about being held accountable seems worthy of an audit and even complete reformation. (It sure is nice to see the national debt clock slowing: currently it’s growing in the ten-thousands-per-second, as opposed to the ten-millions-per-second when I showed it to a class in October.)

Again, a lesson from history is a nation that loses control of its economy will implode from within—no matter the good it does.

So, I am perfectly thrilled with what Trump is doing. So far, at least five courts, have thrown out attempts to stop him, so as of yet, what he is doing is not illegal. This is also why Trump is moving so fast: he knows his time is limited.

But at the suggestion of offering a proposal to remove the 22nd Amendment, I balk. In fact, I oppose it outright.

One criticism I’ve had on the left is the fact that if they fail to get their policies passed, they simply move the goalposts: a recession is well-defined until it’s not; when they thought they would take the Senate, they talked about getting rid of the filibuster and packing the Supreme Court (notice how quiet they are about these now that they are in the minority—hmm.)

I believe our government can exist and function within these boundaries of the Constitution. So, no, I don’t believe it needs to change to give my side an added advantage. That method is short term thinking: eventually my political philosophy will be in the minority and know those advantages will be used against my side.

Which brings me to my other guess that this is nothing more than a troll.

This is why we have reached a point that can only be known as the “Age of the Troll.” We need to have our radar up with everything.

The troll’s objective is simple: get a rise out of what we would call our opposition. The troll ultimately seeks to expose those who are so rabidly caught up in affirming their own confirmation bias that they’ll latch on to anything.

Last week, Trump mentioned a third term and openly asked with tongue planted firmly in cheek, What do you think?

Then to springboard off of that, the official White House Instagram account later posted a satire of a Time magazine cover had a smug crowned president wrapped in purple robes, overlooking the New York skyline with the caption “Long live the king.” It had one objective: get a rise out of the media who has become so predictable their overreaction would result in laughter. His opponents took the bait with either “See! See! I told you! He wants to be a dictator.” or “I don’t find that funny at all.”

Whether you like it or not is open to debate. But currently that’s just the way that it is.

Either way, he got the response he was looking for. The objective is to once again expose the hysterical insanity of his opponents.

I am pretty certain the Third Term Project making the rounds at CPAC last week was a troll.

Using the word “Project” in its name seems intentional, alluding perhaps to the mysterious and conspiratorial “Project 2025” that the left tries to tie to the right, even though many on the right have never heard of it before other than on MSNBC.

If the Third Term Project was a troll, it fell flat. It got virtually no traction in CPAC that I am aware of (only Nottthebee commented on it).

If it was a legitimate movement, attendees of CPAC were smart enough to throw cold water on it.

If it was a troll, it fell flat because, contrary to the troll’s hopes, few if any bought it.

Welcome to the “Age of the Troll.”

We can complain or criticize it, but the trend is here for the time being.

We must use caution. We need to be smart enough to think everything through and raise flags if something doesn’t pass the smell test.

If we stupidly fall for a troll, we have no one to blame but ourselves.