Sunday, November 6, 2016

A final thought before November 8


9 comments:

longhorn believer said...

Yeah, go ahead and elect the fascist, alt-white-supremacist. I dare us!

Charl said...

I have been considering the reason why I view the possible election of Donald Trump as President of the US with so much trepidation. Why should the possibility affect me as a citizen of South Africa, an obscure and insignificant player on the world stage, and which, tucked far away on the Southern tip of Africa, should be unaffected, in the main, by his election?
Trump is a man of low character and doubtful morals. He is a proven liar and a racist; he is an undoubted megalomaniac who is fascist in his views and shows alarming totalitarian tendencies. He’s a misogynist with an increasingly visible track record of sexual misconduct, has a history of unethical business practices and failures and appears to be a narcissist to boot. I believe he is, to put it simply, a bad man. As worryingly, he comes across as unintelligent and with a poor grasp of world politics.
A large part of my unease boils down to the fact that his supporters ignore his character flaws as listed above and, as worryingly, embrace and actively support some of his more questionable views and proposed policies. They have swallowed the most outlandish and impractical promises that he has made without question. Suddenly, we are made aware that there is a significant section of the US population that share many of his negative qualities. Their number, lack of intellect and a realistic world view is horrifying.
A last point is that Trump is actively courting the Christian Right. As an atheist, the thought of this faction gaining access to (and exercising) more political power is extremely scary. The separation of Church and State will come under increasing attack as will the continuing efforts to advance the rights of women (despite Trump’s promises to the contrary), the LGBT community and minorities. Pandering to this faction will also, inevitably, mean that scientific endeavors in certain fields will be curtailed. This is not an unrealistic assumption judging by the number of creationists in the Republican Party.
I fervently hope that sanity will prevail and that this scary clown will be denied the chance to ascend to the most powerful leadership position in the free world.

David said...

Oh shit, after watching the circus for so long, it's now all about to come down to the crunch. Please America, do the right thing.

Dromedary Hump said...

Charl,
Thanks for that insight from over seas.
I am confident this nation...that elected a black man president twice...will do the right thing. The alternative is too heinous to imagine.

David said...

I am not an Americann, but it is obvious that Trump is only in the race for his own narcissitic concerns. He does not care much for the good of America or the American people. I am also confident that the collective of the American people will see through him and do the right thing.

If so, he will be a vicious sore loser, and I expect the media to focus on his defeat more than Clinton's victory. I fully expect Trump to be humiliated in the coming weeks.

Let's see if I am right.

Dromedary Hump said...

David,
I'd say you've got your finger on the pulse of America, and this crazy election.
I voted an hour ago...less so for Hillary than against fascism, and for the Democratic party down the line.

It will be close here in New Hampshire; but I am confident America will do the right thing.

Charl said...

I woke up this morning eager to read that Hilary had kept Trump out of the White House. It was with a sense of disbelief that I viewed the election results. I was surprised by my reaction. Bafflement was followed by horror and, overriding all, the constant question "has America gone mad?!!!" The general feeling among my business and social peers – graduates and post graduate professionals in upper management and business founders and owners – reflected my own.
It is horrifying that the way is wide open for this man and his cohorts as, in addition to him being President, his party now controls both Houses. I stand to be corrected but this to my mind gives him carte blanche to pass legislation as he sees fit?
I can only imagine your disappointment, Bart, being so much more invested in this outcome. My deepest sympathies. A large burden now rests upon people such as you to oppose this man and his immediate actions and future policies and keep the light of reason burning.
You, and others like you, have my total support.

David said...

Very well said Charl, yes those who champion reason and rationality in America have our complete support. I was becoming certain that this outcome was too absurd to become a reality. I'm struggling to understand how this could happen.

Dromedary Hump said...

Charl, David...

to say I am stunned and depressed would be an understatement. America has spoken, the fools have voted, and they have their champion.

I am reminded of an old phrase from an American comic strip character:
"We have met the enemy, and he is us."

All we can do now is hope for the best, hope they do not set us back more than a decade or two, and look forward to Senator Elizabeth Warren running for President in 2020.