Tuesday, July 16, 2019

5119 A Day That Will Live In Infamy

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

This is a comment found on a YouTube video.  Forgive the formatting (lousy Blogger).

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 Douglas Barton
Douglas Barton
1 minute ago
What is it like to live in the United States under Donald Trump?


Donald Trump is the worst president I’ve lived under, and I am 80. As many have stated, he
simply doesn’t have the mind for the job. I thought that after he was elected he might
choose to become the president of all the people. Unfortunately, that has not come to pass.

He really is a narcissist. He’s only in it for himself. He’s not even in it for his base. In fact,
he uses his base to get what he wants and massage his tender ego. But, what is worse than
Donald Trump is the tribalism that has come to the surface because of him. The rise in hate
is more than sad. It’s a travesty.

62,979,879 voted for Trump, 65,844,954 voted for Clinton 70,000,000 did not vote for
anyone, the worst voter turnout for a Presidential election in history.

It's changed how I feel about my country. I honestly didn't think this could happen here. It's
changed my view of the Republican Party, to see how they've fallen into a lockstep behind
this man. It's changed how I feel about my neighbors. (This was the worst, by far, the day
after the election, when I was literally in shock, and couldn't look at anyone, anywhere
without a feeling of suspicion and rage: Did YOU vote for him?)

It's changed how I feel about the right-wing media, from annoyance and irritation to fear and
loathing, having now seen the overwhelming power of propaganda, and a feeling of
impotence to fight against it. It's changed how I feel about the Evangelical Christian
community, from a quirky variant of Christianity to a malevolent force for evil. It's changed
my perception of humanity in general, to see how easily people can be reduced to mindless,
tribal allegiances, and how to hate and fear Trump's tolerance and love.

Among the more outspoken of conservative and religiously involved people I see on a face-
to-face basis, the intensity of anger and bitterness toward my America I hear coming out of
their heads is gut-wrenching. I can see a Nazi party from the so-called do ultra-conservative
ideologues. The USA had evolved into several nations, we have become tribal and ferocious
with each other. Many speak of politicians from the other tribe with a ferocity of hatred that
would equate more realistically to someone who’d broken into their house and
dismembered their pets. Yet, the rage is justified on the basis of what these public figures
represent, their ideologies rather than any specific harm. As I listen to what these people
have to say, what I feel is the school shooter mentality being expressed.

Probably the worst part is that all the disgusting, racist, sexist, revolting people have come
out of hiding. They think that because Trump won that they have been vindicated, and
somehow has a license to be their sick self in public whereas before they had to hide their
deplorable behavior in the name of being “politically correct.” They seem to delight in their
bright red hats and Confederate flags, using racial slurs is far more common and every time
you call them out on it they start carrying on about how you’re a “snowflake.”

America is now hated and laughed at around the World. From withdrawing from the Paris
Climate Accord, to threatening NATO and our NATO allies, to praising Putin and other
world dictators, to imposing nonsensical tariffs, Trump has relinquished America’s role as
the leader of the free world, and relegated the U.S. to the new role of a laughingstock that
can’t be trusted. And then there’s bashing the free press, bashing law enforcement, bashing
the judicial system, insulting and threatening everyone and everything that don’t agree with
him. Trump is tearing the country apart to the point that I truly believe a civil war is in the
offing if he is allowed to continue to serve. Yeah, other than that, everything is just ducky in
the old U.S.A.

I don't know what else to add. At age 80, there has been no day in my life that has changed
who I am and how I feel about the world as much as Nov. 8, 2016, a day that for me, will
live in infamy.