I, like many of you, are still reeling with the sharp-slap of reality: A majority of Americans are either too stupid, too lazy, or too gullible to be allowed to vote. Those are the only possible reasons to vote for a convicted felon and sexual predator who has displayed time and time again his disdain for democracy (have you all really forgotten 1/6?) and the norms of civilized behavior (or do you approve of a man grabbing your daughters and wives by the pussy?), who has betrayed friends and allies over and over, who has visibly, demonstrably proven his lack of reason and self-control, and his limited mental capacity. And yet the majority of American's were gullible enough to take at face-value the lies they were fed by their faux news. They were too lazy to research, analyze the information, data, and evidence available, apply critical thinking and evaluation, and identify the truth and believe the character of this man that he has clearly shown us. They were too stupid to listen to those who know best: the myriad former-advisors, the military leaders, the once-respected Republicans who haven't joined the cult and can still see the emperor has no clothes.
I am so disappointed that so many Americans have no idea what the words they bandy about mean. What is the socialism you're so afraid of? Public libraries and schools? Police and fire protection? Paved roads and functioning wastewater treatment plants? Assistance in your community after a disaster?
Not to worry...those will soon be things of the past. The next round of "make america great" will be looking back with nostalgia on a public services that served the public rather than a few oligarchs.
And those screaming about "communism" are laughably ignorant. Do you know what that word means? Explain to me how you see protecting voting rights of all citizens, ensuring safe and science-based medical care for women, and teaching critical thinking skills instead of right-wing ideology and indoctrination in schools gets us down that "slippery slope" that you see in your imagination. The connection isn't there. Not in the real-world. Or it wasn't. Not until you elected a narcissist who aspires to be Kim Jong Deux. Now we might actually get the ownership of production and resources concentrated in the hands of the government--specifically the president and his cronies. That's as close to communism as we'll ever get and you brought us here by electing him.
"But...but...the economy...the price of groceries...and he's such a good businessman--he'll run the government like a business." Tells me all I need to know about your critical thinking skills. They're non-existent. You didn't look at the data on the economy, you listened with unquestioning faith and blindly repeated the "party-line" you were told to believe by your faux news. Do you really think the price of eggs is going to come down after January? With this "expert businessman" at the helm--the same one who has run SIX businesses into bankruptcy so the stockholders and you could bear the brunt of his unpaid debts? The one whose sole economic policy is to apply tariffs to imports and deport a huge chunk of the labor force that's actually delivering made-in-America products? Or are you unaware that unemployment is extremely low right now and there aren't American workers willing to pick produce, work in factory farms, or do most of the intense labor that immigrants are doing for us? Just wait til you see grocery prices in 3 months! Those tariffs aren't going to bring companies back to the US, they're going to bankrupt them. But that's probably part of his plan. The small and fragile ego of your man will be soothed by their failure so he can feel better about his own numerous business failures.
It's sad to think so many of those who were flying Ukrainian flags in solidarity with that country and its efforts to maintain its sovereignty after Russia's invasion are now willing to sell them out to Putin. Putin, another psycopath, dictatorial ruler admired by Trump. Does anyone really think he'll settle this peaceably? That he won't take over the Ukraine and then continue on over the rest of eastern Europe? Does anyone really think he won't retaliate by killing tens of thousands of Ukrainians? How naive are you? (And honestly, take the "naive" label...it's better than the more realistic alternatives. What kind of people betray their friends and allies?)
A comment on my newsfeed by Joe Lamey reflects well what the saner, more humane and compassionate and rational portion of the American people feel right now: "And now I feel it's time to say goodbye because of the results of this uprising of demagoguery, this catastrophic chasm in the character of our country. The trajectory will be tragedy, and the results will be millions of traumatons traipsing around, transformed into isolation and despair and wondering what happened to decency, civility, respect, humaneness and the America where we grew up trusting.
"J6 was a "Love-Fest" and "Dictator on day 1" and felonious fearless leaders convicted of sexual assault ascending to the most powerful position in the world promising to undo our home, to divest women of their bodies, to invest in dissolution, disarray, denigration and duplicitous self-adulation - - the whole picture leaves me..." disillusioned and angry with so many people. No, I'm not going to get over it.
The first time you voted out of hatred and fear, drawn to an autocrat because he provided easy answers and sound bite solutions to complex problems...well, I wrote that off to an error in judgement when we managed to course-correct after 4 years. This time? There is no excuse. There is no valid reason. It's not a lapse in judgement because we now know exactly who this man is and what he stands for.
A vote for him tells me all I need to know about what you stand for. It shows me and the world what kind of person you are. You are not "good" or "Christian" or "moral" or "kind" or patriotic, civil, decent, or trustworthy if you could vote for a convicted felon and sexual predator, who supported an insurrection and fought against the peaceful transfer of power after a lawful election; a man who has repeatedly lied, cheated, conned, and viciously attacked anyone who questions his absolute authority. You may be able to gaslight yourself into thinking you're a decent human being, but actions speak louder than words. I know who you are. You have shown it.