I can’t comment on the meaning behind Trump’s new outfit, only to say that he has already cultivated 100% of the white supremacist vote, and there is nothing he could possibly do to lose a single ballot from the constituency that could be called “the hateful morons.”
You’ve got them all, sir. Every one. Todos, alles, tout.
There are many mysteries floating around in American politics surrounding Trump’s popularity. Some people theorize that somehow, Trump has given us permission to be our worst selves, and that this holds an unimaginable amount of appeal to almost exactly half of U.S. voters.
That would explain the chart below, which presents the fact that our country’s top military leaders have, to a person, gone on record stating that Trump is a terrible human being and an active danger to our nation.
Half of us simply don’t care about any of this; we’re not looking for intelligence, honor, or virtue of any kind. Give us white supremacy and carnage at the southern border, and we’re happy campers.
The U.S. election system is far from perfect; in particular, we have voter suppression in addition to a small amount of fraud.
It’s interesting, however, that the fraud exists almost entirely from the Republicans. Why is this? Aren’t progressives just as committed to their cause as the MAGA folks?
My theory is that we’re looking at a combination of intelligence, common sense, and honesty. Felonies like these carry harsh penalties and committing them has essentially zero chance of altering the election results. Intelligence and common sense dictate that we abstain from breaking these laws.
Moreover, progressives by definition are people of compassion for others. We tend to understand that laws like “one person one vote” are put into place to make all our lives better, and thus we’re unlikely to break these rules.
As shown here, it’s impossible to imagine that John Adams would have been a Republican in today’s sense of the word, let alone a Trump supporter.
We’ve all had that feeling of a wave of nausea passing through us when we encounter something truly horrendous.
That’s what I experienced just now when I read a post from a friend who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, a state that is a must-win for the Republicans in their race for control of the U.S. Senate. He happened to be watching the news with his nine-year-old daughter, when the young lady announced, “I don’t like (Democratic incumbent) Sherrod Brown. He makes little kids get sex changes.”
This is where we are, folks. Libelous political advertising that most adults recognize to be completely asinine, but which hits hard against voters with the maturity of nine-year-olds.
While no one knows precisely what will happen to public spending if Trump is re-elected, a few things seem clear from what has been said aloud: the termination of the ACA, aka Obamacare, meaning the end of healthcare for people with pre-existing conditions, and a significant level of reduction in Social Security and Medicare.
At the same time, there are rumblings about the terminating of the Department of Education, or a return of Trump’s former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, to complete her mission of destroying our public schools.
Will any of this do even slight damage to America’s billionaires? Of course not.
The millions of people who watched the fourth game of U.S. baseball’s World Series saw this play (below), in which a fan interfered with the play of Los Angeles Dodgers right-fielder Mookie Betts. If you watch the clip, you may agree with me that that was closer to assault than it was to “interference.”
The fan was ejected from his seats, but for some reason wasn’t charged with a crime.
I write this post because I believe the incident illustrates something of great importance about American society: we’ve become a nation of animals. Ask yourself if this could have possibly happened in the ~120 years of baseball before Donald Trump entered the political scene and inspired us to become the human swine we are now.
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It may be impossible to put the toothpaste back into the tube when it comes to Americans’ sensibilities to non-whites.
Maybe it’s time to admit this, and move on as a nation we acknowledge to be filled with hatred and ignorance.
If you’re looking for reassurance that Americans are faring decently with their degraded education standards, the meme here is not for you. The consumption of grass by cows is not bad for the planet, but the destruction of the rainforests to make room for more cows definitely is.
Incidentally, I met a middle school math/science teacher the other day who has 41 kids in her class. Overcrowded classrooms are not conducive to learning.
Here’s a chain of comments from fellow alumni and me at Trinity College in Hartford, CT on the subject of Tucker Carlson, who (regrettably) also graduated from the institution:
Alumnus #1: Not another dime until Trinity disavows Tucker.
Alumnus #2: Are you against free speech, which is granted by the Constitution? How about a debate? That is what I learned at Trinity.
Me: There are limits to which the “free speech” argument can be taken, and Carlson is far past the edge, IMO. I’m referring specifically to threats of violence if Trump loses.
Alumnus #3: Trinity has responded, magnificently, by continuing to produce decent, hardworking graduates, who strive to improve the world around them. “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.” ~ Marcus Aurelius
Me: That is inspired! Another thought, and this is what I think we’re actually dealing with: A top representative of the college pointed out to me, “Are you aware that most of the people writing tuition checks for their kids are worth at least seven figures, some of them eight or nine? They love those Trump tax deductions for the top 1%.”
