The Rest of the World Must Declare Us a "Rogue Nation"

“You are a slow learner, Winston."

"How can I help it? How can I help but see what is in front of my eyes? Two and two are four."

"Sometimes, Winston. Sometimes they are five. Sometimes they are three. Sometimes they are all of them at once. You must try harder. It is not easy to become sane.”

― George Orwell, 1984

The climate-change-denier in chief, Donald Trump, has named fellow climate-change-deniers to top posts in his administration -- Scott Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency, Rick Perry at the Energy Department, and Ryan Zinke at the Interior Department.

During the transition period (the first week of December), Trump officials demanded that the Energy Department turn over the names of scientists who had worked on President Obama's climate change initiative, a decree that the department refused, as anyone familiar with the history of witch hunts should have done.

Just yesterday, employees at several federal agencies including the Department of Agriculture have been barred by the Trump administration from making any statements, or providing any documents to the public or journalists -- a "gag order."

A memo sent to staff of the Environmental Protection Agency said that no press releases were to be sent to "external audiences" and that "no social media will be going out," according to a report by The Hill. The memo also says that a digital strategist will be coming in to oversee the agency's social-media policies, and that "existing, individually controlled social-media accounts may become more centrally controlled."

Centrally controlled. Big Brother is watching you.

Staff at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service also got a memo on Monday telling them not to provide any documents to the public, including press releases and social-media content. The email told employees, including about 2,000 staff scientists, that "starting immediately and until further notice," they were not to release any documents or post anything to social media.

The Trump presidency: "We will strangle science in its cradle in order to deny that two plus two is four."

Meanwhile, Back in the Trump Locker Room

Ryan Zinke, Trump's nominee to take over the Department of the Interior, failed to rise to "command" level in the Navy because he falsified travel reimbursement vouchers, for which he also had to repay the Navy. He believes that climate change is "not proven science," meaning he's ignorant as well as dishonest.

Monica Crowley, who was selected just weeks ago to serve in a high-profile post on Trump’s National Security Council, has exited the locker room suddenly, after it came to light that she copied other author's words in a published book and also in her doctoral dissertation. Plagiarism. Another form of theft.

Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, Trump’s nominee for secretary of health and human services, has a history of trading in biomedical, pharmaceutical, and health insurance stocks while serving on the health subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee:

Last year, Mr. Price bought stock in a company that makes orthopedic implants shortly before introducing legislation that could have protected the company, Zimmer Biomet, from financial losses due to a new federal regulation. The regulation sought to rein in spending on joint replacements for Medicare patients; Mr. Price’s legislation would have delayed its implementation. After he introduced it, Zimmer’s political action committee contributed to his re-election campaign; the string of events was first reported Monday by CNN.

But in the administration of Donald J. Trump, what's a little conflict of interest? "Follow the leader."