How Could It Happen?

Disappointed doesn’t cut it; sad is too simplistic. I am shocked and ashamed. How could this happen in a country which we smugly call wise and moral? How could we allow ourselves to elect someone who is neither wise nor moral to be their leader? Let me count some of the ways:

Economics

Trump was born with the proverbial spoon in his mouth yet filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy for his companies six times. The New York Times conducted an analysis of regulatory reviews, court records and security filings. It reported in 2016 that Trump “put up little of his own money, shifted personal debts to the casinos and collected millions of dollars in salary, bonuses, and other payments.” The burden of his failures, according to the newspaper, “fell on investors and others who had bet on his business acumen.” 

I live in New York City, which bore a great deal of the brunt of the onslaught of the huge waves of immigrants recently sent from conservative states. Despite his claims, most of these people are not the perpetrators of his inciteful list of crimes he declares. And allowing a comedian to insult an ethnic group with defamatory language is just nasty.

He is not in touch economically with most of the people in this country. Without immigrants much of our lives would collapse. The agricultural, restaurant and low-paying service industry workers are essential to our economy. Ironically, he is the son, and grandson, of immigrants and two of his wives were not born here.

During this administration, interest and unemployment rates have come down and the federal reserve looks to lower rates again. The stock market has experienced record-breaking days.  Unfortunately, prices of goods continue to rise. Many of our products come from other countries.  Alienating these countries is not in our best interest. And big companies are his supporters, if not in his pocket.

A president is the father (we need a mother) of a country.  He should be the moral compass of his nation. This man is amoral.

Morality

He should be tried for treason for many of his actions:

TREASON: January 6th – inciting a mob to attack our Capitol and kill the vice president is just the tip of the iceberg. This mob also killed and harmed those protecting our leaders and government.

When our people were suffering and dying from Covid, he was supplying the leader of our primary enemy for his personal use. The Covid kits we needed were in short supply in our/his country.

Stealing documents from the White House, operative word “stealing,” and placing what may have been cherished writings, etc. in your bathroom is abhorrent. And then there’s his lying about everything. We know he is lying because these falsehoods are documented by photographs or sworn testimony. Everything he lies about is both laughable and pathetic: from the trivial, “My rallies are sold out,” or the largest numbers in history, his poorly attended inauguration and also serious matters of state. A pathological person in the White House is dangerous.

His numerous indictments and charges ranging from many attempts to (criminally) overturn a confirmed presidential election and convictions (sexual abuser, bribery and defamation should not only bar him from being in any office, let alone the highest one).

His use of unbecoming behavior and sexual language demeans the people and the campaigns he runs. Suggesting firing squads for Lynn Cheney and the press is illegal. In addition, his threats to turn this country into his police state with him as dictator is scary. Does saying Hitler “did some good things,” is horrible. It’s even worse because there are still many survivors of the Holocaust and millions of children of survivors. This is more than an inflammatory statement. How foolish that it was made. This is just the icing on the rotten, crumbling cake we don’t know of yet. Everything about him is loathsome. 

Can I be accused of some of this rhetoric? Maybe yes, maybe no, but I have not written anything that it is not documented and heard by millions. I woke up this morning to the unbelievable news that he will be the next president. Tonight I am still sick about it.

To quote Judith Viorst’s famous Alexander: “It’s a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I’m moving to Australia.”

God or Whoever, help us.

Addendum

It’s almost a month later and I am still shaking my head: How Could This Have Happened?   Seeing clips from his rallies I muted during the campaign, he seems more out of it than Joe Biden was in the debate. He spoke gibberish and seemed to have lost his train of thought, even with a teleprompter!

When:

• Your own family disparages you
• Luminaries of your own party back the opposition and campaign for them
• Your former advisors call you a fascist and say you are dangerous

Doesn’t that sound an alarm? America, didn’t you hear it?

Yes, the Democratic Party made major mistakes, but this candidate was so egregious. I know, “It’s about the economy, stupid,” but the economy and the immigrant situation are connected.  When the immigrants (the good ones and the criminals) are deported, which will also cost a pretty penny, in itself wreaks havoc on farming, meat processing, construction, restaurants, hotels, landscaping, etc. Don’t those who voted for him realize prices will be even higher, stupid?

I thought, well, maybe if he surrounds himself with bright, good people, he might be restrained.  But nooooo. We are seeing cronyism at it’s best, or should I say, worst. That he would appoint Matt Gaetz, or someone with charges like those leveled against him, (see Hegseth and how many more?) to head our judicial system, is ludicrous. Thankfully, Gaetz didn’t come to pass. Who is he wanting to appoint? He wants no one with the right experience or someone who is not dangerous. RFK, Jr. has no medical or scientific background. Ditto for others to be in his cabinet who lack experience in the position for which they are nominated: Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth and many more. 

In this year of record-setting weather, how could he appoint people denying climate change or someone in favor of fracking? 

It is also amazing to me that people voted for Agent Orange (I still can’t name him, like Voldemort) on single issues, i.e. Israel. He is not really a friend of that country but rather it’s also bad leader. With his other “friends,” like Putin and Kim Jong Un, we don’t need enemies!

I am tired of counting the ways he’s terrible, but I still feel it would be unhealthy for me to join the group forming in my neighborhood who feel as I do. Maybe we should all just check our passports.

It is now two months since the election, and the unbelievable appointments to his cabinet and other agencies keep coming. Things are getting “worser and worser,” and I don’t know what to do about it. President Biden did. I believe he might not have pardoned Hunter had “Agent Orange” made it all but impossible not to. But who will pardon us?

There isn’t even an out should the new president kill himself in the way he lives. I am fearful of his vice president. (The non-capital letters are intentional). This cabal is the opposite of Robin Hood and his Merry Men; it even has scary women. And the rich in this case will be only a very few rich (those loyal to the king).

When that ball goes down on January 1, 2025, it will be the dawn of our sunset for the next few years. I wish the rest of us happiness in our personal lives and G-d forbid the rest don’t stay healthy. That includes women who get pregnant and NEED an abortion. There isn’t a hangover that lasts long enough.

Maybe Sinking Below his Level
Kathy Griffin & Trump

You may wish someone gone or dead
But showing a dismembered head
Of the head of our democracy
Is your right, but beyond decency.
Your lack of courtesy, civility
Reduces your respectability.
You didn’t have to go beyond the pale
Just use strong words if you must rail
What you have done is just grotesque
Sing or march if you must protest.
Satire and comedy is normally your game
But now, Kathy Griffin — shame, shame, shame.

Please leave your comments below. 

Read more by Ada Mark Strausberg.