Bad news and bitter disappointment are no strangers to me, as I get older.
In my darkest moments, I see my entire puny flash of existence as a series of failures. Permanent and un-fixable. I can’t turn back the clock. That knowledge is my constant companion as I age my way to the grave.
But, looking on the bright side, with all that practice, I should be able to take the election results in stride!
And yet, I’m having a hard time doing that.
America. This is not my country any more.
No gaslighting
Let me start with this: Now all the assholes who tore up the Capitol, to disrupt the January 6 transfer of power, will be pardoned. Sounds like they may be awarded a medal, just as good — no, better than — the Congressional Medal of Honor.
But then I peel that back, I just get sad and sadder.
Sad: This can now happen, because nobody expected the President to use the power of the pardon to pardon those who broke the law on his behalf.
And sadder still: I forgot, all of that is now irrelevant, because it dates back to a now-ended era of American History where it was possible for the President to break the law.
That whole sequence of events — spinning this rioting mob into Heroes of the Republic — if that’s now for-real, and that’s how it’s going to go down in the history books — then I no longer live in an America that I recognize.
In our position in the world, it’s hard to see any joy in this. It’s not just the loss of Ukraine to Russian expansion. And what may ensue in Europe after that. I’m sure we’ll be expected to salute when China takes Taiwan as well.
But in addition, we will return to the gaslighting about NATO. NATO being a treaty that, unless I mis-recall, we set up, to our benefit.
But once again, when you go down that path an inch, it just gets sadder and sadder:
Sad: A Russian-loving Republican party. I never would have guessed that in a million years. Do they not know that there’s a lot of history here? Cold War? Mutually Assured Destruction? I guess that … doesn’t count, to the current generation of Republicans.
Sadder: No allies left. And if you have any sense, you kiss off the very idea of the U.S. having military, diplomatic, or other secrets. Surely with all the shenanigans last time, nobody is stupid enough to think that Trump is going to keep U.S. secrets, ah, you know, secret. Presumably, knowing what’s coming up, our allies are no longer sharing anything sensitive with us.
And, trade wars. Tariffs sound dandy until you realize that every one you impose, they impose one back. And even if you “win”, by the time you do the math, all you’ve really done is make yourself worse off.
But, prices are high, thanks to the evil Liberals. So we’re going to fix that with 100% tariff on all imported goods. And by rounding up and deporting 40% or so of our hired crop workers.
It goes without saying that any progress on climate change will be reversed, if possible, just as they did the last time. Except, of course, those big fat Federal tax credits for electric vehicles. I’m going to bet Republicans keep those. But we the living get to laugh and play and not worry about it, as we drive our gas-guzzling land yachts. And if future generations have a problem with the results, we’ll be dead by then.
My Action Plan
First, nightly, I pray for God to smite us for committing this sin. My preferred ask is that the current dry conditions in the country flip into full-on Dust Bowl by spring. (That’s a two-fer, as it should raise awareness of global warming, as the permanent transition to dustbowl conditions is likely to happen this century under business-as-usual. Plus, bringing that on half-a-century early would get rid of a lot of Republican states right there.)
Barring that, I think another Great Depression would do a lot to teach people to be more serious. But as inept as the incoming administration seems to be, I don’t think even they could be inept enough to lead the world into another Great Depression. But you never know. Smoot-Hawley and all that.
Second, I’ve resolved not to be gaslighted about what just happened. Not going to pretend that this isn’t crazy, and not going to listen to anybody who tries to say it was all nice-nice and perfectly normal.
If nothing else, by the end of this campaign season, I’ve come to have two unshakeable beliefs.
First, Republicans sure are assholes. Just thinking back at this campaign. I particularly recall the big laugh Trump got, from a live crowd, by stating that Harris was born mentally retarded.
In this day and age, that’s funny? It sure seems to have been, for a lot of people, that day. Same rally where Trump was smiling and leading the family-friendly crowd in a chant of “Kamala is shit”.
A classic. Right up there with having a football crowd chanting “Fuck Joe Biden”.
Moments that make you proud to be … something.
But what do you expect, when the President-elect’s great super-power is coming up with nasty, belittling nicknames for people. It’s a perfect match. The Republican Party now belongs to the people whose views were swayed by all those great, sticky, nasty nicknames. The circle is complete.
Fuck Joe Biden. Kamala is shit. The essence of modern Republican thought.
Second, the Republican electorate is an internet-driven mob of suckers. (Else, why would Musk bother to buy Twitter, right?) Is there a conspiracy theory too looney to be accepted by the Republican Base?
And once the current Dear Leader eventually departs — may the pollen of a thousand saffron flowers always grace his visage — there’s no telling what the next one will be like.
Meanwhile, we continue to have this horrible problem of Haitians eating dogs.
And there will be a next one, because all the propaganda apparatus is in place. And our population isn’t smart enough to deal with it. Guess what I’m saying is, after everything that “worked” in this election season will continue to work.
And so, this is what America is now.
And a happy Fuck Joe Biden to you, Republican citizens.
Conclusion:
So put up your wall, and make Mexico pay for it. I’m guessing that the latest incoherent rant about 100% tariff on Mexican goods is somehow related to that. Put it up, because nobody on your side reads the stats or listens to the experts anyway.
The gist of Post #2041, pre-election, is that the world has changed and fact-based American Democracy failed to adapt.
That’s still my conclusion.
Put aside the moral arc of the universe and all that. And the utter amorality of the President-elect.
My only real question is, how bad is this going to get, before I snuff it? Do I really need to start making alternate plans for where I live, at the age of 66?
I’m a well-to-do White guy getting Medicare and Social Security.
Maybe they’ll come after other people, but not after me.
And a Merry Kamala is Shit to all of us.
