As we approach the new year and see the entrance of a new administration, I’m deeply confused and annoyed (maybe even infuriated) about people who are not pro-Drumpf, but treat him and the right-wingers as not that big of a deal. During the election, people took the vile words and actions of Drumpf and his admirers as legitimate threats. Now, even when those worries are being confirmed as being true one way or another, a lot of those same people use the same talking points like, “I hope he has a successful presidency.”, “He’s not going to be as bad as we think he’s going to be.”, “We should accept him as the president since he won the election.”, “We should talk to them and try to work things out.”, or “He won! Get over it!” Seriously? Are you kidding me? However, I’m not sure which is more absurd: The ones who say such cockamamie things, or the ones who are going to treat the newly Drumpfitized status quo as usual American politics.
Firstly, how can anyone not pro-Drumpf — including those who will most definitely be worst effected — can say such mawkish, milquetoast statements and fully believe it? Before Drumpf became president-elect, the collective information gathered from his and his followers’ own words, attitudes, ideals and actions, strongly suggests that their success requires the failure and suffering of all those not considered one of them! You can’t fight for months, tooth and nail, against such people and suddenly end up with a legitimate mindset of, “Oh well, it will not be that bad.” I can’t help but feel that saying something stupid like they “hope for Trump’s success,” is a lie to lull themselves and others into a false sense of security, to convince themselves that they’ll still be able to enjoy their lives without worrying about someone trying to take it from them. (If they really do believe it, maybe they’re planning to profit from the next four years somehow, are the types who think what he’ll do won’t affect them somehow, or maybe even secretly pro-Drumpf but they don’t want to admit it out loud for some reason?) If you are not considered “civilized” enough (white enough, hetero enough, wealthy enough, native-born enough, right-wing enough, anti-intellectual enough, part of a belief deemed acceptable enough, and content enough with the status quo at its worse,) then you don’t have the luxury to think everything will be okay. (Even if you are seven out of the eight criteria, you’ll just be targeted later than others.)
Secondly, why should we “get over it” and accept Drumpf as the legitimate U.S. president? Not just because the electoral college (along with Russia) — NOT the voting general US public — were the ones who chose him, but the matter that he and his followers wouldn’t have done the same if Hillary won. If the shoe was on the other foot, they would’ve not only spat in my outstretched friendly hand but would’ve stabbed me in the gut when they got the chance. Disagreeing, yet understanding and caring about the opposing views of your countryman, was found nowhere in the campaign they supported but only the love of themselves and the fearful malice of those considered not like them; those not seen as “REAL Americans”. It is because of THAT type of outward resentment, THAT heavy and familiar stink of ultra right-wing nationalism, (fascism or neo-fascism if you want to be a stickler about,) everyone else was so anti-Drumpf and worked so tirelessly to make him lose. They’ll deny but I remember the claims of the election being rigged in Hillary’s favor, calls for post-election protests, the pro-Drumpf militants’ armed training in anticipation for the results, the thinly veiled threats of violence if Drumpf didn’t win, and even threats to cause riots. Even if a few manage to begrudgingly admit it, they’ll falsely equate or worsen the opposition’s image to their own behavior to somehow absolve themselves. Don’t tell me to kiss and make up with people, who’d find or make up reasons to see my life forfeit for their own self-deserving sense of superiority, which they often wrongfully accuse everyone else of doing. Why should we submit to the whims of or co-operate with people, who would knowingly vote for a type of man like Drumpf because they weren’t happy with Obama or had a stick up their rears about Hillary? If you have ready access to objectively credible and reliable sources, you have no good reason being so badly informed. The only reason someone would ever knowingly vote for someone like Drumpf is because they want willful ignorance. They’ll refuse to admit it though; somehow, everyone else is the cause of their problems and they wanted to make it clear.
I learned that I was to always treat people the way I wanted to be treated and that this principle is a two-way street. (Unless I considered someone a mentor or elder of mine, but even then there are limits.) People so willing to actively disrespect and discount my life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness for their own, deserves no respect and compromise in return.
Comparing and contrasting today’s political and social climate with those from terrible periods throughout history, I’ve compiled a realistic ‘Best Case Scenario’ and ‘Second to Worst Case Scenario’. No exaggerations. (‘Worst Case Scenario’ would just be nuclear annihilation via World War 3 so I’ll just skip that one):
Best Case Scenario:
- This new administration will only last four years, but that’s enough time to do plenty of damage.
- Advances in civil rights get rolled back and/ or outright eliminated, with the newly conservative Supreme Court allowing such.
- Treaties, like ones for climate change, get broken and thus undoing years of negotiations and work to mitigate the damage to the environment.
- Drumpf will face some opposition from the other two branches of government for his more terrible and extreme promises. However, for whatever measures blocked at the federal level, the state level will pick them up.
- If dropped at the state level, it is possible that pro-Drumpf private citizens will take matters into their own hands.
- Their acts denounced publicly, but while being condoned through more of the same rhetoric.
- Harassment, imprisonment and murder of minorities and the poor by the law will increase since pro-Drumpf citizens — more often than not — are unconditionally authoritarian.
- Enacted policies will drastically degrade the economy, regulations, education, non-military science and social programs, while enlarging the federal deficit.
- Media will become painfully pro-government and anti-intellectual propaganda mouthpieces. (More so than they ever were during the Bush and Reagan Administrations.)
- Resurging monuments and symbols to white supremacy in public places being seen as acceptable.
- A few true social justice groups will be classified as hate groups.
Second to Worst Case Scenario:
- The U.S. will be in multiple full-scale wars.
- A possible draft could be implemented, with of course the wealthy being able to avoid service.
- Some variant of the TPP would be resurrected and signed by the U.S. only after Drumpf made sure he, his family and friends, all benefit from it.
- Many undocumented immigrants, naturalized citizens, and native-born citizens, are forcibly incarcerated and/or deported.
- There is a chance they may even be executed or disappeared, not entirely unlike the Dirty Wars of the 1970’s and 1980’s.
- Elections will become restructured to create a virtual one-party system.
- With some shady manipulation of the constitution, we could also see more than two terms for the presidency.
- Normalized overt white supremacy.
- Many true social justice groups will be classified as hate groups, if not terrorist or extremist groups.
- Look at much of the points from the “best case scenario,” and add them here.
So what do we do now? First and foremost, do what you say you’re going to do and say what you mean when you meet the right people; by right people, I mean people who are ready and able to do something that isn’t pointless, impotent and reckless. I’ve run into too many people who’d give their contact info and say they’ll attend in-depth introductory meetings, then when the time comes, they never respond when I contact them, are no-shows, or they do reply but often by giving some lame cop-out reason why they’re flaking. (No, what I presented to them is not considered illegal.) I remember one decided not to come to the introductory meeting because it was “Too much pressure,” — you know — since learning more details on how to survive the Drumpf administration is far more stressful than having no plan if you become a target. I also remember another so-and-so that said he changed his mind because, in his words, “...don’t really know enough about your plan to be sure I wanna be involved,” when the main point of the meeting was to give more details on the plan! Funny thing is that a few of these people even complained about others not taking the threats of the incoming administration seriously and how said administration cannot be treated as normal. This leads into the next point:
Second, if Drumpf and company is “not normal,” DON’T TREAT THEM AS NORMAL! Treating them as “normal” means you DON’T treat them the way you often treat politics as usual, which can range from inaction stemming from the idea of “the problem will sort itself out,” to actions stemming from the idea of “let’s change the system from within,” or “I’m going to get arrested on purpose.” In case you haven’t noticed, democracy is dead (or was never truly alive to begin with) and the republic surely will dump what would benefit the common citizen in favor of far right and neoliberalist ideals to cement sort of fascistic inverted totalitarianism. What has become the normal way of handling political problems in this country is coming to an end. I can assure you that if you attempt to do the usual during the next four years, it’s going to end badly for you. When you reach the last stage of grief about this election, it doesn’t mean you accept it as the “new normal” and treat it as if it is, it means you must accept the fact that we will be living a future we prefer not to live in, which means you have to take the threat of this whole ordeal seriously.
Now, here’s the clincher; the key point to keep in mind for at least the next four years: You may WANT to show how much better you are than the Drumpfies by playing it straight, but you NEED to WIN. They’ve already proven that they’re not going to play fair and they’re not going to stop until they take everything. (By “take everything,” I mean “they will never stop.”) You may try to play safe, compromise, co-operate and/or show fairness to “keep the peace.” It’s to show the community at home and abroad how awful the opposition is and innocence of your side, but other than maybe drawing condemnation, shows of support, and possibly embarrassing said opposition, what else does it honestly do when it should matter these days? (Don’t bullsh*t me by saying it’s to the change minds of the opposition, since if they really were to change their minds, they would’ve done so awhile back during Drumpf’s campaign. If they’re able to ignore what he did, as well as make excuses for the series of injustices against the marginalized, what makes you think they’ll not do so now?) For that reason, taking the high road is more for peace of mind and in the end does no one any real good. Not to mention, any further stranglehold on the media by the status quo will nullify your efforts, since they’ll find easier ways to belittle, demonize, or even cover up what happened.
I’m NOT saying lose yourself and be a monster — since that would be the WORST thing to do — I’m saying blind side them with a winning strategy they won’t expect. The opposition has become familiar with almost all of today’s demonstrations (planned) and riots (unplanned) and therefore, has become adamantly stale. Same goes for expecting voting to act as the main workhorse for change anymore, as far the electoral college and new U.S. Supreme Court are concerned.
Will these new strategies involve illegal and/or questionable activities? Will it make others look down on you? My question for you is: As long as you don’t lose yourself and end up running counter to your own cause and morals, why are you worried about that? People you revere today did illegal and/or questionable things in the past, but you still celebrate their memory, honor their services and sacrifices today, because you know you benefit from that things they all had to do to ensure that you have them today. If you still are that worried, think about it as having to spare those you love or future generations the possibly of sullying themselves. (Please, don’t mistake me as some armchair general. I know what I’m talking about.)
Now, Drumpf, his followers and their willing affiliates want to do away with what was fought so hard for. They fortified themselves against empathy and intelligence, so there’s no use to getting to them that way. They either have the shallowest understanding of what words like ‘racism,’ ‘socialism,’ and/or ‘feminism’ mean, or they are well aware of their meanings but don’t care and lie about their definitions to the former. They attempt to whitewash and rewrite history (amongst other facts they don’t like,) with their convenient cases of extreme selective memory. They take pride in their worst selves and attempt to enforce it as their ideals’ purity, with their language filled with loathsomeness, disingenuity and vile innuendo. Simultaneously, they try to gaslight everyone opposing them with the aim to portray almost (or entirely) all opposition to the Drumpfies as an irrational uniform evil in the wrong, while presenting themselves as a coalition of free-thinking individuals fighting for the force of good and righteousness with little to no flaws. If reality doesn’t fit the way they see it, no objective form of reason, logic, fact, or truth will stop them from attempting to warp whatever they can into their twisted worldview. In this fight against the Drumpfies, find a way to resist them from outside the box, around it, under, on the edges, whatever, YOU CAN’T LET THEM WIN WITHOUT DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THEM. If we don’t, then they’ll take advantage and do what they can destroy the rest of us. I guarantee it.
P.S. If you have a problem with this entry, think before you decide to leave a comment that is snarky, angry, wishy-washy, or insulting towards me about this said entry. Not necessarily because you’ll be wasting both of our time, but more to have you avoid leaving behind an embarrassing written record refusing to acknowledge the reality of obvious warnings signs. (That is, if you get to live that long if you don’t heed them.) If this entry isn’t enough, then I suggest you read these as well:
O'Reilly: Left wants 'power taken away from the white establishment'
Wingnut troll deliberately gives Kurt Eichenwald a seizure
The New York Times Begins A New Weekly Feature: "This Week In Hate."
(There are already articles on websites like FOX News, American Thinker, and Townhall.com, alluding to the idea that the reports of hate crimes are ridiculous because of the relatively few fake ones. I’d post the links to the stories but I figure if anyone would want read such vile ugliness, they can look it up themselves.)
Trump's comments on nuclear weapons rattle U.S. officials and foreign leaders
P.P.S. If I seem a bit standoffish, you can say it’s because I’ve got tired of people hiding their cowardice behind calls for stability and peace. You can still be peaceful and aggressive at the same time. As for stability, we’re already pass that point so you either, face the fact that this facade isn’t going to last much longer, or you allow yourself to be taken for a ride until it’s too late to do anything.