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Eight years ago I watched the US Presidential Inauguration with a rising sense of fear that the President was about to be shot at any second, today it was a sinking sense of fear that he wouldn’t. No, that’s not on. I wouldn’t wish death upon anyone. Except Donald Trump.
No, I don’t want him to die. But it’d be nice if he just admitted that we’d all been Punk’d or just pointed out the truth, that he just wanted to show that he could be President but had no real desire to do the actual job.
I mean it might be OK. But the strong possibility that it won’t be OK makes it hard to look away and not feel nauseous from the dread of knowing that we have to get through four years of this. It’s America first now, which is the US equivalent of Brexit. The human race, I feel, has got as far as it has because of the basic general understanding that working together and compromising actually makes us stronger and better off than if we go alone. Of course there are exceptions, because if you can take advantage of the fact that most of the people are compromising your own selfishness can pay dividends. And if you’re already at the top of the chain, then yes, you can withdraw and be better off for a bit. But as I think we will find out with Brexit, the consequences that are not immediate and which require some thought to predict will come back and bite you. But also if everyone Brexits then you have to rely on being top dog to succeed.
Anyway, seems like we’re going to have to go through (at best) some hate and selfishness before we realise that the planet earth’s only real hope is cooperation. I hope we can get to that Star Trek future where we unite to save ourselves, rather than pull up drawbridges and build walls, because otherwise I can’t see much of a future for humanity. I’d like to think that a worldwide network where we can all communicate would bring us together and make us realise we’re the same and want more or less the same things in general and overthrow the governments that get rich off the back of us all. But instead we use it to swear at each other.
Trump’s words are empty even for a politician and filled with self-regard and hatred. The lack of grace is the worrying thing. Say what you like about Obama but he had grace by the bucket load. Government if complex and requires compromise and some calculated sacrifices for the common good. The most powerful man in the world can’t talk in platitudes and absolutes. He can’t wipe out terrorism, because violence begets violence (hence the desire to wipe it out - terrorist acts don’t make you warm to terrorism, any more than attacking terrorists prevents terrorism), he can’t turn the clock back and run America on coal, he doesn’t want to give the people any power, he just wants to make money for himself and his friends. By concentrating on America he leaves Russia to do whatever it feels like, which will impact on Eastern Europe and then Western Europe and then a little down the line on America too.
It simply can’t end well. It promises to be entertaining. It would be fun to sit back and watch it and laugh, but we’ve fucked ourselves up too so aren’t in a position to do so.
Trying to think of something funny to say. Nope.
We watched the Hunt for the Wilderpeople tonight which is charming and funny and cheered me up a bit. I recommend you do the same.
