The end of an (unlamented) era
To be sure, the most deranged Trumpanzees still haven't accepted reality, insisting that Trump has a secret plan to defeat all his enemies and remain in power, or that God will step in at the last moment to keep him in office. Green Eagle blog has a wide-ranging round-up of direct quotes from these delusional souls, lest you still harbor any doubts about the sheer depths of madness to which the wingnut fever dream has sunk. How these people will react when Trump is finally out of power (and facing prosecution) is anyone's guess.
Herewith, a few images to commemorate the era we are now leaving behind.
Soon the Democrats will be back in control of both the White House and Congress. Our expectations will be high -- mine certainly are. I voted not just to get rid of Trump, but to get a real covid-19 response, real help for the unemployed, a $15 minimum wage, a rollback of the decades of tax cuts for the wealthy, a revival of jobs, DC and Puerto Rican statehood, an end to religionists' exemptions from the laws everyone else has to follow, Medicare expansion or some other kind of public option, federal legislation against state-level vote suppression and gerrymandering, a strong stand against China and Russia and the other gangster-states Trump coddled, and restoration of a relationship of mutual respect with the world's other democracies. I'm sure any reader could add a few items of their own to the list.
The Democrats hold razor-thin margins in both the House and the Senate. They inherit a federal government in shambles, a nation devastated and paralyzed by covid-19, a population tens of millions of whom are in the grip of paranoid delusions (and heavily armed), a court system packed with ideological wingnuts, and a Congressional opposition consisting largely of lunatics, or of cowards in thrall to lunatics. They will, at times, fall short and fail to get things done, at least at first. They will sometimes go in objectionable directions, because the Democratic party includes constituencies with goals different from yours (or mine), and with such narrow majorities they can't afford to alienate any faction. So, yes, be prepared to push them to do what's right, but at the same time, resolve to be as supportive as you possibly can, through whatever happens. Because if we don't support them, well, we know what the alternative looks like. We've seen it in action for the last four years.
posted by Infidel753 at 1:37 AM
22 Comments:
I can't wait until I don't have to think about Agolf Twitler. I hope the next time I post anything about him is when he's going to prison or when the Russian mafia sweeps by to collect the money he owns.
What a shitshow his presidency was. And yes, there's still hordes of idiots who think he's the best president America ever had. Just because he was as racist and stupid as they are.
Uncle Joe will not be able to undo all the wrongs of this past administration. Corruption and hunger for power runs deep in American politics. The GOP is a cesspool of fuckery, aided by the Talibangelicals. But I'm confident Biden and Harris will try to make good on their promises. And that gives me hope. Something I have not had for four years.
XOXO
Good lineup of images from a dark, dark time.
Infidel -- the thoughts in the last paragraph are especially important to keep in mind, since there will be no such leniency coming from the media, which will almost certainly begin re-framing politics in a "he said/ she said" narrative once the political battles over policy and agenda start. We have to stick together, be patient and understanding of the enormous task ahead, and the consequences of factionalism and failure.
To have competent Adults again in Leadership who realize they represent ALL Americans and not just a delusional Base will be so refreshing. Whatever they manage to run damage control behind and accomplish will be better than the alternative. May that bad History be a Warning so it's never again repeated!
Wow! I just relieved the worst presidency in my lifetime by viewing those memes.
I wish everyone here well and look for ward to reading more of your essays in the Era of Biden.
Happy Trump Is No Long President Day!
One last message from "Trump," courtesy of Dane Callstrom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umt3_mqy_c0
Let's hope Americans learn from and remember the horrific lessons from the 45th Presidency.
"If Jesus had had a gun, he'd be alive today." -- Homer Simpson
Though my Mom's in the hospital with Covid, and so couldn't be with me to watch the Biden/Harris inauguration, I still feel a sense of joy!
I cried from that joy alone, without her here to share in the ceremonies she loved to watch.
I feel like a huge, 300+ pound, profane, disgusting, bigoted, miasmatic, orange tumor was just cut-out of the body politic, and unceremoniously thrown into history's dustbin!
Thanks, Infidel, for helping keep me sane the last 4 horrible years.
Is it just me, or did those 4 years feel like 4 decades?!?
Wishing your country well! It's a tough road ahead but at least it's a fresh start.
"The Democrats hold razor-thin margins in both the House and the Senate."
The Dems need to get as much done as they can in the next two years. There is no telling what will happen at the midterms.
And FYI, Amazon is opening a sub-distribution center here in St. Louis. Minimum starting wages will be $15 per hour.
Your closing paragraph is so valuable that I hope it will be widely repeated. The challenges the Biden administration faces are monumental—and they’ll need all the support we can muster, while we continue advocacy for the causes we consider most important. We must be in this for the long haul—knowing this decent, experienced man is politically savvy and will push as hard as he can when he can. We can expect opposition from many quarters, and I hope the members of the press are thoughtful in their coverage—and—freed from covering a man who invariably lied—don’t look to make big stories out of small matters. It’s enough that last night’s joyful view of the America we hope for was not seen by Fox News watchers, who got only nonsense about Hunter Biden.
"Because if we don't support them, well, we know what the alternative looks like. We've seen it in action for the last four years."
^THIS. All of it.
I also do not want to hear from anyone the canard of how "both parties are the same". If anyone is still spouting that crap after the last four years then they are, to put it mildly, truly f#@king stupid and not worth any attention.
Sixpence: He's already being mentioned on the news far less than before. It's a great relief. Having him off Twitter probably helps. If he's prosecuted I suppose I'll read about it.
Debra: A time we can now view from a comfortable distance.
Hackwhacker: The fact that the enemy is so divided gives us a great opportunity. We can't afford to ruin it by becoming divided ourselves. As for the media, they will do what they will do. Keep whacking those hacks.
Bohemian: Bad as they are, these memories must be curated so we have them available in two or four or whatever years, to keep us aware of the risks if we let that element get back into power.
Shaw: I hope the experience wasn't too traumatic. And thank you. I'll still have plenty to say -- it just won't involve a bloated and corrupt orange troll.
Anon: Heh. I'm sure he's feeling that way, but his vocabulary isn't that good.
Bunny: And if Trump had a Twitter account, he'd still be "alive" in the national consciousness. But he's already starting to seem like a bad dream.
Victor: I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope she recovers quickly. What a frightening situation. I hope she at least has heard the good news.
One of these days I guess I'll find out whether I managed to keep myself sane. And yes, it's been a long, long digression.
Martha: Thanks! I hope things will soon be better for everyone. It can't have been easy living next door to this mess for four years.
Mike: That's the assumption I'm working on -- two years. Hope for the best but plan for the worst. And that's good news about Amazon, but I hope they eventually stop treating their workers like crap.
Annie: Thanks. I'm sure the carping will start eventually, but hopefully not from too may, so Biden doesn't need to put too much energy into herding cats. The media will do what gets them the most clicks. As for Fox, it will never get any better. They survive by competing for wingnut eyeballs with OAN and Breitbart and the rest of the online fever swamp.
Marc: I think the "both parties are the same" types get fewer and fewer with each successively more ghastly Republican administration. Unfortunately they never get down quite to zero.
I am just glad not to have Trump for 4 more years (because it will be 4 more years of the same crap), frankly. I'm looking forward to get something to help the majority of people, like you and the rest, but I cautiously don't expect too much, considering the political climate, and history of how things work. Plus, not even the 2nd day into the Presidency, Mitch McConnell is already highsiding big time, talking shit, and seems uncooperative (maybe he'll change), many Republicans are still pissed, whether they act like it or not, it won't be long for them to get back to bitching at each other, regardless of all the bipartisan "feel good" love talk, which is like a broken record, over and over. It wouldn't surprise me if the stimulus check thing gets in the way, and some other things, and taking months to even get it ... or/ and having to take months of negotiating it from $2000, to $1400, to $700 or so by summer ... I hope not, I hope I'm wrong ... but I know how penny- pinching some of these folks are (die-hard misers). Some Georgia voters already getting edgy, because Biden made a speech before their election of immediately sending out $2000 if he and Dems win ... they're asking "where's the money?"
I also wonder if we're going to have to spend too much time on this impeachment stuff, all major media is just setting the stage for a showdown, and of course it can distract many issues and the people, and what needs to be immediately addressed. I hope this doesn't happen. I am also wondering, what this impeachment may get us? What if there isn't certain things added? can he still run in 2024? I guess he can lose his $200K pension and $1 million a year travel expenses, and a few other things. Will we still have to hear "Trump", "Trump", "Trump" for a couple more years? ... with this WWF style media circus we have today. If Trump can run again ... will he run for/ with GOP, or be mad at them too, and start a 3rd party? Which would be good for the GOP, by breaking them up ... but sadly it would create a fascist type party, that currently has 10's of millions of supporters. Bernie, who could have ran a 3rd party declined to, and stood with Dems (he told Cenk Uyger of TYT a few years back, that he didn't want to be remembered as another Ralph Nader, as part of the reason) .... but Trump doensn't seem to have the same discipline nor allegiance/ commitment as Sanders, and will fly off the handle against his own party in a NY minute.
The thing is... it's not totally over. You still have almost half the country who somehow thought Trump was a good thing. You still have those radicalized Americans waiting to make another move to turn this country into a banana republic. It's still scary.
Kay- it is still scary and it is not over. But now we don't have to listen to them anymore. They are going to get even worse. But they lost. That Q thing was lying to them the whole time. That stupid cult was a failure and so now they will be more desperate. I don't see them going away anytime time soon. They will be waving those flags and shouting about how they kidnapped Jesus for years to come. Regards, Richard
Ranch: I don't think Moscow Mitch will change, but maybe his obstructionism will convince Manchin and Sinema that the filibuster needs to go. Also, it looks like there won't be enough Republican votes to convict in the new Trumpeachment, which might lead Murkowski to switch parties. We'll see.
The point of Trumpeachment would be to ban him from running for office again, but I think he'll soon be beginning a long prison term anyway.
Kay, Richard: It's true that the crazies are still out there. But from what I'm seeing on right-wing sites, they're increasingly turning against each other. That's what tends to happen on the side that loses an election. Hopefully any violence that happens will also be directed against rival wingnut factions, not against us.
Excellent post.
That is a sad but excellent lineup of images. Thanks for the reminder to tone down the criticism. I was disappointed with Obama’s presidencies but he, like Biden, inherited a huge mess and overall, he was far better then the alternatives.
In addition to your wishlist, I’d add doing something to reduce college costs and/or debt. And giving Anthony Fauci a raise. 🙂
I grew so tired of the Trump Religion. I am so happy it is over.
Melanie: Thanks.
Carol: Fauci deserves whatever we can give him. He's been working to try and save the country, well past normal retirement age, while getting death threats, and his boss was the biggest asshole in the world. What a nightmare job.
Anon: The cult remains, but at least they're out of power.
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