Trump Evokes Anger
Frequent commenter and professional troll of environmental sites MarcoPolo jests that perhaps my rants are generated by a lack of vitamin B12, citing that Oxford University tests reveal low levels of B12 are linked to mood disorders, including anxiety, depression, etc.
I have to admit that I’m outraged that my country is being run by a sociopath. A year ago I thought this was more or less funny; now I’m angry. I’m not ashamed to say that, and a good 60% of the U.S. population feels the same way.
Here’s what I told my son the other day:
The rage I feel for Trump has nothing to do with my concern for you or me personally. Neither of us is black, female, gay, Jewish, in the military, working in a factory, Muslin, Latino, poor, unable to educate ourselves, denied healthcare, separated from our young children, drinking polluted water, affected by lung disease, baking in heat, worrying our little kids are going to be shot at school, or trying to recover damages as victims of a scam university or some other consumer fraud. Neither of us is excessively patriotic, so the fact the U.S. is regarded as a laughing-stock and pariah abroad isn’t the end of the world. Our stock portfolios haven’t crashed (though that could change any minute). And I’m going to be dead, and you’re going to be old before climate change makes a complete mess of this planet.
Yes, a white supremacist could run a car into me at a protest march, but in Santa Barbara?
If I didn’t care a damn for the other people in this world, it wouldn’t bother me how long Trump stays in office. But here’s the catch; Trump is actively destroying the lives of millions upon millions of people, and I have to admit that I’m seething about that.
Craig,
Y’know there’s a penalty to pay for abusive name calling, it a little like the boy who cries “wolf”, after awhile you lose credibility.
Calling political opponents sociopaths, etc or even those friendly moderates who try to persuade you to rein in your excessive outrage, and channel your passion into more productive pursuits, “professional trolls”, only damages your own credibility.
No one doubts your passion, but then passion isn’t the same thing as reason, or even commonsense. Passion, without being tempered with good judgement and an open mind can lead to fanaticism and obsession, neither of which is productive or beneficial.
You tell your son your “outrage” has nothing to with how President Trump affects you. Really ? How true is that ? How honest are you being with yourself ?
I don’t wish to be offensive, I simply ask you to look hard at yourself as an American.
You are indeed fortunate to live in comfortable, affluent Santa Barbara. From that pleasant enclave you can pontificate about the plight of those you say you care about.
Unlike the President, you haven’t toured Detroit, Cleveland, the mining towns of West Virginia, the old industrial cities where millions of Americans live. (I also toured these regions).
You say you care about American black people while loudly condemning the President as a “racist” , yet a growing number of American blacks disagree, citing real indignation at those democrat and “progressive” whites who took them for granted and patronizingly treated black political support as monolithic. The number of black voters switching to support the President is significant.
Black, especially blue collar, employment has greatly increased under the Trump administration.
What’s next, oh yeah, Jews. Despite being a WASP from Queens NY, Trump has gained massive support in the Jewish community, even among traditional Democrat voting Jewish Americans.
The military ? The President may have fallen out with some senior officers, such as Admiral McRaven, but he remains very popular among the men who served under McRaven who don’t agree with the Admiral’s opinions. Among the vast rank and file of the US military, the President is well supported.
Those working in a factory ? These are the people who deserted the Democrats and voted for Trump to keep working !
But what do you really care about any of the people on your list ? Where were you when Obama “separated families” ?
It seems you “outrage” is more about your frustration of no longer being able to impose your version of how society should operate, than any real concern for others. You seem typical of what Australian call “Chardonnay socialists with a slice of watermelon “!
The term describes self satisfied, affluent middle class, university graduates siting
self-righteously pontificating leftist ideology to friend while drinking Chardonnay (as opposed to beer). The reference to watermelon depicts the true motivation of “green” idealism, ie; green on the outside, but pink all the way through!
That’s the problem with being selective, while trying to occupy the high moral ground. The minute you start to revile and abuse those who differ, that pedestal starts to rock and the hypocrisy is revealed.
Like denouncing oil companies, while driving a diesel. Shouting smug slogans, instead of engaging in real debate, yelling abusive and demeaning name calling as a substitute for rational argument, all these things seem to confirm you are.at the best, indulging in self-delusion.
But hey, why fight ? In this time of turmoil, why not celebrate wondrous opportunities provided bay advancing technology! Why not find common ground ?
Ol’ Donald may not be the ideal President, but he may be just what’s needed to revitalize America. Love him or hate him, he is the President and maybe when we put all the scandal and rhetoric aside, his policies may just be effective and a catalyst for change.
Would it really be so very terrible if Clean Coal technology played and important part in reducing green house emissions?
Would it really be so very terrible if the US forgot it’s obsession with faded old foes and started to counter Chinese expansion ?
Would it really be so bad if the US started to regain financial and manufacturing strength ?
Would it really be so bad if blue collar America went back to meaningful employment and were no longer sneered at an called deplorable?
Would it kill you to revel in the sunshine in a Tesla roadster ? Do you remember when things were just fun, and you didn’t need to be politically correct ?
Trump is destroying the U.S.! We can’t do anything about it other than not re-elect him! The only issue with this is that lots of political figures are corrupt, unlike Trump who is just plain stupid!