Winter can be a time of clarity. The colors of flowers, shrubs and grasses are stripped down to earth tones. Trees have lost their camouflaging leaves, baring the dark branches highlighted against chill blue or frost-colored skies ripe with unshed snow. The branch patterns are bold, or lacy, sometimes tangled with strangling vine designs. Broken branches become apparent; the squirrels’ nests, often precarious at the tips of limbs, are exposed.

A few plants like holly or winterberry stand out with their dashes of bright color. Evergreens appear darker, denser, grounding the landscape until a snow decorates their needles, adding delicacy to their faces. The landscape shifts to background textures and tones.

The stark revelations of the winter landscape are nothing to the clarifying behavior of our Congress and newly installed president in recent days. Their actions stripped the camouflage off deep contradictions, confusions and derelictions plaguing our incoming government. The list is so long we will consider only a few examples.

Unfit nominations: The shockingly unqualified nominees for top positions tell the tale — a supporter of far-right Christian nationalism for Defense (Pete Hegseth), also noted for financial improprieties, not to mention problems with alcohol; a science denier and anti-vaxxer for Health and Human Services (Robert F. Kennedy Jr.); a purveyor of Russian propaganda for National Security (Tulsi Gabbard); a Q-Anon user for FBI (Kash Patel). Multiple nominees have been tied to sexual abuse. Such appointments intentionally destabilize crucial national services.

Plans to trash the outstanding economy: Finally we hear that Joe Biden’s approach to the economy has been hugely successful, leaving the U.S. with the strongest economy in years. While many financial aches and pains remain given the tremendous inequity that was worsened in previous Republican administrations, this economy provides the foundation for continued improvement across the board.

Instead, the new president pushes tariffs, which will cost thousands each year for ordinary Americans, and threatens mass deportations of immigrants who provide crucial labor in all sectors. Long-term borrowing costs are already rising as markets acknowledge the potential fallout of these plans. Plans to privatize health care, the post office and dozens of other systems (including schools) all would undermine the economy.

Loose talk about invading neighbors: The U.S. has deployed troops in numerous situations, many questionable, but against an avowed ally? Talk about annexing Mexico or Canada or invading Panama or Greenland, a protectorate of a NATO ally (Denmark) is nothing short of suicidal. The only beneficiaries of the U.S. starting wars with allies or long-term partners with whom we have treaties (such as Panama) are Russia, China and Iran, not to mention parasitic weapons manufacturers and anyone else grotesque enough to seek profit from war.

Selling democracy to billionaires: Nominating the likes of Elon Musk (openly advocating neo-Nazi and extreme right-wing groups internationally) to bring “efficiency” to government is absurd. Now the true views of these out-of-touch billionaires are visible — they despise average American workers as “stupid” and unfit. They believe they’ll make more money using low-cost, high-skill immigrants.

Your Daily Puzzles

Cross|Word

Flipart

Typeshift

SpellTower

Really Bad Chess

Our incoming president is so bedazzled by their wealth that he cannot admit how their views utterly contradict his supposed support of regular Americans. Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg caved by compromising their fact-checking and media operations and by gifting millions to the new president and his family.

Appalling disinformation: Los Angeles offers another view of winter trees. Intense red-orange fires highlight black silhouettes of trees that will be ash the next time we look. Disinformation about the origins of the fires and the handling of the firefighting has swamped the internet and media, hampering rescue and undermine crucial government operations. For shame.

Antidotes:

■Shout out about unfit nominees — contact our senators and reps — every email or call reinforces their arguments in confirmation hearings.

■Spread the word about how tariffs and lower taxes for the wealthy trash our strong economy — talk to friends, neighbors, legislators. Be prepared for some direct action to protect immigrant workers, farmers and small businesses.

■Raise voices about attacking neighbors and allies. No such aggression can be tolerated!

■Erase your Facebook account; drop your Prime account; chide the media for concessions on facts; quit “X.”

■Check sources — don’t fall for sensational stories with underlying political agendas.

Above all, stay in touch with family, friends and neighbors to reinforce our determination to see clearly what lies before us, under the harsh light of a cold start to 2025.

Judy Wagner lives in Northfield.