The election is over, but the racial and cultural resentments that led to the election of Donald Trump are not over, and the incalculable damage he will do to America and the world is just beginning. Unfortunately, when the largely rural and less-educated population that voted for him realizes that he cannot deliver on his fanciful and frequently unconstitutional promises, they are likely to blame it on all the “others” they already resent–immigrants, Jews, Muslims, African-Americans. Uppity women.
Several people have compared this election to England’s Brexit, and there are obvious parallels (including, I’ll predict, significant levels of “buyer’s remorse.”)Nativism and white nationalism, not economics, motivated both votes.
A recent essay by Zach Beauchamp in Vox makes a pretty convincing case that–much as we like to believe America is somehow different from other Western democracies, as much as we pride ourselves on our “exceptionalism”–what we are seeing here is not that different from the nativist movements currently challenging European democracies.
It’s tempting to think of Trump as something uniquely American, but the truth is that his rise is being repeated throughout the Western world, where far-right populists are rising in the polls.
In Hungary, the increasingly authoritarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, has started building a wall to keep out immigrants and holding migrants in detention camps where guards have been filmed flinging food at them as if they were zoo animals. In Italy, the anti-immigrant Northern League, led by a politician who has attacked the pope for calling for dialogue with Muslims, is polling at more than three times its 2013 level, making it the country’s third most popular party. And in Finland, the Finns Party — which wants to dramatically slash immigration numbers and keep out many non-Europeans — is part of the government. Its leader, Timo Soini, is the country’s foreign minister.
These politicians share Trump’s populist contempt for the traditional political elite. They share his authoritarian views on crime and justice. But most importantly, they share his xenophobia: They despise immigrants, vowing to close the borders to refugees and economic migrants alike, and are open in their belief that Muslims are inherently dangerous.
Beauchamp dismisses the notion that this wave of anti-immigrant activism is rooted in economics or even rejection of globalization. In his analysis, what is driving this is something far more primal: fear of difference and social change.
A vast universe of academic research suggests the real sources of the far-right’s appeal are anger over immigration and a toxic mix of racial and religious intolerance.
Beauchamp cites research done by Roger Peterson, who wanted to understand why social change led to attacks on minorities in some situations, but not others. Peterson argued that in order to understand what triggers ethnic violence, we need to understand and appreciate the role of resentment, which he defined as “the feeling of injustice on the part of a privileged portion of society when it sees power slipping into the hands of a group that hadn’t previously held it.”
Peterson concluded that a major cause of ethnic violence was change in the legal and political status of majority and minority ethnic groups, change that is met with a sense of injustice, because members of dominant groups believe they deserve to be dominant, and deeply resent it when members of other groups advance their status or pose a challenge to their pre-eminent positions.
During the 2016 campaign, that resentment–against minorities, against immigrants, and especially against women–was repeatedly found to be a more reliable predictor of support for Donald Trump than any other personal or economic characteristic.
It is that fury over social change that offers the best explanation we have for why the forces of intolerance are currently on the rise in the West. If we want to understand the world we live in today — and the one we’ll be inhabiting for years to come — we need to understand how immigration and intolerance are transforming the way white Christians vote. We need to understand that the battle between racist nationalism and liberal cosmopolitanism will be one of the defining ideological struggles of the 21st century. And we need to understand that Donald Trump is not an accident. He’s a harbinger.
People of good will have our work cut out for us.
Sheila: “People of good will have our work cut out for us.”
How can we lose when we have Santa Claus Trump on our side?
addendum: at least until January 21, 2017
History certainly can be a distant mirror. We may be experiencing a wave of migration similar to that experienced by Rome when Visgoths came to town followed by myriad migrants descending from the Steppes of Central Asia. It will not be stopped by walls or armies, but the great things of our western culture need not disappear. If Plato and Aristole disappear, if Bach and Beethoven are forgotten, if civil discourse is to be corrupted, it will be our own fault,not that of Mexicans or Syrians seeking a more decent life.
I believe the source of anger in this country is the economic inequality that has been growing in the past thirty years. The middle class has been gutted and we were the main source of the tax revenue. People have lost their jobs and are forced into low paying part time work with no benefits or are many times not able to find employment at all. This is especially true for those who are in their fifties or older.
While racism and nativism has come out into the open in this political campaign, I tend to believe that it is easier for people to blame others who can’t defend themselves when the real target for their anger is the wealthy elite who have bought the tax and regulation policies that have enabled them to gain unimaginable wealth at our expense.
Regarding the wars in the middle east, I have found both Republicans and Democrats sick and tired of our intrusion into other countries’ battles. We DO believe the reason that we have been forced into those wars has been to protect the interests of oil magnates. Far too many lives have been lost to protect their interests and we had no business getting involved in trying to force other countries to accept OUR type of governing.
The coal industry has been on a downhill slide for a couple decades and the wealthy coal magnates have been buying Republican politician votes to try to save the source of their wealth. Pence is a coal prostitute and Trump has claimed that he will save them too. It is time for those employees to receive training for other jobs, whether they are in other sources of energy or another industry. Our politicians have got to stop accepting bribes from the 1% and start doing what is right for our citizens and the survival of our country. Unfortunately, I am not hopeful that Trump won’t fall into that trap himself since he does seem to be a greedy person who is out only for himself.
Agree with the analysis. Another aspect of the transition to Trump America is those being considered for leadership in his administration – Christie, Giuliani, Gingrich, Conway. I shudder to think of the policies that they will generate in support of their own bloated egos and for the purpose of putting money in their pockets the pockets of their associates. I just started drawing Social Security and Medicare is my primary health insurance; I wonder how long those social safety nets will remain as they are. I also sense congressional republicans licking their chops at this opportunity to starve the government. Ryan and McConnell (two career politicians) are about to seize control without adult oversight in the White House. I am discussing relocating to another country; my American citizenship is diminished and my country is dying; it’s starting to stink.
Nancy,
I agree with your excellent comments and would only add that the coming tragedy of the Trump election will be that those who voted for him because they believed he would bring about economic change will find that all they will get is a giant movement back into the social structure of the 1950s.
I agree with much of his analysis, but who exactly are the “people of good”?
For a moment, I’ll assume you’re speaking about the opposing corporate owned political party called “democrats”, since our corrupt political system has written numerous laws and has built in many protections to preserve their power.
The reason the Democratic Party lost is they pushed an unpopular corrupt establishment politician on a society revolting from establishment politicians. One doesn’t need a doctorate the conclude what happened. And, it wasn’t just the POTUS.
The Democratic Party is out of touch with the American people since they made a conscious decision to align itself with Wall Street in 1992. It doesn’t take long to read Podesta emails to determine how the meritocracy of the Washington establishment operates. It’s how the rich get richer, and the working class gets stiffed. We don’t have the press or our government serving us any longer, so the disenfranchised rise up. Read Paulo Friere’s, Pedagogy of the Oppressed:
“Leaders who do not act dialogically, but insist on imposing their decisions, do not organize the people–they manipulate them. They do not liberate, nor are they liberated: they oppress.”
The Democratic Party imposed their decision to run Hillary Clinton so she could make history. She was unpopular and represented the Washington establishment like no other candidate. The oppressed people of establishment politics, soundly rejected her.
Now, we have Trump.
Glenn Greenwald put together a nice article worth reading, but it will step on toes. I find to funny that many people consider Glenn a left-wing extremist. Our conservative brothers and sisters confuse Fascism and Socialism as a concoction from the left, but they are completely different topics. Anyway, enjoy the article:
https://theintercept.com/2016/11/09/democrats-trump-and-the-ongoing-dangerous-refusal-to-learn-the-lesson-of-brexit/
I’ve laughed (well, to myself, anyway) about our “exceptionalism” since I first heard of the concept. We’re not exceptional — we’re just European and mostly Anglo-Saxon, separated from that continent by a large body of water.
And, what I see going on now has gone on before, especially this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite
I’m sure that when the transformation was made from making tools of stone to bronze ones, the same thing happened.
It’s not new. But, sadly, nobody has yet learned how to make it go smoothly.
The 1st priority for those of us who are planning to stay should be to protect what’s left of American democracy. We can’t do that unless we have a COUNTERVAILING force to match up with the Tea Party Movement. That’s our only hope for regaining some minimal level of national political EQUILIBRIUM. Thucydides explained this necessity almost 2500 years ago. I hope we have learned this lesson from our “stinging defeat” last Tuesday.
To respond to this blog I am going to resort to plagiarism from the writings of our founding fathers…who could not in their worst nightmares have envisioned Donald Trump and his minions.
Declaration of Independence:
“… We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Trump stated HIS self-evident truths in his ranting speeches at his rallies and included HIS unalienable Rights regarding HIS Pursuit of Happiness.
The Constitution of the United States of America:
“We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Trump has clearly stated those he deems unqualified to benefit from the protection of the Constitution and swore, repeatedly, to deport them “deep into other countries”.
“People of good will have our work cut out for us.”
Where and how do we begin? I do not condone rioting and violence but…I understand those across this country who have responded in this manner against the election of a Facist tyrant as president. I will never believe it wasn’t his money and that of the Koch brothers, the Tea Party and the entire GOP who, with major assistance from our own FBI, have brought this about.
Being a silly old woman too disabled to march in protests and sick at heart with this entire election procedure, was so angry when I opened my Indianapolis Star this morning and almost the entire front page is a picture of smirking Donald Trump I needed to do something – anything – to vent my anger, I staged my own small rebellion by burning Trump in effigy. I crumpled the entire front page of the Star and set fire to it on the sidewalk at the bottom my my front steps. I stood in my pj’s and robe in 34 degree temp and watched it burn to a small amount of black ash. Told you I was a silly old woman but it made me feel good to destroy one copy of that picture – which I paid to have delivered to my front door.
Locally and in addition to today’s blog regarding “the work cut out for us”; page 3 of Section A of the Star holds this headline, “Holcomb looks to Daniels team”. We will never get shut of Daniels who based much of his administration on Goldsmith’s mayoral administration and the continuing use of his tactics and his personal aides at city and state levels which was the beginning of the downhill slide to the slime we are mired in today.
JoAnn,
Way to go. Remember the Alamo!
I just caught up on your blogs this morning.
This 63 yr. old was in shock, grief, sleep-deprivation and tears yesterday.
The most recent national vote tallies I can find indicate that 184,362,766 votes have been counted. Of those 65, 896,096 were NOT for Trump.
We are unfortunately saddled with an anachronism called the Electoral College. I think it’s time to start a conversation and movement to remove it from the Constitution.
Sheila, correct me if I’m misinformed but it was created as a way to get the Southern Slaveholding States to agree to accept the Constitution since they were concerned about the larger populations of the northern states negating their rights to own slaves.
As a Progressive I’m interested in knowing if others are interested in forming a local chapter of OurRevolution – the Bernie Sanders inspired movement. If so, how would we do this?
During my high school and college years, and when I lived in Minneapolis I was involved in local politics. I’d like to find like-minded folks to come together here to create something new.
I look forward to responses on this Blog.
Marv; you “Remember the Alamo”, I ignore it along with Columbus Day. Texas should be given back to Mexico BEFORE Trump builds his wall…but I believe they would stage another “Alamo” to prevent the return.
The open dialogue we’ve had on this blog will be in serious jeopardy once Trump is sworn in. Don’t live in a dream world. The stakes will be much higher and, consequently, the retaliation against those who speak out against the REGIME will be much more severe than NOW.
Nancy’s analysis is right on. The underlying problem, as usual, is economic, and the whitelash will backlash when those who voted for Trump find he cannot, will not and never intended to relieve them of their plight with his silly chatter about tearing up trade treaties, bringing back high-paying jobs to rusted out factories etc. Racist help from the KKK and other right wing zealots were helpful in electing this real estate promoter to the throne, but they will be disappointed too since his main purpose in life is to make money with other peoples’ money, take the interest paid on such loans and the depreciation on the finished product and other credits and deductions and thus pay no taxes. He has no real interest in seeing that the David Dukes of this world have their superiority status confirmed or that the underclass shares the fruits of our economy equitably with Wall Street. He has a businessman’s mindset, and after all, labor costs are a drag on corporate bottom lines. He was very clear about some of the problems encountered by the rank and file but hazy about solutions, as they will see. He cannot reverse globalization, accelerating robotics, or change itself; but he can engage in illusion and delusion by feeding such non-realities into the political maw and seeing what sticks. Enough did to provide him ascent to the throne, but now all of us will see that the emperor wears no clothes and that the Wizard at the end of the yellow brick road is actually just a befuddled old man full of it. Question – will Putin ride with him in the inaugural parade, waving at the adoring masses?
Tuesday morning, I got an opportunity to do something I was never able to do before. I voted for a woman to be President of the United States. For the second time in this century, the person who won the popular vote lost the election. Some have suggested that it is best to flee the country. Some are protesting the outcome. Neither of these two things will help our country.
If you say we are a country that is run by the wealthy, let me remind you that that is precisely what the founding fathers had in mind when they designed a system in which only propertied white men got to vote. The only middle class guy to ever be President was Harry Truman.
For those of us who are disappointed in the results what is left is to build something better. We have to start now to turn Democrats from once every four years voters to EVERY ELECTION voters. We have to be engaged to make sure that the rights of people are protected. I intend to do just that.
JoAnn,
I’m just trying to keep you motivated.
JoAnn,
Copied from your post:
Declaration of Independence:
“… We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
A major problem with this statement is that they were only including Men – specifically White Men. They were not considering women or slaves to be equal when this was written. It seems that not a lot has changed since then.
Nancy,
Ditto
Marv,
Regarding your 8:25 comment…..it has already started.
Trump never said he was bringing high paying jobs back to America. He wants to abolish minimum wage so his voters can compete with China for $2 an hour. I shudder for the foolish who relied on his promises and voted for him
If Trump had won the popular vote and lost by the electoral college, I can’t even fathom the venom and hatred that would be coming from the GOP. They would rise up and demand that the decision be reversed. Unfortunately, the Dem party doesn’t have the strength to do the same.
Gail, we will ALL be suffering – thanks to those who relied on his promises. It won’t be just the ones who voted for him.
While anger at economic inequality is probably explanatory it’s incomplete. It is incomplete because though it’s easy to understand, the salient point is that it’s not an informed reason to vote for or against any American President. Why? It’s a sign of the times not related to government policy. The President can’t do anything about it.
Clever politicians invented a connection between trade policy and economic inequality in order to have stuff to blame on the incumbent administration.
The obsolescence of many traditional American jobs is due to the maturation of containerized shipping, computers and the Internet and global corporations. Trade Agreements merely recognize what the voters are ignorant about; that the world is changing so fast that in any lifetime now multiple career iterations are the norm not the exception.
Comfortable factory workers are dreaming of an alternative reality that no longer exists.
The proximate cause of electing a deplorable is ignorance. An underinformed and inadequately educated electorate. The non college educated white males are the civically illiterate that Sheila has talked about for as long as I have been coming here.
The cure is of course lifelong education.
Who thinks that a deplorable regressive administration is going to improve education?
This talk of everyone coming together “to heal” is something that political leaders must do in order to have a peaceful transition of power, but that’s like telling the left to stand still while they punch them. There’s no “healing” while wounds are still being inflicted. Pence has a free pass to subject the country to the same sort of sneaky, regressive tactics that he did in Indiana. I’m sure he can barely contain himself. There is a lot to lose in the next two years, at least. I’m happy to say, however, that on this train ride back to the ’50’s, there will be an extended stop in the ’60’s.
Nancy and Marv; I didn’t miss the reference only to “Men”, I forgot to note that is Trump’s position on who is entitled to rights in this country. Along with Pence; our most private parts are “up for grabs” (no pun intended) and in the control of election politicians.
I have seen a news item on AOL stating Queen Elizabeth would be agreeable to regaining control of this country. Didn’t read it so no idea if it was in jest; I do remember they and Canada both considered passing laws to prevent Trump from crossing their borders soooo….it might be worth considering.
Wallflower,
“This talk of everyone coming together “to heal” is something that political leaders must do in order to have a peaceful transition of power, but that’s like telling the left to stand still while they punch them. There’s no “healing” while wounds are still being inflicted. Pence has a free pass to subject the country to the same sort of sneaky, regressive tactics that he did in Indiana.”
Pence has a free pass that was given to him by an IMPOTENT Democratic Party. Don’t put all the blame on Pence. He deserves NO MORE THAN 50%.
JoAnn, I laughed out loud reading that you burned Trump’s photo this morning in your pjs. I love what you posted on facebook yesterday and was proud that one of your grandchildren shared it on their wall too. You should copy it for us here. It’s brilliant.
My eyes are still swollen for the tears I shed yesterday. I have barely slept since Monday because I wanted to see the results and got up at 2am (Wed) to see if our First Woman President was called at that hour. The longer I was up, the sadness overcame me and then horror that we have this completely unfit person as our President elect. OMG. I am watching in horror as the protests commence in major cities which is another thing I feared no matter who won this week. Van Jones has had some sober ideas about managing this stress posted on facebook too.
The Democratic Underground (.com) is my go-to site for all things liberals and they got hacked on Tuesday afternoon and have not been able to get their site up yet. Who did that!? What is happening?
AgingLGrl,
“The Democratic Underground (.com) is my go-to site for all things liberals and they got hacked on Tuesday afternoon and have not been able to get their site up yet. Who did that!? What is happening?”
We’re confusing an election with a TAKEOVER.
Wallflower,
“This talk of everyone coming together “to heal” is something that political leaders must do in order to have a peaceful transition of power, but that’s like telling the left to stand still while they punch them.”
A short history lesson for the BBC in 1938:
1938: ‘Peace for our time’ – Chamberlain
The British Prime Minister has been hailed as bringing “peace to Europe” after signing a non-aggression pact with Germany.
PM Neville Chamberlain arrived back in the UK today, holding an agreement signed by Adolf Hitler which stated the German leader’s desire never to go to war with Britain again.
The two men met at the Munich conference between Britain, Germany, Italy and France yesterday, convened to decide the future of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland.
Mr. Chamberlain declared the accord with the Germans signalled “peace for our time”, after he had read it to a jubilant crowd gathered at Heston airport in west London.
The German leader stated in the agreement: “We are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe.”
But many MPs are bound to criticize it as part of the Prime Minister’s “appeasement” of German aggression in Europe.
And Mr. Chamberlain’s personal pact will be little comfort to the Czechoslovakian Government which has been forced to hand over the region of Sudetenland to Germany, despite not being present at the conference.
After greeting members of the public at the airport, Mr. Chamberlain appeared in front of another rejoicing throng on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the King and Queen, and again later outside 10 Downing Street.
The British Prime Minister was forced to mobilize the Royal Navy four days ago when Germany announced it was building massive fortifications in Rhineland.
But the Conservative leader has always expressed his desire to find a peaceful solution to the Fuehrer’s wish to create a new – and enlarged – German homeland in Europe.
PM Neville Chamberlain arriving at Heston airport with the non-aggression pact in hand
PM Neville Chamberlain read out the agreement to jubilant crowds
In Context from the BBC:
Adolf Hitler did not keep to the promises he made to Neville Chamberlain in September 1938.
A year later the German leader derided the agreement as just a “scrap of paper” and invaded Poland on 1 September 1939.
Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany two days later and the Second World War began.
Doesn’t this sound offaly familiar? It does to me.
Todd, excellent link to the Greenwald article on The Intercept. As Greenwald said in his article – >> Democrats have already begun flailing around trying to blame anyone and everyone they can find — everyone except themselves — for last night’s crushing defeat of their party.
You know the drearily predictable list of their scapegoats: Russia, WikiLeaks, James Comey, Jill Stein, Bernie Bros, The Media, news outlets (including, perhaps especially, The Intercept) that sinned by reporting negatively on Hillary Clinton. < The indisputable fact is that prevailing institutions of authority in the West, for decades, have relentlessly and with complete indifference stomped on the economic welfare and social security of hundreds of millions of people. While elite circles gorged themselves on globalism, free trade, Wall Street casino gambling, and endless wars (wars that enriched the perpetrators and sent the poorest and most marginalized to bear all their burdens).<<
I was watching yesterday some talking heads on CNN or MSNBC and they got part of it right. They concluded that Hillary lost because the electorate is fed up with status quo at least at the top. They saw Trump and Sanders as the backlash against the establishment. They did manage to blame Bernie in a back hand way for revealing some of Hillary's fault lines. Their echo chamber conclusion the Democrats should have selected Joe Biden. CNN and MSNBC still cannot admit Sanders would have been a far more formidable candidate than Hillary or Biden.
JoAnn,
We are in a transitioning time. We’ve gone from “following the money” to “following the Nazis.” Do you disagree?
Marv; I totally agree and am more frightened than ever. Don’t know if I mentioned on the blog or not about posting on Facebook that I see SIX Trump yard signs from my front door and pass FIVE more on my walks and it scares me. One man actually responded, “You are afraid of signs? Lady you have a problem.” Along with the Nazi faction, that is the mental level of that “basket full of Deplorables” Hillary referred to – and never should have apologized for. I thought she was being too nice.
AgingLGrl; thanks for the laugh and the support. The Facebook comments resulted from a friend of a friend’s question after I copied a post from my long time friend and internationally talented jazz musician, Royce Campbell. He posted for any of his Facebook friends who support Trump to please “unfriend” him. The message from the friend of a friend asked if I was serious, that was my response.
I think most of us, not only on this blog, but all who watched this campaign, who feared but never really believed Trump would be elected, have been knocked off balance. I feel like the alcoholic lady in my aunt’s AA group who told about getting drunk and had to run away from her husband before he found out. She jumped on a horse but everywhere she went, her husband got there first. She had gotten on a merry-go-round. Everywhere I look, Trump got there first, makes me wish I COULD drink to escape him.
What I will post on Facebook later today.
The Republican Party, recently subjected to a hostile takeover by the Trump/Putin/Comey alliance, would like Americans now to accept that President Donald Deplorable is normal rather than the massive aberration that it is.
While they invented “not my President” in reaction to the the fact of our first half black President 8 years ago they are requesting that it be retired.
I say when you see a nude king you should not be politically correct and say “what fine raiments sir” you should call it like it is.
He in no way ever will represent me.
#notmypresident
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT
Here we go again in less than 48 hours: Checkmate on the American Jewish Community’s potential backlash to Trump’s anti-Semitism.
Netanyahu accepts Trump invite for meeting in US
The Hill 21 hours ago
See my site: http://www.EthicalFront.net
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an offer from President-elect Donald Trump to meet in the United States, according to ABC News. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier Wednesday that Trump had invited Netanyahu to the U.S. for a meeting. Netanyahu called Trump to congratulation him on his victory against Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham Clinton. Gingrich wants to be ‘chief planner’ in Trump administration. 7 reasons Trump won and we’re surprised ‘How did Trump win?’ tops Google searches MORE in the presidential election, according to the newspaper. Last week, Trump unveiled an Israel policy that expressed skepticism of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians and pushed for the U.S. to exceed its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Israel. …
Trump can’t be allowed to make this move without massive protests. This MOVE must be CHECKED. It will only make the anti-Semitism more rabid while, also,raising the level of hatred toward all other oppositional groups.
addendum: I might not have mentioned it before, but in the late 80’s I was a spokesperson for the Jewish War Veterans which represented over 250,000 veterans.
Our stand must be now, not later. THE NETANYAHU AFFAIR is our chance. There might not be another one as lucrative as this one, despite the backlash. Trump is vulnerable after this move and he doesn’t know it. As I said before, he is Santa Claus in disguise.
Let’s start what might be later called the AMERICAN FALL. Use FACEBOOK.
Just when I think the terror I’ve felt since it became clear that Trump/Pence would win and the Tea Party Repubs would control both Houses of Congress seems to subside a bit, a new wave of terror hits me. And unfortunately, terror is not hyperbole for what I feel.
As something to occupy me yesterday, since I couldn’t divert my mind to anything else anyway, I wrote an email message to a friend predicting what would take place on the 1st day of Trump’s presidency alone, and which of Trump’s promises during the campaign he might be able to make good on. Of course, Job #1 will be to repeal ObamaCare, which will be done and Trump will sign on the 1st day. Although a few Repubs will mouth something about replacing it with something “better,” maybe tax credits (certainly will help those who don’t make enough to pay taxes), but that will be for sometime later; meaning never.
But the magnitude of what will undoubtedly occur in the 1st 100 days of Trump’s Presidency just smacked me hard in the face this morning — like a dark cloud enveloping me. Would have gone back to bed, but sleep is not coming easy. We all wanted rid of the Gridlock in D.C. Well we got it. The amount of things Congress will pass in those 1st 100 days will make our heads spin.
We’ve just handed over the keys to the Federal Government to the people, and many of their supporters, whose overarching goal has been and is to blow up the Federal Government. The Tea Party/conservative “initiatives” have, up until Jan 20th 2017, been largely blocked either by having a Demo President or not having control of both houses of Congress. No more. And an Anti-Abortion hardline conservative will soon be sitting on the Supreme Court (God forbid any of the other Octogenarians in failing health die in the next 4 years)
In addition to repealing ObamaCare, build a Wall, and deporting illegal immigrants and Muslims, the list of things they want to do is exceedingly long:
Lowering taxes on the rich and businesses; repeal the banking and Wall Street reforms put in place after the last Repub recession; repeal what remains of the Voting Rights Act; abolish the Consumer Protection Agency; abolish the Environmental Protection Agency; abolish the Dep’t of Education; abolish the IRS; cut funding for Planned Parenthood; cut funding for SNAP (food stamps) and what’s left of the other “safety net” welfare programs to finance the tax cuts for the rich; turn over the National Forests and Federal Lands to ranchers, mining and energy interests to do with as they please (some would like to see the National Parks given to the States); cutting Medicare to pay for the tax cuts to the rich; void the Climate Change treaties and eliminate regulations on the energy and oil industries and the attempts to lower the use of fossil fuels; build the oil pipelines (if the oil industry is still interested given current energy prices).
And that’s only a partial list of what they want to and can now do with no impediments. I predict that the new unemployed will be droves of Federal bureaucrats in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Even if we can limit Trump/Pence to one term and perhaps return control of the Senate to the Dems, the damage to the country and people is going to be so huge that I’m not sure it can be undone. I hope I’m wrong about that.
My biggest fear, as it is of others such as Marv, is that when the angry folks who voted for Trump finally figure out that nothing much has really gotten better for them (sure there will be less Mexicans, and Muslims around to blame so they might feel a little better about that), their anger can be easily, once again, manipulated, and the U.S. will in fact become a Fascist country. We know that they’re coming for the Hispanic/Latinos and Muslims first. The only question is what group will be next. Which, of course, brings us back to Professor Kennedy’s topic for today.
Insight at a time in which it is sorely needed.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/09/rise-of-the-davos-class-sealed-americas-fate?CMP=share_btn_fb
David F,
Terrific overview.
As a college student I worked tirelessly for civil rights–sit-ins, marches, bus rides. Finally, there was legislation. But, legislation cannot change attitudes. As a young woman I worked relentless-ly for the Equal Rights Amendment, dragging my daughters to marches and protests and parties to print fliers and stuff envelopes. Finally, there was legislation. But, again legislation cannot change attitudes. When women earned the vote in 1920(no, I wasn’t involved in that) 72 years after the Seneca Convention met to demand equal rights for women, headlines warned “Next there’ll be a woman president!” I naively thought it would happen in my lifetime just as soon as a capable, qualified woman ran. Now I realize that it will not happen in my lifetime and I’m filled with grief that the major issues I’ve spent my energies supporting have moved forward, not by miles or yard, but inches. Even worse than seeing an able, brilliant, qualified, couragous woman defeated was seeing able brilliant, qualified candidates for governor and senator in Indiana defeated. Capability means nothing. Party affiliation is everything. I’ll move forward and continue a joyous life, just not today.
One of the other posts here mentions the Dems blaming the media. Well I do put some partial blame on the more mainstream media. Here in Tucson, where I live, the only local newspaper — if you want to call it that, refused to endorse either Clinton or Trump. Not saying it would have made a difference. Hell, the former Pulliam paper in Phoenix at least endorsed Clinton and got death threats for doing it.
But more pertinent. The major news networks and media, for the most part, just pretended that this was a normal campaign. Report what she said. Report what he said. Only rarely pointing out that what “he” said is not only untrue but often bat-shit crazy. Fox News certainly had no such reticence.
As a somewhat humorous aside on the network news media, if what has happened and is about to happen wasn’t so serious. I switched between all 3 of the old line major networks’ coverage and also PBS. No matter which one we were watching, as it became increasing clear that Trump was going to win, you could see that the talking heads were doing their best to hide it, but you could tell that they all were not only astonished but couldn’t believe it (of course neither could I for that matter). Like how could this possibly have happened? Now watch. Most of them will now be currying favor with Trump and toadying up to him; otherwise he will ban them from the press conferences, access to his top advisors, and who knows what else. That’s almost a certainty; he already did it during his campaign.
Finally, I also believe Comey deserves some blame/credit for Trump winning. BTW: not that this now makes any difference at all.
Clinton still managed to win the popular vote even in spite of what he did. Before Comey’s Friday afternoon massacre, by all reports Clinton was sailing to a somewhat easy victory and might even gain a few Senate seats. The “experts” might have been wrong about where she stood before that Friday, but it’s absolutely clear that what Comey did not only energized the Trump campaign, but Clinton’s numbers went down significantly and never really recovered. Water over the dam, but Comey’s action clearly did have an effect on the outcome of the election.
Pete,
The Guardian article was much more than empty words, but rhetoric nevertheless. They admit that there is no leadership. The problem is that leadership can not come from politicians or the internet or the media. They don’t have the potential for the requisite TRUST to mobilize an effective ORGANIZATIONAL response.
I’ve had a couple of days to recover and think more about things, and I think Nancy’s comments are spot-on. I think that most people who voted for UNA [“un-named asshole”] overlooked what they knew were horrible things he said and obvious emotional problems and personality flaws because they thought he stood for principles they supported. Some, of course, are racists, xenophobes and misogynists, but not all or even most of them. See, I have to believe that I don’t live in a country that thinks that GOP stands for “grab our pussies”. Otherwise, I’d have to leave and live in Europe or some other country. No, I think most of UNA’s voters were upset about several things and that drove the vote; however, I also think they don’t realize that UNA can’t deliver on his promises.
I do think illegal immigration is probably the biggest factor, coupled with the erosion of the middle class. People don’t like it when illegal immigrants come here in droves knowing they are breaking the law, but nevertheless live here, go to U.S. schools and hospitals that others pay for without paying their share of income taxes. The low wages they accept jack up profits for the restaurants, hotels and other service industries where they mostly work and this does drive down wages for people at the lower end of the income spectrum. There was no end in sight for this, and people are angry about it and want it stopped. Washington wasn’t listening. They still won’t be listening because there are too many business owners and companies that are capitalizing on low wage illegal labor and want to keep them here. UNA’s voters will be disappointed.
I also think that the fears about the escalating cost of health insurance and prescriptions played a role. The ridiculous cost of health insurance is partly the failure of state regulation of the insurance industry. Indiana is among the worst. Premiums, CEO salaries and bonuses keep rising, deductibles and co-pays keep going up, but income and interest on investment are stagnant. No one wants to wake up one day being too old or too sick to work, unable to afford health insurance and prescriptions, and facing a dismal future of chronic illness and fear of poverty. That’s how things were before Medicare and Social Security.
If UNA really is as smart as he claims to be, he should be scared shitless! He has no idea how to do most of the things he boasted about, how to build a consensus to get things done, who the power players really are or how the political system works. Grandiosity and bullshitting got him this far, but it won’t carry the day. He already is the most disliked Presidential winner, and when his supporters realize he can’t deliver, it won’t be safe for him to venture outside of his golden tower. According to the news last night, it already isn’t.
“CNN and MSNBC still cannot admit Sanders would have been a far more formidable candidate than Hillary or Biden”
The people that came out to vote were not Sander’s people. The media did not vet Mr. Sander’s past while running in the primaries, but the Republican operatives would have had a field day. He didn’t have a real income until his 40s, essentially scraping by with side projects and the work of his live-in girlfriend that supported Bernie and a child. He was fascinated by Nicaraguan rebels and the leader that is now a corrupt dictator, fawning over Castro and honeymooning in Russia. He sent nuclear waste down to Texas to an impoverished area, and saw his wife put on the board, profiting from other’s misery. His wife’s questionable financial management destroyed a college. He employs family members, a questionable tactic. The only black staffer he had was when he hired campaign workers in 2015. His colleagues describe him as surly, vindictive and temperamental. The Republicans would have turned him into a draft dodger instead of a conscientious objector, a deadbeat dad, a Socialist, out of touch with the average man, A Godless, yet frightening atheist also touched by “New York values.” Even more, the traditional Democratic base that actually votes did not find him appealing enough to vote for him. After all, his campaign efforts in the South among black Democrats actually saw his numbers go down before Super Tuesday.
I apologize for the rant. I am a lifelong Democrat and I can’t ignore the actual votes that were cast for Hillary and against Bernie. We all have much to deal with as progressives and moderates fight for the heart of the party. The progressives didn’t have enough momentum to stop Hillary in the primaries, and they could not overcome the Rust Belt voters that rose up for Trump.
Natacha,
The GOP in congress is already boasting that the ACA will be the first thing to be destroyed. If they replace it at all, it will be with tax credits for full premiums that must be paid. This means the millions who gained health insurance coverage via the ACA (incl me) will be uninsured once again and will face the potential loss of my home if I suffer any type of catastrophic illness or accident. We didn’t have insurance before because we couldn’t afford the exhorbitant premiums. It will return to that.
Oh, and lets not forget, the GOP will also allow ins companies to return to the policy of denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. That will again be applied to those who have insurance through their employers.
Some countries view at least a minimal level of basic health care as a human right, on the same par as basic fire and police protection. Extras, such as plastic surgery, aren’t covered. I agree with this approach. You might want to see a lawyer about putting your home into a family trust to avoid the potential of losing it in the case of accident or catastrophic illness.
I’m posting a link to an article that actually describes what we, as Democrats, are feeling a sense of great loss about in this election.
He is a Christian pastor I follow on facebook because he writes eloquently about how I feel and believe. He is not the typical bible thumping pastor, but one who openly speaks about how you need not go to church on Sunday mornings to be a good Christian. He condemns much of how people who like to call themselves Christians behave.
If it interests you, enjoy ……
http://johnpavlovitz.com/2016/11/09/heres-why-we-grieve-today/
Natacha:
I think you have correctly identified many things that drove the vote for Trump/Pence. i.e, resentment of others that don’t look, talk or worship as you do as Professor Kennedy’s post documents. I do, however, have several disagreements with some of the things you have set out in support of your points.
For example, illegal immigrants, at least the ones who are employed, do pay taxes. Assuming the employer isn’t working totally off the books, State and Federal income taxes, FICA taxes are withheld from their wages. Of course, since they don’t file tax returns and can’t collect Social Security or get Medicare, those taxes are a net benefit to the U.S. and state and local governments. They also pay sales taxes, and other local fees and taxes, such as Gas taxes. They also spend money for food, shelter, clothing; helping to support the local economies they live in. Although there are disagreements in the research, there is considerable research supporting the proposition that illegal immigrants, even though their kids go to “our” schools and they use “our” hospitals, are actually either revenue neutral or maybe a slight net revenue gain to governmental income.
Secondly, historically most of the jobs illegal immigrants take are low paying jobs, most of which are open because no one else will do that kind of hard labor at any economically possible wage an employer could pay (just a side note; most of the immigrants presently illegally entering the country are women and children, many unaccompanied by an adult, and are coming from Central America, not Mexico). The farmers in California still are complaining that they can’t find enough people to work in the fields since the U.S. government has tightened up on broader security and smaller numbers of illegals are coming here.
Those jobs are available right now. Come and get ’em. Of course, if the wages were raised so more “legal” people in this country might want to take those jobs, what the rest of us pay for food and groceries will also skyrocket as well what we pay for all the other services illegal aliens tend to work. So you and I, all of us actually do get an economic benefit by their working for low wages. Even if the wages for these jobs were raised, not sure many folks, who complain about illegals taking jobs away from them, would be willing to do that hard labor.
But grant your point, that their willingness to work for lower wages does benefit employers and business (and all of the rest of us who buy or use those products) and may have an effect on driving down wages overall. I also grant your point that they are in fact “Illegal” and have violated the law by coming here illegally. Something needs to be worked out to provide a suitable punishment for being here illegally, short of mass deporting 11 million people, many of whom have never lived in Mexico or anywhere but here.
Health care medical, prescription and insurance costs. Yes a lot of people are mad about that. The ironic thing is that ObamaCare is in fact Romney Care, which was originally envisioned by right wing think tank types as a way of providing (nearly) universal health insurance for everyone without destroying the Health Insurance industry (and the millions of jobs it supports) by changing to a single payer system. A win/win. People get insurance. The Insurance companies get to keep on making money.
It obviously hasn’t quite worked out that way yet for ObamaCare for several reasons, all of which might be fixable. And perhaps what ObamaCare really needs to work better and cheaper is more time to get more people, especially young people, to buy in — which it now won’t get. But it won’t be replaced by anything. So be happy if you (if you do) still have an employer who pays for a large part of your health insurance — even if you’re paying more out-of-pocket. Trump and his buds in Congress aren’t going to do anything to fix it.
As far as not wanting to be without Medicare and Social Security in our old age (Amen, to that), I wouldn’t be so bold as to say that major changes aren’t in store for SS and Medicare — and the changes made won’t be anything that will benefit the average working person. The only good thing for old folks, like myself, is I don’t think even this bunch of thugs would mess with the Soc. Security and Medicare for people already receiving it or about to receive it soon. So it’s going to be a lot of those young people out there, who didn’t think Clinton cared about them, that will take the hits on SS and Medicare “reform.”
Finally, I predict Trump with the aid of the Tea Party Congress will, in fact, will be able to deliver on many of his campaign promises, as I posted earlier. Mexicans and Muslims will be deported — maybe not 11 million — but huge increases. Muslims and refugees will be barred from the country. Obama Care will be repealed. Income taxes for the rich and businesses will be lowered. Maybe the whole Wall won’t get built, but he will spend billions on building new and extended sections of it (but Mexico will never pay for it). He will probably be able to avoid or refuse to honor trade agreements and the Climate Change agreements.
On the other hand, I agree that on foreign affairs, protecting us from terrorists, defeating ISIS he will be a total disaster. Putin will play him like a banjo. And perhaps the biggest thing that Trump can’t and won’t be able to deliver on is bringing back those good paying factory jobs.
As you pointed out, the problem for Trump is that even if he’s able to deliver on many of the things he has promised aren’t going to really help most of the people who voted for him and who are angry about the things you have pointed out. So they’re going to remain frustrated and angry. The only question is at who and where does that anger gets pointed and channeled? I hope that I’m wrong, but I think that anger and resentment won’t fall on Trump’s or his buddies’ heads.
That continued anger and resentment can be manipulated, as it already has been, to continue to scapegoat and blame all their problems on others just as long as there is somebody else or some group out there to heap blame on; all the better if they don’t look, talk, dress, or worship as “we” do. Which, once again, brings us back to the point of Professor Kennedy’s post today.
Are they going to wake up 4 years from now and say: “Damn, I’d have been better off if I had voted for Hillary and the Dems.” That’s truly scary part.
mizzbee; did you pay any attention to BERNIE SANDERS when he asked, then told, his supporters NOT to write in his name and to support his endorsement of Hillary. Did you read the letter BERNIE SANDERS wrote to the chairman of “Bernie Or Bust” with the list if HIS issues which Hillary had to agree to include in her Democratic Campaign Platform? I copied his demands down and Hillary did refer to all of them in her acceptance speech; we will never know if she would have honored them or not but we KNOW they are issues Trump, Pence and the entire GOP are against. Did you notice on the last night of the National Democratic Convention that BERNIE SANDERS gave his full support and his vote to Hillary Clinton? But; did you notice that BERNIE SANDERS did NOT turn his 46% of the electoral votes over to Hillary? He worked hard to earn those votes and he made history earning them along with the millions of dollars in donations from the American people.
Had BERNIE SANDERS received the Democratic nomination we would not be facing the nightmare of a Trump/Pence presidency. I question where you got all of your negative information about Bernie when no one else in any of the four political parties had access to it or it would have been known from the beginning and the Democratic party would not have wasted time, work and money supporting him. It is not a requirement to like any political candidate; Bernie was liked, respected, supported, accepted no corporate donations; the American people wanted Bernie then thousands turned their backs on him when he lost the nomination and told his supporters to support Hillary along with him – those supposed Bernie supporters failed him and lost the Democratic party the Presidency.