I was glad to see the “Hands Off” protests happening all over the country yesterday. There were protestors nearby my home in Tahlequah, Okla. as well as in my hometown of Calhoun, Ga. While they didn’t make much of a dent as other bigger cities, it shows you that the country is past fed up with Donald Trump as president.
We’re only 78 days into his second administration. For all those conservatives who have been saying for decades America needs to be run as a business, Trump would’ve been fired already before his 90-day probationary period ended. All the people who have been laid off from federal jobs knew what they were doing. They were skilled in their jobs.
Trump isn’t skilled. He’s mostly just the body attached to the pen that signs things. That’s what he’s always been. Do you think he sat in those long drawn out business meetings as studio executives and business lawyers perused the paperwork with the eyes of a hawk checking everything? Hell, no. His ass probably was playing golf talking on a cell phone telling someone to either buy or sell. The only negotiating Trump known is the Mafia-style of intimidating and extortion.
As horrible as it sounds, the Trump Tariffs might be the straw that breaks the back of those who have sat back not caring about others. All the people who only cared about their stock portfolios and their private club memberships may just be the ones to finally make the Trump administration sweat. And while it’s great in a touch of poetic justice to see people like David Portnoy lose millions, many other people are losing money as well.
And those are the ones who can’t afford to lose money. All those small business owners conservatives love to say they’re helping. Well, they’re either closing down or letting their employees go. Just last month, an eatery that shall remain nameless in Tahlequah had to close down temporarily because costs got too high. As far as I know, it’s not opened back up.
Unfortunately, it’s always the raison d’etre of our society to only care about something only when it affects us directly. People supported the wars in Iraq, Vietnam and Afghanistan until their own loved ones were injured or killed. For God’s sake, we have people in this country who don’t care for the LGBTQIA community but they will support their one relative who is gay or queer. Some of the biggest racists I know have interracial grandchildren who they actually care for.
It’s a crazy fucked-up way of our society. But there’s a big difference between minding your own business and stepping up to defend other people even if you “don’t have a dog in the race.” Recently, former Barack Obama posed the question of how people were acted if he had done any of the things Trump has done. Obviously, they would have crucified him in the media and on Capitol Hill.
Hell, some people might even try to literally do it. They wanted to hang former Vice-President Mike Pence and he was the most docile and conservative VEEP for a long, long time. The man probably prays to God every time he has to touch his penis to take a piss so he won’t think he’s sinning by touching himself.
Yes, I believe there was something off about the election results which were called so early with all swing states going to Trump even though some states like North Carolina went blue otherwise. It’s obvious Elon Musk and Trump have a plan to make a lot of money and to leave America in dust. This is what corporate raiders do now.
At the same time, Trump is trying to gaslight his fanbase with a bunch of bullshit of how he wants to return America to the post-World War II era. The problem is that was an era in which corporations paid more taxes so there was more of a surplus. Also, more Americans were skilled to easily switch from one factory job to another from company to company.
Yet, because of President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind program, it took vo-tech programs out of the smaller school districts where the parents and grandparents of students could excel. I’m a big fan of vo-tech education and there’s no shame whatsoever in a teenager learning how to tinker and put things together. Many of them are very damn good at it and they should be allowed to become more skilled so they can go and make a living.
No, instead, 20-25 years ago, many educators decided that all students could go to college. The only problem is college isn’t for everyone. So many students were getting financial loans that would put them five figures in debt before they could legally buy a beer. Now, they’re screwed in their 30s and 40s with jobs that can nowhere buy them things their parents bought.
The tariffs are going to mean people won’t buy new electronic equipment or even automobiles. People will stop eating out at restaurants. You think eggs prices are high now? Wait until other grocery prices increase. Also, the tariffs are only going to be temporary.
Do people actually think all the corporations are going to invest in new buildings for factories where they will have to pay Americans at American rates? Yes, foreign car companies opened factories in America, but they chose southern states that didn’t have the strong union powers in the Mid-West.
Trump has joked about running for a third term which would only happen if he tries a military coup. And I don’t see that as possible. But I don’t he will be very popular this time next year. Also, his supporters are not going to go ga-ga over him as they will J.D. Vance if he has to take over in the event something happens. Trump turns 79 in two months. By November 2028, he’ll be 82 and recent pictures of him don’t look too promising.
Personally, I think Trump is putting the money into off-shore accounts and he’ll be taking off to Russia or another non-extradition country where he can live comfortably the rest of his life. I don’t think the Republican-controlled Congress will continue to hold on after 2026. After someone like Indiana Sen. Jim Banks, a Republican, told a former employee with the Department of Human and Health Services he deserved to be laid off, I don’t many people will care much longer about this way.
People vote with their bank accounts. I doubt many will continue to support Trump after this. While I do believe that some liberal/leftist men would support Trump over Kamala Harris, I doubt they will keep their prejudice in place if they continue to be affected. Even if they are affected directly, others will. That eatery in Tahlequah may be the beginning. Small towns around America might see a few businesses closing down now but it could be a lot worse. Most don’t have the capital to have a bad financial quarter, much the less two or three.
There’s also a fear that Trump and the Republican Party is counting on more economic collapse to form their own authoritative regime. Except there’s only one problem – too many people in this country have firearms and don’t support the Trump Administration. While the White House Press Corp can boot comic Amber Ruffin from emceeing their annual dinner later month out of fear of upsetting Trump, the rest of the country isn’t going to roll over on command.
But what the Trump Administration wants is for people to be afraid to speak their mind. It’s not going to happen. We’re too spread out as a country for it to happen. Some politicians might try it hoping that job losses and surging prices will result in more crimes so they can impose martial law. But we’re reaching the levels of the French Revolution.
We’re never going to reach the post-WWII economy again. Why? Well, because the manufacturing plants in Europe were destroyed so America became a big manufacturer. But greed by corporate people led to outsourcing those jobs to newer factories and job loss. And during the Reagan/Bush Administration, the push went from manufacturing to investment banking.
Republicans did this to themselves. It’s just like the meme of the person riding a bicycle and putting a stick in the spokes thus causing themselves to fall down. Yet, they want to blame other people. Where I grew up in northwest Georgia, the carpet and rug factories began to hire Mexican immigrants because they could pay them cheaper. Democrats didn’t do it themselves. Republicans didn’t do it themselves. They both let the businesses behave this way until there was a point of no return.
One hundred years ago, there were an estimated 883,000 coal mining jobs in America. Now, there’s only 43,000. I know people say we should bring the coal mine jobs back but who’s going to work in them for a reasonable salary? The end goal is for the business owners not the workers. Coal mining is a dangerous job. As government wants to cut safety in the workplace, why would anyone want to risk their life especially if the coal mine owners are going to cut corners?
The problem with too many Americans is they’re afraid to adapt to changes around them which have commonly occurred throughout history. It doesn’t help that we keep electing people of all parties who should’ve long been retired. Oh, but you can’t say that because that’s ageism. Yet it’s okay for people to go on and on about how young Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Jon Ossoff, because they’re only in their 30s.
I’m just wondering if the true Republicans are going to step up and realize they’re eating the same shit sandwich the rest of us are. It will probably never happen but I would like to see a recall of Trump. Or to have him removed by Congress. Americans live under the philosophy that even though we have policies in place, we shouldn’t impose certain rules and regulations. Well, a law unused is a useless law.
So far Trump has done just about everything that is legal within the barriers of his job. But the day will come when he keeps moving those barriers. A frog that sits in a pot of water that keeps increasing in temperature little by little won’t realize it’s in a pot of boiling water until it’s too late.
Sadly, voters aren’t willing to admit they made the wrong choice until it’s too late. I’ve had to let go employees I thought looked good on paper. It happens. If voters do step up and admit they made the wrong choices, they might gain some more respect from the people they’re constantly mocking.
But I don’t see that happening, until it’s too later. By then, it probably won’t matter.
What do you think? Please comment.
Zane Says 