"Among the many geniuses we lost in 2025 was satirist Tom Lehrer, who scandalized America in the 1950s and 1960s with his biting political songs, then left that career in the early 1970s to teach math. "Political satire became obsolete," he famously quipped, "when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize." That thought crossed my mind as I deliberated whether to continue my annual Gustadramus columna, where I offer predictions for the coming year."
"How could I possibly find mirth after a 2025 in Los Angeles that started with infernos, continued with a blizzard of immigration raids worthy of the White Walkers in "Game of Thrones" and is ending with record Christmas rainfall and a gas line rupture that threatened to turn Castaic into a giant bonfire? But hope and humor are what make life worth living, and President Trump makes Kissinger seem as inoffensive as Bluey."
"Rick Caruso decides not to run for California governor or mayor of Los Angeles when he realizes JD Vance has a better chance of winning than he does. Instead, the developer challenges L.A. City Councilmember Traci Park and easily beats her by spending $538 million. He then shocks everyone by siding with the progressives on the council, citing his Catholic faith."
Tom Lehrer died in 2025 after a career of biting political songs in the 1950s and 1960s and a later career teaching math. He quipped that political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize. Los Angeles in 2025 faced infernos, immigration raids compared to White Walkers, record Christmas rainfall, and a gas-line rupture that threatened Castaic. Hope and humor are emphasized despite tumult, with a comparison that President Trump makes Kissinger seem inoffensive. A 2026 prediction states Rick Caruso declines gubernatorial or mayoral bids, defeats Traci Park with $538 million, sides with progressives, and uses resources to address homelessness, housing affordability, and East-West rush-hour transit.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]