Past Denial

We have moved past denial, but have not (and hopefully never will) move into the realm of acceptance. We are not in the "stages of grief" here but rather in the oncoming age of "trump." Not the man, but the "movement."

What will this "movement" mean for all of us: war? poverty? social unrest? societal fracturing? strife?

What will it all mean?

It might mean no real changes will occur, just a natural progression towards the "right" so that the reverse can happen two years from now. I might mean that "trump" rules the land, and the poor people choose to love it. Not likely, but possible.

Stuck

Stuck in my brain are endless thoughts about what can and will go wrong with a Trump Administration. It is too late to blame anyone for Clinton's loss; it makes no difference whether it was caused by the FBI, or the Russian hacking, or the insipid portion of the American electorate. It is what it is.

And for the foreseeable future we are "stuck" with this President, perhaps for as long as four years.
Regardless of what happens he will inevitably take credit for any successes (caused by the rest of us) and decry any failures as the fault of his internal opponents (Republicans, Democrats, anyone who opposes him).

This is all happening because of our carelessness -- we were too lazy to vote, or we thought the "outcome was secure enough," or we just wanted to "stir the pot" to see what would happen. War could happen; nuclear proliferation could happen; more terrorism could happen; loss of our very own country and its government could happen; self-destruction could happen. And all because we were, in some way, careless and selfish with our own heritage.

We are now stuck!

A Bad Year Ends, a Bad Year Begins

2016 was the year of the Rise of Trump -- a man no one with a brain would want to be their President. But there it is. It was also the year of great migrations from war-torn or drug-ravaged lands: Sudan, Venezuela, Syria, Central Africa, Mexico, Columbia, Panama, et al. 2016 also brought us the brutality of ignorance, change for change's sake, and unrelenting stupidity and lies.

The political process broke down -- social media beat real media -- and mankind itself wavered in its  humanity. Selfishness replaced compassion; hate replaced love; anger replace common sense.

Women lost significant ground in reproductive rights, and control over their own bodies, their wages, their choices in life. And "crypto-fascism" became a "real thing."

2017 will probably not be a better year.

America in Chaos --Not an Easy Place to Be

The new "government" in America is either going to "drain the swamp" or become one. It will be filled with reprobate or retrobate but generally untrustworthy corporate magnates, disgruntled pundits, anti-status quo crazies, and conspiracy theorists -- all with no discernible governing ability. Many are rich, too rich, to understand or empathize with the rest of us. We will be treated like "specimens" in all phases of government: losers, non-billionaires, failures, excess --- all because we "did not win."

To a Capitalist/plutocratic/crypt--fascist regime we are all expendable. If we can't get health insurance, so what! If we can't pay for college; too bad! If we can't afford rent, or food, or insurance, or any of the normal pleasures in life --- it must be our own fault! It must be, because the "rich" have made it -- so something must be wrong with the rest of us. That's how life plays to a thick-brained plutocrat!

The Big Mistake?

Has America gone down the wrong path? Have we opted for greed over justice, profit over compassion? Have we given away our country's heritage to a capitalist moron? Are we in severe danger of becoming our "worst possible selves" in the next few years?

Is America in danger? Yes. Are we at risk of losing everything? Yes. Can we still stand up and resist the malevolent forces of selfishness? Can we rise above our base instincts, as our forefathers did, and continue to hold up the torch of freedom and justice for all the world to see?

We must be watchful; we must survive; we must take care of those who need our help. We are America, in spite of our mistakes.

What's Wrong With the Business Model -- for Everything!

There is no compassion in the business model -- refugees of war are simply "unintentional damages"; "collateral deaths." People and property are put at the same level -- with the edge going to "property": after all there are stockholders to consider!

My rights are always more important than your rights, particularly if I have the bigger pocketbook to defend my rights. You, just because you are at odds with me, are somehow deficient, wrong, strange, stupid, "a loser," or even just insane. How can you resist my plans -- they are "most" important.

Government exists to smooth the way for business -- it is kind of a meta-business, and certainly should make only decisions based on the business model -- after all "what's good for _____________
(substitute any business or corporate name for the traditional 'General Motors') is good for the USA!"

The world is too small for there to be competition -- but if there is competition; I must win! Why? Because it is my plan that is superior; I am smarter than all the others who do this! All dissent and competition must be crushed.

In individual families -- only the bottom line is important. Is it cost effective? Forget about "learning for learning's sake" (why learn anything if it doesn't make me some cash!). Why indeed?

Momentous Time for Me, and the World

We are nearly into the "Age of Trump." May we all survive and learn to think through it, and prosper.

I have passed the ten-year anniversary of my wife's unfortunate and unfair death -- and I may be making the next step in my "life change." My house may actually sell this time. (Don't jinx it!)

And life is fricking strange.