Well, the retching continues. More violently than before, thanks to the racists and other haters, and those who refuse to rebuke them. And thanks to those who wouldn’t let peaceful demonstrations remain peaceful.
As our leaders on the right are pretending this is a mandate for conservative policies and not just the result of a technicality of law, some of their supporters are calling this God’s will. (Was it also God’s will when Barack Obama was elected back in 2008? Or did God decide to sit that one out in favor of working on his golf game?)
Yep. As if it isn’t enough that we will now be represented on the world stage by a man thinks he’s above the law, we must also contend with those who would have you believe that God wanted a womanizing sexual predator to lead the United States of America.
Wow.
And yet, I can’t say I’m surprised. These are the same people, after all, who bought the ultra right wing lies that Barack Obama is a Muslim who was born in Kenya, would invoke Sharia law and destroy the nation. I wonder if they’re afraid he still has time to do all that? I wonder how many of them are still waiting?
Instead of mockery, I suppose what I should be expressing is sympathy. These people got used by Donald Trump and the Republican establishment, after all, who also used each other. Trump to worm his way into the White House, and the Republicans to bring their party back to power. Talk about an unholy alliance.
I should be sympathetic because, not only did they get used, but also because I know these gullible pawns will not be any better off under Donald Trump than they have been under any other Republican administration. Not to “catastrophize” too much, but it is much more likely that they will get worse. But they did it to themselves, so I’m not going to lose a lot of sleep over it.
What I am losing sleep over, on the other hand, is what’s going to happen to all the people Trump threw under the bus on his way to victory. Because these folks did NOT bring this upon themselves, and so they do NOT have themselves to blame.
Because, on top of our other national challenges, we now have folks in full KKK regalia walking up and down the streets in broad daylight with not an ounce of fear that they’ll be asked to leave, much less harmed, and groups of kids shouting “white power” at passersby, while non-Christians, people of color, and gay, lesbian and trans people are being assaulted and threatened, and wondering whether it’s safe to go about their daily lives.
But as much as I want to, I can’t place the blame entirely on the gullible. After all, by themselves they could not have elected Donald Trump. No, I blame all the regular, reasonable, and otherwise decent people who might never attack a person of color or mistreat someone because of their faith or sexual identity, but who would stand by and let it happen. They’re the ones who brought it home for Mr. Trump.
They COULD have nominated someone who promised to be tough on ISIS without inciting violence against Muslims. They COULD have elected someone with a genuine interest in immigration reform without disparaging Latinos. They COULD have elected someone who promised to safeguard the right to bear arms but who would also have the guts to say we should do what we can to keep them out of the hands of the mentally unstable. They COULD have elected someone who would look us in the eye and admit that the lack of good paying manufacturing jobs in the US is the result of increased automation and globalization, and not due to immigrant and minority laborerers.
But no.
Instead of electing someone who would both enact policies that conservatives can support AND try to bring the country together, they elected someone who will stand by and let the haters tear us apart. Instead of someone who would keep us ALL safe, they went with someone whose running mate has historically opposed legal protections for women, minorities, gays, lesbians, and trans people, and who got elected by promoting the sexism, racism, and hatred that makes those protections necessary.
Instead of electing someone who would shut down the racists and xenophobes in their party, they chose one who empowered them. Instead of electing someone who would condemn sexism and sexual assault, they elected someone who called his own daughter a “nice piece of ass” and admits to having assaulted women himself and gotten away with it because of his fame. Instead of electing someone who would encourage folks to recognize the rights of all citizens to live, love, and worship as they please, they chose someone who panders to white supremacists, and encourages hatred against non-Christians.
If all that wasn’t part of their plan, now is their chance to say so. Now is their chance to get out there and tell their non-Christian, non-white, non-hetero neighbors that they will support and defend them as they would their own kind. Now is their chance to tell the racists and xenophobes, by their words and actions, that although they backed the same candidate, they will not stand by and allow them to threaten or harm anyone. And now is their chance to show, by their words and actions, that although they are against abortion, they WILL do everything they can to change the culture of rape in this society and that sexual predators—and NOT just those who prey on children—will be prosecuted and jailed. Period.
Cue the crickets.
Because that’s not even close to what’s happening. Instead of reassuring us, they’re silent. And those who aren’t silent are gloating, calling us sore losers, and telling us to shut up. As if this was just a soccer game and all that’s at stake is a conference championship.
Very democratic of them, by the way. And very convenient given everything that’s been said about Barack Obama since 2008.
But, again, I’m sickened but not surprised.
Because this is par for the course. Because instead of offering comfort and looking for real solutions to the problem of gun violence in the wake of mass shootings, they said only “don’t take away my guns.” Instead of demanding better training for members of law enforcement so that officers could learn how to prevent tense situations from escalating and avoid shooting unarmed citizens, they called US cop haters. And because, when Trump and others were accusing Barack Obama of treason and questioning his citizenship, instead of calling them out or telling them to shut up, they looked at their shoes and pretended not to hear.
And their silence speaks volumes.
By their vote and by their silence in the face of the racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic acts committed by their fellow Trump supporters they have made it clear that they were willing to win at any cost. By their vote and their silence, they have made it clear to Latinos, Muslims, African-Americans, the poor, and members of the LGBTQ community that they are not only UNWORTHY of their concern and compassion, but also EXPENDABLE. By their vote and by their silence they have made it crystal clear to the KKK and other hate groups that they will not stand in their way. And by telling us to get over it, and to get behind this president—after most of them flat out REFUSED to get behind President Obama and accused him of treason—they prove that we were right to fear them.
And now they want to write us off as just a bunch of sore losers.
As if they all just turned around and smiled after the elections in 2008 and 2012 and said, “Good game, guys. And well done.” Or “Well, you just won fair and square, Mr. Obama, so let’s all roll up our sleeves and get ‘er done.”
As if their hands are clean. As if they didn’t just sell us down the river. As if no one has anything to fear.
But here’s the funny part—and there should be a funny part; this is a humor column, after all: they’re not even going get everything this snake oil dealer sold them. Because not even one week into this thing Trump is walking back on almost every single one of the promises he made to his faithful followers.
Remember the wall he said he would build? It’s now being scaled back to a few fences in a few “key places.” Of course, many of us who are opposed to a wall knew it probably wouldn’t happen and not just because we knew Trump couldn’t be trusted. Fact is, a wall running the length of our southern border would have been extremely expensive to build and the Republican establishment wouldn’t have approved that kind of money. Especially not in the first 100 days. Budget cycles alone would have prevented that. And especially not after grumbling about the cost of Obamacare. But some folks bought it hook, line, and sinker.
Now you gotta admit, that’s kinda funny.
And remember the 11 million illegal aliens he vowed to deport? That’s being scaled back to 2 or 3 million, to include known “criminals” and “gang members.” Now I’m all for deporting criminals (provided they get due process, of course) but since all “illegal aliens” are technically criminals in the eyes of most conservatives, why not all 11 million? Could it be that it’s even harder for rich hoteliers and other big businesses to make a profit without employing undocumented workers than it is to get money to build a wall along the entire length of our southern border? Perhaps a better question is, did he ever intend to deport 11 million in the first place? Or was he just playing to his base?
He’s a real card, that Trump.
And remember the promise to immediately repeal Obamacare? That one seems pretty iffy now too. A few days ago Trump said he would scrap most of it but keep key provisions, like protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Then he changed his mind. I guess someone told him how the law worked and that a partial repeal wasn’t an option. So now the plan, courtesy of House Speaker Paul Ryan, is to replace it with “something else.” He won’t say much more than that other than it will be “better and less expensive.” I suppose by the time they get done massaging the numbers and spinning the facts, no matter what it costs or how it works, they will describe it officially as “better” and “less expensive.” And those who voted for this administration will believe it without reading any of it for themselves. Now isn’t that hilarious?
It might be if we were talking about, say, banana peels or rubber chickens instead of health care. Who doesn’t want a better banana peel, after all? Or a less expensive rubber chicken?
If you’re still with me, and I hope you are, you may be wondering: Did Mr. Trump make these promises knowing he could not fulfill them? Or did he make them without any intention of fulfilling them?
It’s an important distinction. Because if he made promises that he KNEW could not legally be fulfilled, that makes him a con man. And if he made promises that he DID NOT KNOW he couldn’t fulfill, he’s either an idiot, which is unlikely, or a slacker, which is worse. Because (1) a man of Trump’s means would have ample opportunity to prepare for the job, and given his wealth and other resources, his ignorance would be willful and deliberate; and (2) America and our allies deserve someone who cares enough about the job, this country, and our place in the world to know what he’s doing, and to do it to the best of his ability.
As you can probably tell, none of this is a joke to me. In fact, I find it all quite horrifying and sickening. Especially when I hear about Trump operatives like Kris Kobach and Carl Higbie discussing the creation of Muslim registries and citing legal and historical precedent that may make the idea easier for the public to swallow.
Because while Trump and his allies in what he once called “the swamp” eagerly rub their hands together and contemplate the spoils that this victory places at their, ahem, disposal, the rest of us are stuck with the fallout.
Now THAT’S funny.
So funny, I forget to laugh.
the uncommon blonde 