A Piece Of My Mind

Be warned the following post is political.  Be also warned that this blog is going to unwind from political comment.  It's one part fatigue, one part victory, one part surrender, and one part 'fuck 'em all'.  I'm the station master who sees the train coming off the tracks and my voice has become hoarse trying to warn the folks on the platform.  From now on I will step outside the station to safe ground, watch the crash and hope everyone gets out of it OK.  A comment or two may escape the filters, but you guys will have to save yourselves. 

Editorial Board of Existing In BFE    


Here is a list of subjects that polite people never bring into social conversations:  sex, religion, politics, money, illness, the food before them at the moment, which foods they customarily eat, reject, and why,  anything having to do with bodily functions, occupations, yours and anyone else's, the looks of anyone present, especially changes, and the possessions of anyone present including their homes and anything within, and clothes anyone is wearing even if favorable.

So says Miss Manners.

What's the point of attending social functions if you can't make fun of what the biggest douche-bag there is wearing?  Doesn't sound like a fun time to me.  

Traditionally the Big Three of No-No's has long been sex, religion and politics.  As far as I am concerned all others above are fair game.  Stand your ground, lads.  When in public, take the good with the bad.  

Sex?  What's to say?  You either get too much or too little.  It's either too wild or not wild enough.   

Religion?  Either you think it is a convoluted made up fairy tale or you are all in because you don't want to piss Him off, risk you may be wrong, or miss out on being seen at church.  

Politics?  Well, that's something else, now isn't it?  It is this subject I am willing to make a few comments about in a social setting.  It isn't about the President, any past President, Hillary, Mueller, Rudy, repubs, demos, right, left, up, down, Fox or MSNBC.

No, not all that dirty-hand stuff.  I am most concerned about politics with a capitol P.  It is about our responsibility as Americans to know the issues, to do homework and to exercise your ultimate prerogative as a citizen, to vote.

I may be an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats but there is a Conservative I have always enjoyed listening to, George Will.  George once said to spare him the usual cries from folks about low voter turnouts.   His worst nightmare is the voter who shows up, uninformed, who casts a ballot based on Daddy's instructions of half a century ago, candidate handsomeness or lack thereof,  personal taste toward wives, and so on.  His main concern wasn't lack of turnout, it was the misinformed or the uninformed.

I know why folks voted for Trump, now Trump-Hannity.  People felt left behind, wanted change against a never ending "establishment", tired of political correctness, felt he could make deals to help America, wanted conservative values, hated the Clintons.  I get it, we wanted to shake things up.  

Well, we certainly got shook up, didn't we?  Turns out Trump-Hannity aren't so great after all.  The miscues, lies, Russia loving, lies, kid caging, tariff war creating and did I mention lies, just hasn't panned out.  Oh sure, the Supreme Court will be packed with far right guys for generations, and don't we all love that?  And the Administration hates anything that isn't Aryan White, and don't we all love that?  And none of our Allies like us anymore, and don't we all love that?  And instead of free trade and inclusion into trade organizations, we are now isolated and America First, and don't we all love that?  And we all got an extra $35 in our paychecks from the tax reform that will had 24.5 Trillion to the National Debt in the long run, and don't our grandkids and great-grandkids all love that?

After almost 2 years we kind of know now what kind of president Trump-Hannity is.  For the Trump voter it was worth a try.  I guess we also know that we have a different kind of democracy: it's not how many votes you get, its where you vote.  That's a subject for another time however.  

What interests me most today isn't the 46% of Americans who voted for him in 2016.  I should insert here, for anyone who is new to this blog, that I was one of the with majority that voted for the other guys.  What interests me is the 35% hardcore Trumpers who are his never-leaving supporters today.  Research tells us:

• Mostly men
• Mostly White
• No college
• Mostly older
• Mostly poorer
• Mostly concerned with immigration and terrorism 
• Mostly Republican 1.

In a series of articles by the Republican John Dean, he postulates that the hardcore Trump supporter today is because of the Obama presidency.  He states that the country was realigned after Obama won and we are still feeling its effects.  I think its fairly easy to say that Trump has racist tendencies, but he isn't the only president who has.  An article in the Huffington Post lists 11 most racist presidents in our history. 2.

Dean goes on to say that the Republican party also tends to be the home of "authoritarian" types.  You know, the old "Law and Order" crowd that sleeps with their guns, the 2nd Amendment and worships the flag and our soldiers but will mow them all down if anyone gets too close.

When Bannon, and now Miller, assert that this administration is to "destruct the establishment" hordes of myopic (I love that word.  Trump loves reciprocal, I love myopic), racist, authoritarian, law-and-order-but-burn-it-all-down types found a home and a father figure in Donald Trump.  

So says John Dean.  

Me?  Hmmm.  I don't know.  When Trump said he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and his supporters would still vote for him, who knew just how right he was.  I'm not a Trumper.  

I believe the words on the statue of liberty, "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free."  Strong borders, sure, but understanding that compassionate immigration is who we are and what made us great.

I believe that our friends in this world make us better.  Our Allies, many of whom came to our aid after 9/11, make us stronger.

I believe that free, unfettered trade, and trade alliances, helps our economy and gives us influence all over the globe.  To abrogate that network is to open the door to China becoming the next great superpower.

I believe that our national parks are a treasure and should be expanded, not contracted.

I believe in global warming and to ignore all the signs and science is helping to destroy our planet.

I believe that until we come to terms with our national history and prejudice against black and brown skin we can never reach our potential.

I believe children are our greatest national resource and to provide as much education and opportunity will make us smarter and better equipped to handle the challenges of the future.

I believe in the Constitution but think common sense laws should be our beacon, not the NRA.

I believe that Fake News originates from the White House. Last Friday Trump approached the mic and said he had overseen the "greatest economic turnaround in history."  In fact Obamas last 18 months created greater results than Trumps first 18 months.  

I believe that healthcare needs to be universal cradle-to-grave Medicare-style and I would be willing to pay higher taxes to have it.

I believe Russia is our adversary and invaded our nation during the 2016 election.  And they are still doing it.  

I believe that the campaign season is too long and there is too much dark money in elections.

I believe that a free press is the most important aspect to  democracy.  "Democracy Dies In The Dark"  

I, like George Will, believes that an informed electorate is the ideal.

I believe mindless hyper-partisanship further divides us.

I believe that News Organizations should report the news accurately and not be PR shills for governmental bodies.   

What does that all make me?  A dreaded Lib or a dreaded Conservative?  A rightwinger or leftist?  A bleeding heart or  heartless?  

I like to think it makes me a good American.  
      

   

1. https://verdict.justia.com/2018/02/16/trumps-base-broadly-speaking
2. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ibram-x-kendi/would-a-president-trump-m_b_10135836.html
3. NBC Poll