photo credit: @gaellemarcel via Unsplash
It’s been a week. Literally and figuratively.
I am writing straight from the heart today. I honestly have not completely processed the outcome of the election. I keep thinking to myself “How is that possible? Why is Tr*mp allowed to be president again? How was he allowed to run for the job again in the first place? Isn’t he a convicted felon?” This, I will never understand (and cannot explain to my family who have asked me these questions as well).
The thought of this man going back to the White House is too much. The recent news of his cabinet picks is too much. The GOP claimed that Kamala Harris wasn’t qualified enough.
But Elon Musk for Government Efficiency? Matt Gaetz for Attorney General? Pete Hegseth, a FOX host, for Secretary of Defense? Marco Rubio for Secretary of State? Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence? Lauren Boebert for Secretary of Education?
Is this a joke?
When exactly, between last week and now, did they flipflop on the conviction that people had to be qualified for the job? I mean, heck, Tr*ump isn’t qualified – never was – and neither are the people he’s nominating for cabinet positions right now. What a sh*tshow.
Tr*mp is not even president again, but this sentiment seems pretty accurate right now.
I noticed that I feel suspicious of people around me (even though I live in a blue dot in a blue state) and wonder, “Did they vote for this? How could they vote for this? How could white women vote for this?”. I don’t want to be lumped in with these women but me saying “not all white women” is just like saying “not all men”. We need to get to the bottom of why so many people, especially women, voted against their own interests.
We have a saying in German “nur bis zur nächsten Ecke denken” (to only think to the next corner) which means that someone has a very simple, short-sighted view of things and is not able to think laterally and consider long-term consequences. I feel like a lot of people have been duped by Tr*mp’s rhetoric and empty promises that he won’t be able to keep. People voted for him because of the economy but do they realize that Tr*mp inherited the economy from Obama? Do people realize that presidents can do very little about inflation? Do they realize that if Tr*mp plans to deport millions of people, this will cost money AND simultaneously tank the economy? Oh, and have they finally educated themselves on how tariffs work?
I feel like Don Music over here.
I can’t promise I won’t have to occasionally vent here going forward. The future of this country seems in jeopardy and I do not know what we can do to stop it. But I swear, if my heartburn-chest pressure – stomachache issues (from 2019) come back, I blame it on the re-election of this terrible man, and it will finally be confirmed that it had been stress-related all along.
How are you feeling this week?
I am doing NaBloPoMo this month. 30 blog posts in 30 days. Come join me. #nablopomo2024
Links to the Participants List and NaBloPoMo2024 Blog Post Ideas! Happy writing!
Tanja
November 14, 2024 at 1:51 amThis election can only be a joke! I just can´t fathom that so many Americans felt for this liar. This idiot (sorry, not sorry) has been openly lying about so many things (“they are eating the cats and dogs”), made promises he will not be able to keep, not to mention his outlook on women and their rights….. Is it really so much more important that gas prices might go down and eggs will be cheaper? I get it, life is expensive and it´s getting tough for everbody!!
However, after the mass deportation he is planing there will be nobody to deliver the eggs to the grocery stores, there will be no one cleaning and detailing the cars they put in the oh so cheap gas….. What about the overall picture?
This MUST be a joke, a really bad one!
iHanna
November 14, 2024 at 2:14 amI think too much of all politics and planning is not going further than the next corner, right? Nobody is thinking 10 or 30 years ahead, only as far as the next election. Why there isn’t a long term cabinet of defense against quick wins & shit shows I do not understand.
But let’s carry on, anyways. What craft project are you planning for the weekend? 💕
Nicole MacPherson
November 14, 2024 at 4:43 amUgh, it’s just awful.
Jenny
November 14, 2024 at 5:57 amSan, I feel just as you do. Except you’re braver than I am- I haven’t been able to look at or hear any news at all since November 6th.
I can’t fathom what people are thinking. Since I just read Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy, I know some of the history behind Hitler’s rise to power. Germany was in really terrible shape at that point, and I can kind of understand how people got behind him. (I mean- you know what I mean. He was still obviously terrible, but people were desperately unhappy.) I have to think- are things really THAT bad here? I know we have a lot of problems, but overall America is a pretty great place to live. Where did this need to “make America great again” come from? One of my coworkers is from China and she’s astounded by the overall high standard of living here. Anyway… we could go on and on. My feeling is that things are going to get much worse and have to hit rock bottom before people wake up to what’s happening. It’s not going to be pretty, but we’ll come out of it on the other side. Eventually.
Ernie
November 14, 2024 at 7:20 amI didn’t follow the election very closely, and I don’t generally engage in political chats. I will say that I was really surprised that Trump won. I didn’t think that would happen.
NGS
November 14, 2024 at 7:23 amI’m with Jenny. I’m just learning about some of these appointees because I have totally disengaged. Denial is powerful over here. All the competent people have already burned bridges with him or are turning him down. Let’s hope the old skool federal bureaucrats can keep this train running.
ccr in MA
November 14, 2024 at 7:24 amI’m with you. I’m not reading a lot of politics coverage right now—I CAN’T—but every headline I see about his cabinet picks is more and more of a joke. Even Republicans think so! What on earth the next few years will be like is beyond me.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
November 14, 2024 at 8:15 amHis cabinet picks are definitely interesting. I try not to look backwards; it has happened and it is already done. Instead, I think that people should figure out how it happened and take steps to avoid it the next time. Actual steps, not just posting tweets on the internet. I am not talking about you, and know that people need to vent, but I wonder how many of them are actually doing something real to make it change. I know it is easy to feel helpless, like we are just one person, but I hope that people are taking action and not just talking.
Alexandra
November 14, 2024 at 11:58 amI live in Canada and we’re all still in shock just as much as you are, at what happened. And just how so many Americans voted for a convicted felon. As for his cabinet picks? How can a President be allowed to pick *Unelected* people off the street and appoint them to positions of power like this?
It truly is mind boggling how shortsighted the electorate were in their choice of Humpty Dumpty. We stand by for the crash and burn and worry.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
November 14, 2024 at 2:01 pmI don’t know what I can add here. Just my sympathy.
I can not evaluate the quality of the board but just seeing Musks name there… it might be an indicator.
Well as you know we tumbled right into election campaigning here in Germany. I am not sure how to feel about it. I fear what the outcome will be. This whole world is a sh*tshow and I am wondering of we are back to biblical time were humankind and their stupidity and greed was wiped out. Maybe it is for the beste because we obviously don’t deserve to be on this planet. I have strong feelings as you can see.
Tamara
November 14, 2024 at 2:25 pmI’ve been living in Europe for almost twenty years and only got the right to vote in the last few. I think I understand some of what you are feeling- politics somehow feel bigger and more powerful to me after spending so many years on the sidelines. And too, the stakes seem to be higher and higher with each passing year. Thanks for casting your vote in the U.S. , it is important!
J
November 14, 2024 at 8:43 pmMy daughter and I squabbled about this yesterday, because she kept telling me about the horrible appointments he was making and I didn’t want to hear about it because it stresses me out. She said I shouldn’t put my head in the sand and pretend everything is OK, and she’s right, but I just couldn’t handle her coming in every 20 minutes while I was trying to work and telling me more stupid shit that is going on and wow…this is going to be a long 4 years (let’s hope it’s only 4 years, and Vance doesn’t get elected next or something horrible)
Elisabeth
November 15, 2024 at 2:13 amI’ll admit I don’t understand the background of most of the appointee’s…but I do know Elon Musk and that alone is pretty scary. I think you also know I don’t discuss politics on my blog or, generally, on anyone else’s blog.
But I’m with Tobia – it really does feel like something apocalyptic out of the Bible and I feel compelled to speak out as a Christian. Is it a coincidence I’m reading the book of Daniel right now? I don’t think I’ve ever posted verses from the Bible as part of a comment but I literally read this YESTERDAY (the Old Testament can feel weird, I get it). Basically, Daniel is a book of prophecy which is talking about events at the end of the world. Feel free to delete this comment if you think someone will find it offensive. I won’t be offended if you don’t let it stay. BUT I READ THIS YESTERDAY. Remember, these are words written thousands of years ago about end times (a concept which I realize you probably don’t subscribe to…but I do, hence being shocked with what I’m reading). I’m using asterisks for emphasis since I can’t actually bold things in a comment.
Chapter 8: I saw a billy goat with an immense horn in the middle of its forehead come up out of the *west* and fly across the whole country, not once touching the ground. The billy goat approached the double-horned ram that I had earlier seen standing at the gate and, enraged, charged it viciously. I watched as, mad with rage, it charged the ram and hit it so hard that it broke off its two horns. The ram didn’t stand a chance against it. The billy goat knocked the ram to the ground and stomped all over it. Nothing could have saved the ram from the goat.
8-12 “Then the billy goat swelled to an enormous size. At the height of its power its immense horn broke off and four other big horns sprouted in its place, pointing to the four points of the compass. And then from one of these big horns another horn sprouted. *It started small, but then grew to an enormous size, facing south and east—toward lovely Palestine.*
27 “I, Daniel, walked around in a daze, unwell for days. Then I got a grip on myself and went back to work taking care of the king’s affairs. But I continued to be upset by the vision. *I couldn’t make sense of it.”*
Chapter 6: It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the high officials and the satraps *sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.* 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” [I will am not making direct statements about prophecy, but this reads…a lot like 6 January to me.]
23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 *His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many.*
17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
Again, I am NOT trying to say this is T*ump (and I’d throw P*tin in the mix here, too). But. Gah. It can’t be a coincidence Daniel is literally where my daily Bible reading (I’m following along to a chronological plan so I didn’t skip around to get to Daniel!) has landed me this last few days. (If you do have any desire to read Daniel – it’s a short book – do yourself a favour and look up The Message translation ;))
Lisa’s Yarnr
November 15, 2024 at 7:21 amThe appointments have been disappointing and embarrassing. I have had some text chats about it with a few friends and Phil but couldn’t bring myself to blog about it. I am more upset that he wants to push some of these through without the senate confirmation. Like have the conviction in your appts to follow the process rather than using a stupid loophole. I am trying to imagine the OUTRAGE if Harris won and wanted to supersede the senate confirmation process. Oh the outcry. But republicans are fine with this since he’s their guy.
I have mostly viewed Trump’s win as an indictment of the current administration and specifically the level of inflation. Economics is very confusing and people don’t understand that deflation is bad and usually occurs during a recession. But across the globe, incumbent parties are losing elections. So I think it’s less about loving Trump and more about (wrongly IMO) thinking he can lower prices.
Meike
November 15, 2024 at 9:00 amI still feel horrified and completely baffled – over half the country voted for him? How? Lets hope that we still have elections in 4 years and figure out a way to fix this until then. Lets hope the protections of government and the process still work. News are hard these days and I don’t expect this to change much during the next 4 years. I am feeling better overall but that may change when I start reading more news again. I am skipping a lot of articles these days with details about his plans and picks. I am skimming to stay informed but refuse to get sucked in to deep for now until I feel like I can stomach it. It’s self preservation.
Tammy
November 15, 2024 at 11:29 amI understand and still cannot comprehend. 🖤 Stress is hard on the body, so I am trying to balance anxiety w/ calming practices like painting & reading fiction & sudoku & music & chatting with my kids who live far away. And writing a blog post every day (a very new thing & cool experience).
Melissa
November 18, 2024 at 7:01 pmI’m with you on this. US politics is weird. I’m shocked that people with obvious conflicts of interest can be appointed to public positions. At this stage the farce seems kind of surreal to be honest. At least our cabinet members are all picked from the elected government, so we don’t have to deal with this. I’m also glad we have compulsory voting, which keeps our politics mainly at the centre.
Stephany
November 19, 2024 at 5:12 amI’m coming to this later but I still feel the same amount of rage and sadness. I am so upset that we don’t get a Madam President (and Tim Walz as our VP). I am upset that the Democratic Party didn’t do enough to educate the public about Trump’s tariff plan and how costs are NOT going to come down. I am upset that people CHOSE a man who is a convicted felon and only wants this job for the power it brings and to keep himself out of prison. It’s enraging.
Sarah
November 21, 2024 at 4:32 amUgh. I have been reading newspapers, and it’s a lovely way to process the news.
Anne
November 26, 2024 at 4:09 pmI am (still) right there with you, San. I am over-consuming news and get more rage-filled the more that transpires. It just gets worse and worse, and I honestly worry that I just voted in my last free and fair election. I am so, so sad. I am dismayed. It’s almost like I don’t want to look to see what happens. Hugs, my friend. I wish this coffee were in person. <3
30: NaBloPoMo 2024 Wrap Up + a Giveaway - theinbetweenismine
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