The present occupant and the Grody Other Party are in the process of destroying everything good about our country and our world. And, still, folks are surprised.
He didn't win Ohio. He's appointing torturers to cabinet positions. Torture doesn't do any good. He doesn't believe in global warming. He's not funding Hubble. He's destroying Social Security. He's increasing funding for the Army, but not the Navy or Air Force. He's turning back the clock on civil rights/gay rights/civil liberties/women's rights, blah, blah, blah.
Nah. It's bullshit. As long as we're doing this, we're playing catch-up. It's time to stop looking at individual issues and look at things globally, and use this global perspective as an indicator for things to come, and stay one step ahead of the game.
Rule 1: Do not assume that he is telling the truth then be surprised when he's not. Rather, take everything he says as a marketing ploy and assume that the end intention is the opposite of the stated goal.
Rule 2: Do not assume that he is stupid or that he doesn't know the affects of his actions. He is not stupid, and he knows perfectly well what he's doing and what it means. For example, he knows that torture does not provide workable intelligence, that's not why he's torturing people.
Rule 3: Do not assume that he is like any other leader we have had in this country. He's not. And don't think that this will all be over in 3-1/2 years. He thinks in terms of long-term goals. For example, he's making things as difficult as possible for the poor (effect: the poor have more children), NCLB will wind up closing schools all over the country (effect: more kids on the streets, higher crime), and the Army will be the only employer. This is a 20 year plan. I don't think he means to be out of power when that comes to fruition.
Rule 4: Look for common themes. For example, take abortion, lack of contraception, lack of sex education, gay marriage, the death penalty, euthanasia and censorship. Look at the classic R stands. What do they have in common? Who decides the most basic things in your life: you or them?
Rule 5: Expect technology to increase the efficiency of their intrusion upon your life.
Rule 6: Expect media complicity.
Rule 7: It's not that he favors the rich over the poor (the rich don't get it yet), it's that by giving the rich the largesse, he can more efficiently remove large portions of income from the public domain, and maximize the discomfort for as many people as possible (effect: a shift away from liberalism, affirmative action, generosity, etc., and an increase of selfishness and greed... and what does that mean over the next ten years?).
Rule 8: Do not expect anything to be outside his scope. GPS tags inserted into the back of your neck? Why not? I'm surprised he isn't doing that in the prisons already.
Rule 9: If we don't stand up now, we're not going to be able to stand up later. Be predictive. Tell your R friends your predictions. Let them think you're a crazy paranoid freak. But when those predictions come true, call them on the phone, they'll be scared.
What do we know?
- He's destroying our economy
- He's removing the safety nets
- He's wrecking the environment
- He's increasing nationalism
- He's trying to replace science with faith
- He's boosting militarism, and has no problem invading other countries
- He's encouraging the destruction of privacy
- He has no love for people not like himself
What does that mean? What other historical figures have done the same? What course is he following? And how do we get in front of him on it?
Things we can do to protect ourselves now
- Get out of debt and stay there
- Do as little as possible to add to the green house effect
- Buy products manufactured in these United States
- Shop at small mom-and-pop shops. Chat with the proprietor, and reward liberals.
- Be a good friend to people around you. Things are going to get pretty dark. If you can stay a beacon of light and kindness and good humor, you'll be much better off.