SOTU (thread 9), Episode 7: If Mark Twain Attended the State of the Union

Imagine Mark Twain sitting in the gallery — tipping his hat, smiling that dry smile, and quietly translating the grand sentences into plain English. He’d point out the props, the applause queued like commuter trains, and the way patriotic language can hide real costs.

This episode gives you that sharp, witty take: jokes that expose the gears, a reminder to read the fine print, and a wink that says, “Don’t clap until you know what you’re endorsing.”