Blain’s Morning Porridge August 27th, 2026

“I’d like be thought of as a decent human being….”

Celebrate Dolly. A reminder of real American exceptionalism and authenticity. What will replace her in the new America where Mega Tech and AI can settle the wrongs they do with no-liabilities settlements? Where the Vice President is a manufactured product of Billionaire’s Libertarian philosophy? Where the President runs the country as a fief to be milked dry? But can Authenticity can be bought and sold by the yard? At some point the people are going to question what’s really happening.   

Key Takeaways

  • Dolly Parton’s passing represents the end of an Age. Her authenticity was entirely of her own construction and on her own terms. There are no politicians like her.
  • Authenticity is political currency – but it is increasingly scarce.
  • Meta’s sudden settlement on child social media addiction is the new reality – true corporate power is the ability to payoff wrongdoing with no admission of guilt.
  • Trump’s political success was persuading voters he was the authentic voice of the left-behind and would restore them – but now he sits at the centre of the coterie of tech billionaires who seek a new version of America.
  • The Billionaire vision of a new America is, as yet, unclear but it sure won’t be “all men are created equal”. Some are very much more equal than 99.99% of their fellow Americans.


The flags are flying at half-mast across the US in a mark of respect for Dolly Parton. They call it grief, but it’s a celebration of a genuine life lived well and loved well. But it is notable because it’s the end of an era – where Dolly’s success and politicians’ power were factors of their authenticity.

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