“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK? It’s, like, incredible.”
Donald John Trump – January 2016
Depending on whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Other, the outcome of November’s election caused strong emotional reactions. I am concentrating on those with whom I most closely align my socio-political views.
For the record, I consider myself fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I consider each issue on its merits and prefer to use a wide angle lens when deciding where I stand. In most cases I am moderate in my views.
The outcome of the election was horrific. I can hardly believe that we elected a convicted felon. He subverted the very office for which he has been re-elected. He stated many years ago that he could shoot someone in broad daylight and get away with it. Based on how the courts have treated the many accusations against him, It seems he is right! He attempted to retain the presidency by force.
There are so many social norms that he says he will either abolish or change. Issues that have been fought for and won through the legislative process and in the courts. I won’t itemize them here. Suffice it to say that we seem to be returning to darker, oppressive times.
Economists argue that the new Republican world economic posture will not have the intended outcome. They believe it will do the opposite of what the man and his minions project. Corralling and/or deporting immigrants will vastly deplete the work force for many necessary jobs. Adversely impacting our economy. It has been proven many times. Trickle down economics neither boosts the economy nor helps the middle and lower economic classes. Deficits soar. It’s a bleak outlook for many this year and for a few years to come. Yet as time goes by we see that the world has not yet ended.
I used to discuss global issues with my dad when I was a young man. I took a stance based on bible quotes. That we are in the end days of civilization, if not the earth itself. Wars, rumors of wars. Pestilence, disease, famine. Oppression and the mark of the beast. Those who know the New Testament know exactly to what I am referring.
Dad would take a completely different stance. He argued that the prophecies about the end of the world are part of our human experience. These prophecies, those maladies mentioned above, have existed for thousands of years. The earth has gone through many changes. Sure, some have been cataclysmic. So far, we are still here.
It is true that many signs point to an exclusive political and social environment. Yet I see glimmers of hope. There are many who openly oppose the restrictive, oppressive intentions of the soon-to-be powers in Washington. There are signs of understanding and cooperation. Even some people who voted for tridiot recognize that he is inept and dangerous. Signs point to opportunities for wins in the legislature and in the courts.
You very well might disagree. But I don’t think a negative attitude is productive. Now is the time to fight for our future. Ultimately, elections will decide. Unless, of course, tridiot is successful in his prediction that if elected, “in four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not gonna have to vote.” But I suspect that will be much more difficult to achieve than we fear.
Think back to tridiot’s first term in office. The wall. Tariffs. Deportations. Sure. some of his agenda was accomplished. But what the tridiot minions don’t remember is that most of his blowhard blustering was just that. No substance.
I realize that he has a favorable congress. He has stacked the judicial with politicized conservative judges. Yet somehow court decisions continue to be fair and just. Who knows if this will continue. I want to believe that saner minds will eventually prevail. I hope my dad was right!
Obviously, I have no more of a crystal ball that you. And I am by nature skeptical and, as I age, cynical. Yet I have hope and a certain level of confidence that we will survive the coming assault on our democracy. Some evidence to the contrary. In a way, I feel like I’m doing something to advance a positive outcome just by writing this message.