I did not expect my hiatus to be as long as it was. Moving out of my house at the same time the academic quarter was ending for my students sucked all the oxygen out of the air for anything else. Life is what happens when one is busy making plans, as Donald Trump is realizing with a war of choice that is neither an immediate victory nor adequate distraction from other disastrous realities.

As the war rolls into week five, it is costing the lives of more Americans (and Iranians, Israelis and Lebanese)  than the man who alleged he would be the peace president can afford. It is also mucking up the economy for the man who was supposed to reduce the price of eggs the day he got into office. As of this writing, the price of gasoline around the country has reached a four-dollar-a gallon average and crude oil is over $100 a barrel      .

There was speculation the Federal Reserve would lower interest rates this cycle, but with inflation on the rise and well-founded fears of recession looming   , the best the country can hope for is that it will keep them steady. So much for making everyone prosperous again.

As a result, the president’s popularity rating continues to trend downward,  even amongst his supporters. MAGA members cannot afford four dollars a gallon for gas either. No one has that kind of love.

Congressional Republican response to all of this madness is the brilliant idea of raiding healthcare monies to fund a war that their own constituents do not want. Huh? That’s the one issue that gives Democrats an upper hand in every election cycle.

Is this a political suicide mission? Is there a plan for talking Mr. Trump into pulling the country off the ledge and back inside to safety?

Colleagues inside MAGA world say the in-fighting is real and growing, regardless of what Republicans say before the cameras. In other words, the one thing that never changes, despite risk to American life and financial stability, is fear of insulting their leader and suffering political or federal-investigation consequences – or both.

But they can plan their calculated avoidance all they want. The president is sure to continue to remind us all that life is what happens when we’re busy making plans. Stay tuned.