What a week.
So this week started with Donald Trump debating Joe Biden in the first of what is supposed to be 3 rounds of debates. I’m pretty sure that what I saw wasn’t a debate per se, but more a trio of old farts bickering at each other in the hopes of firing up their bases (or in Chris Wallace’s case, his ratings) ahead of November.
There was no structure, no moderation, and no fucks given about the rules of a debate. Instead, what I saw were two leftists basically ganging up on a guy who couldn’t just walk away from the press like he’s done before. However, Don was more like a caged animal at that point, and despite my dislike for him, one thing he said resonates with me:
“I’ve done more in 47 months than you’ve done in 47 years.”
That’s one thing he has going in his favor. He was not the lazy, do-nothing president that many others have been. Executive orders flew from his desk so fast I thought he was going to get carpal tunnel syndrome from all that pen work. He kept himself in the public eye as much as possible with rallies and as many opportunities to be on camera as possible. The trouble with that strategy is, good or bad, we all see it.
Kyrin and I have railed against the do-nothing government for a while now. We both agree that the governing bodies of the US are old, lazy, and haven’t done anything beneficial to the country in decades. Instead, they’ve just cow-towed to the lobbyists, taking the fat paychecks while corporate America guts itself in the name of outsourcing and bigger profits. Trouble is, if you gut your work force – which is also your consumer base – you’re left with tons of product but no buyers, or a country so poor they can’t afford your product without facing crushing debt or other hardships.
But where was the government? They were too busy being bought off by these companies so they could quietly fuck the system while reaping massive amounts of profits. Now that Trump has tried to bring those businesses back, he’s smeared by everyone. I haven’t seen a person dragged this hard since…well…ever. Some of his criticism is deserved, but even a broken clock is right twice a day.
These past 4 years has shown me a side of the human race that really makes me wonder if I’m actually human. Hate for me is hard. Yes I can dislike someone, but to hate with every fiber of my being? That’s a tall order. To want someone dead is an even taller one. Sure, there might be that initial impulse to want to see someone gone, but it only lasts for a moment. It’s that lizard brain way of thinking, but we’re not lizards, are we? No, we’re supposed to be better than that…at least I think we are.
This week ended with the news that Donald Trump has contracted COVID-19 and is now in hospital. While not 100% fatal, this bug has no vaccine or perfect treatment regimen, so it’s a coin toss as to whether or not he survives. He’s old, obese, and probably isn’t in the best health.
And the left is already dancing on his grave…including some friends of mine.
This week I’ve seen more of the ugly side of humanity than I ever have before, I think. People cheering that he’s sick…others hoping that he’ll die…and even others saying that while they don’t wish him dead, they’ll smile when they read his obituary. That last one has to be the smuggest, cruelest thing I’ve ever heard come out of a supposedly ‘rational’ and ‘skeptical’ mouth. Again, 10 years of friendship vs. shit like this. It’s pushing the boundaries hard.
Part of me is laughing though. In my head I see Trump winning in November, and the left going nuclear. The Democrats are still in denial about 2016, and will be long after 2020 is in the rear-view. They’ve spent so much time focusing on taking Trump down that they forgot why they’re in politics to begin with: the American people. So much focus on winning, they forgot their duties to the people who put them in office, and the people love them for it. They don’t care that their cities are burning because Orange Man Bad. Fuck the education system that’s getting progressively worse because Orange Man Bad. Fuck the constitution because…
You get the idea.
I’m Canadian, and I should be focusing more on what’s going on up here, but to be honest, what happens in America will affect the entire world. With so much economic and military influence in the world, any changes on the home front will be felt worldwide, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.
I’ve seen the ugliness up close and personal, and it makes me heartsick that so many people I knew as friends are now these hot-taking, clout-seeking mouthpieces that have forsaken their objectivity in the name of Orange Man Bad.
I want to say ‘when this is all over,’ but it never will be. The next president will be decided by the Supreme Court; that’s a given, barring a major landslide on Trump’s part. Even then, the left will never stop screaming until…I’m not sure when. I don’t have any kids, so I’m not sure how to deal with a tantrum, and I’m sure no one knows how to deal with one that’s burning cities to the ground and killing people just because they disagree with them.
No; I’ve a feeling that the ugliness will only get worse. Social media will become nothing but a platform of hate, and radicals will continue to push their ‘convert or die’ mandate. Former skeptics and ‘rational’ people will continue their Orange Man Bad chant long after he’s out of office, bringing him up any time the GOP wants to enact a policy, regardless of what it is.
And the people will just take it. After Trump leaves, the people will no longer matter. The government will seize power for power’s sake, and will only focus on their own lives, not the lives of the people who put them there. They’ll have their zealots out there, showing all of us the ugliness of humanity, but claim it’s beautiful.
If being a garbage person is what it means to be human, then I’m glad to be not human enough.