It's easy to feel 'doom and gloom' with the new administration.
Some states' attorneys general and governors have stated that they will not implement policies that are not in the best interests of their states.
Congress is a two-year term. As such they are elected frequently. If Americans don't like the new policies (such as Project 2025), they can elect representatives that'll block it. Right now, we have a Republican President, House, Senate and Supreme Court. The next election for congress could shift the House and Senate (i.e., Congress).
The abortion ban was overturned in seven states, leaving two with it in place, yet women did NOT vote for Harris. Why? We're not ready for a female president. Look at the Red states; their output is agricultural, which tends to be a conservative religious group, so part of the 'problem' is Christianity with its mysogynic rhetoric.
People are not wanting a worse life, they want a better one. Unfortunately, with all the misinformation in the media, people were not educated to the realities of a Trump administration. Also, those who voted for him are not the intelligent cohort, i.e., those able to figure things out for themselves and come up with the best solution for a situation or decision.
People voted for change. What I'm reading is that people who voted for Trump are surprised that they will pay more for imported goods, especially from China (60% more). If Musk is appointed to clean the slate, so to speak, and end government jobs, he may also do away with medicare and social security--two programs we paid into with every paycheck over the course of our working lives. That's double taxation if they keep our savings accounts, so there may be a massive law suit or worse.
I'm interested to see how this plays out. People are going to get hurt, and that pains me, but I want to see how this moron "makes America great again".
If we look to the late 1800s, we'll see embargoes were raised. The 'butterfly effect' on our country was that the 1% (wealthiest) got super rich and the workers who made them rich could not afford to buy food. Will we see that again? If so, we may see an amendment to the Constitution to prohibit certain actions in the future. In the meantime it may not be pretty to watch how it plays out.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I believe some people will eventually realise that their lives aren't improving under Trump’s presidency, and, in fact, are getting worse. But after witnessing the aftermath of Brexit, I’m sceptical that many will come to this conclusion. Despite Brexit failing to deliver on nearly all of its promises, there are still people here in the UK who don’t see how they were misled into voting against their own interests—and will likely pay the price for it for decades to come.
Misinformation and manipulation of the public can sadly have quite long-lasting consequences.
Amen. I am a walking ball of furious, because tens of millions of people ignorantly elected to harm themselves and the rest of the planet. It’s time to stop papering over things, being good girls and boys, taking the higher road, keeping the peace,
etc. Politely correct / educate people when they express mean or uninformed opinions. Take up space (if you can, if you feel safe). Don’t take shit from anyone. Enough is enough.
Chaucer penned this c. 1380. He meant it as helpful advice (take care of yourself for no one else will). But in our time this has been turned on it's head. Thus the imperative now is to go it alone and the Devil take the hindmost. Selfishness and towering self interest has become every man's right. None personifies this more than Trump and his cult. The mechanism for this regression is to blame "THEM". But the unraveling of social norms of compassion and tolerance always comes full circle. At that point we find ourselves alone. Try fighting Climate Change, economic collapse, and lawlessness...alone.
I'm constantly baffled by how some people fail to see that our survival has always depended on standing together—and always will. Collective threats require collective action. It is (or at least should be) as simple as that.
Thank you for writing this; it’s bringing me comfort this morning. Not because it’s offering facile solutions or blind hope; i think just because it is being truthful in a compassionate way.
It's not comforting that the best comparisons to the current times are the 1930s, and to consider how much killing had to take place for the world to choose peace, and do the work it takes to preserve it. And yet it's perhaps even more distressing to contemplate a world without the conflict and the resistance, where we just accept the life and soul crushing effects of authoritarianism.
I'm sorry about the abortion ban in Poland. I didn't know that was happening. Italy is in a pretty bad position too... :/ where are the Furys of our time??!! Is it us? Do we have to do the thing?
Here is a current issue that answers your question. The patriarchs today (principally Republicans) have championed the protection of women from trans-women who started life as men by banning them from women's bathrooms (wolves in sheep's clothing). Yet three of the most recent Trump male nominees for cabinet or White house posts have a history of multiple allegations of sexual abuse of women, including the one nominating them who was convicted of such abuse. No instance that I know of trans-women alleged to have done so. Ah! The irony.
It's easy to feel 'doom and gloom' with the new administration.
Some states' attorneys general and governors have stated that they will not implement policies that are not in the best interests of their states.
Congress is a two-year term. As such they are elected frequently. If Americans don't like the new policies (such as Project 2025), they can elect representatives that'll block it. Right now, we have a Republican President, House, Senate and Supreme Court. The next election for congress could shift the House and Senate (i.e., Congress).
The abortion ban was overturned in seven states, leaving two with it in place, yet women did NOT vote for Harris. Why? We're not ready for a female president. Look at the Red states; their output is agricultural, which tends to be a conservative religious group, so part of the 'problem' is Christianity with its mysogynic rhetoric.
People are not wanting a worse life, they want a better one. Unfortunately, with all the misinformation in the media, people were not educated to the realities of a Trump administration. Also, those who voted for him are not the intelligent cohort, i.e., those able to figure things out for themselves and come up with the best solution for a situation or decision.
People voted for change. What I'm reading is that people who voted for Trump are surprised that they will pay more for imported goods, especially from China (60% more). If Musk is appointed to clean the slate, so to speak, and end government jobs, he may also do away with medicare and social security--two programs we paid into with every paycheck over the course of our working lives. That's double taxation if they keep our savings accounts, so there may be a massive law suit or worse.
I'm interested to see how this plays out. People are going to get hurt, and that pains me, but I want to see how this moron "makes America great again".
If we look to the late 1800s, we'll see embargoes were raised. The 'butterfly effect' on our country was that the 1% (wealthiest) got super rich and the workers who made them rich could not afford to buy food. Will we see that again? If so, we may see an amendment to the Constitution to prohibit certain actions in the future. In the meantime it may not be pretty to watch how it plays out.
Anyway, don't mean to bore you.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I believe some people will eventually realise that their lives aren't improving under Trump’s presidency, and, in fact, are getting worse. But after witnessing the aftermath of Brexit, I’m sceptical that many will come to this conclusion. Despite Brexit failing to deliver on nearly all of its promises, there are still people here in the UK who don’t see how they were misled into voting against their own interests—and will likely pay the price for it for decades to come.
Misinformation and manipulation of the public can sadly have quite long-lasting consequences.
Amen. I am a walking ball of furious, because tens of millions of people ignorantly elected to harm themselves and the rest of the planet. It’s time to stop papering over things, being good girls and boys, taking the higher road, keeping the peace,
etc. Politely correct / educate people when they express mean or uninformed opinions. Take up space (if you can, if you feel safe). Don’t take shit from anyone. Enough is enough.
Yup. The time for tolerating harm or ignorance has long passed.
EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF
Chaucer penned this c. 1380. He meant it as helpful advice (take care of yourself for no one else will). But in our time this has been turned on it's head. Thus the imperative now is to go it alone and the Devil take the hindmost. Selfishness and towering self interest has become every man's right. None personifies this more than Trump and his cult. The mechanism for this regression is to blame "THEM". But the unraveling of social norms of compassion and tolerance always comes full circle. At that point we find ourselves alone. Try fighting Climate Change, economic collapse, and lawlessness...alone.
I'm constantly baffled by how some people fail to see that our survival has always depended on standing together—and always will. Collective threats require collective action. It is (or at least should be) as simple as that.
Thank you for writing this; it’s bringing me comfort this morning. Not because it’s offering facile solutions or blind hope; i think just because it is being truthful in a compassionate way.
Thank you. It means a lot to hear that this piece resonated with you in that way.
I’ve never felt so much anger and so much grief. I didn’t know it was possible t feel these emotions at such a high degree simultaneously.
It's not comforting that the best comparisons to the current times are the 1930s, and to consider how much killing had to take place for the world to choose peace, and do the work it takes to preserve it. And yet it's perhaps even more distressing to contemplate a world without the conflict and the resistance, where we just accept the life and soul crushing effects of authoritarianism.
It's also not comforting that the only thing we seem to learn from history is that we learn nothing from it, to paraphrase Georg Hegel.
Republicans took away your rights - take them back!
You are so right, now it's not the time to put on a stiff upper lip or we'll end up paralysed.
I'm sorry about the abortion ban in Poland. I didn't know that was happening. Italy is in a pretty bad position too... :/ where are the Furys of our time??!! Is it us? Do we have to do the thing?
I think we do need to become the Furies, yup.
I can’t upvote this enough
Here is a current issue that answers your question. The patriarchs today (principally Republicans) have championed the protection of women from trans-women who started life as men by banning them from women's bathrooms (wolves in sheep's clothing). Yet three of the most recent Trump male nominees for cabinet or White house posts have a history of multiple allegations of sexual abuse of women, including the one nominating them who was convicted of such abuse. No instance that I know of trans-women alleged to have done so. Ah! The irony.
Yeah I’ve gotten a lot of flack for holding anger as a woman even when I have it “under control”