Dolly, Authenticity, Meta, Vance, Billionaires, and the Future

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 TakeawaysDolly 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.You can read the Morning Porridge by subscribing on ⁠www.morningporridge.com⁠, and have it delivered fresh to your inbox every morning!