America & the World V: DOGE Business

[Nu-Eclipse]

I'm picturing a remake of West Side Story but only 3 people on each side clicking at each other.

JUST PLAY IT COOL, BOY! REAL COOL!!

[wakka]

Even if Harris wins, the fact that she would've been run so close by an unapologetic fascist, felon and proven seditionist would suggest there are no winners for America. It beggars belief that he's even in the frame and I feel resentful and sickened at the stupidity of his supporters.

It's crazy but in no small part, the blame lies with the Democrats. It's hard to convince people that you're for the little guy when all of your economic policies are just the same warmed-over neolib trickle-down stuff that for decades has ensured that the US's very strong economy directs wealth one way - up.

That leaves a wide open goal for a populist who's willing to lie through his teeth and present himself as a change candidate who's advocating on behalf of the poor. Unfortunately we all know from history that people buy that bull****, bigly.

In a better world Harris would actually be the right wing candidate in this race. As much as I want her to win against Trump, her administration would be like getting a replacement boiler - the resumption of an equitable temperature, rather than a material improvement to living standards.

[Neon Ignition]

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[Nu-Eclipse]

It's crazy but in no small part, the blame lies with the Democrats. It's hard to convince people that you're for the little guy when all of your economic policies are just the same warmed-over neolib trickle-down stuff that for decades has ensured that the US's very strong economy directs wealth one way - up.

That leaves a wide open goal for a populist who's willing to lie through his teeth and present himself as a change candidate who's advocating on behalf of the poor. Unfortunately we all know from history that people buy that bull****, bigly.

In a better world Harris would actually be the right wing candidate in this race. As much as I want her to win against Trump, her administration would be like getting a replacement boiler - the resumption of an equitable temperature, rather than a material improvement to living standards.

QFT.

Bolsonaro, Trump, Orbán, even Farage....mainstream political parties STILL aren't willing to learn lessons and heed warnings.

[MartyG]

I'd still not be surprised to see a look of absolute shock on Harris's face come 6th Nov.

And I claim my £5. Dumb Americans.

[egparadigm]

Looks like Trump’s won it. Appalling result and we will all pay a price for it. I am worried for my African American friend.

The only positive I can take is that at least the result wasn’t dragged out. But 4 years of horror sure is a long time.

I don’t think I’ll be tuning into the news this morning. No desire to watch Trump gloating.

[Dogg Thang]

It’s a sorry statement about that country and maybe the world. Nobody can claim they didn’t know this time. He had doubled down and shown the world who he is every step of this election. Everyone who voted for him is a certified grade A ****wit, not one exception among them this time. Not one.

[egparadigm]

Yeah my thoughts earlier in the cycle were “well if he does get elected again, American sure do have short memories”.

I don’t think I’ll be tuning into the news this morning. No desire to watch Trump gloating.

[Wools]

It’s a very sad result. But much like us in the UK, people continued to vote Conservative / Brexit as they got swept up in xenophobia and we kept those bastards in power for 14 years.

I wonder if Trumps reign will be horrific or much like his last term in office, full of bluster and Twitter shouts but he got **** all done. Or who knows, maybe he’ll have a funny 5 minutes and will actually do some good…

Time will tell.

[egparadigm]

The chaotic element itself is horrific, inspiring racist violence, something under appreciated here.

But I get your point. Yes we will see.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Biden also to blame in part for this. Too selfish to put his own ego aside and commit to being a one-term president until he was forced to step aside when it was too late.

[fishbowlhead]

Got home at 3am from a&e with the littleun (she’s fine) and I wake up at 6am to THIS fresh hell.

F. F. Sake. You absolute bunch of write offs America.

[QualityChimp]

Loads of analysis of why the Dems lost but ultimately, despite all the evidence, more American citizens would rather vote for Trump and all he represents, which is monumentally depressing.

Sadly, they aren't a bubble as right-wing momentum is gaining in many countries.

[Protocol Penguin]

It couldn’t get much worse as an election result, could it? Trump’s gotten a landslide. Currently likely to lead the popular vote, unlike last two attempts.

[Neon Ignition]

Trumps second term will be pretty much as he's laid out, he has zero reason to curtail to public opinion from this day onward because regardless of what comes he will never be subject to the 'little insignificant people' and their opinions ever again with the exception of how much he wants to continue feeding his fragile ego.

His first year will be a redux of 2017, a slew of executive orders utterly tearing up international partnerships and minority rights but with an added skewing poison tipped spear head of revenge on those who have dogged him in the past half decade.

His second year will chaos, dogged by controversy has he full throws countries like Ukraine to the wolves, sees the economy shift hard against the public due to the tariffs he plans on imposing and with Musk now set to oversee the regulators that oversee Musk - a contention emerge again as he becomes concerned about how much attention those around him are getting over himself.

By the third year the party will be focused on the mid-terms and their potential effects. This will partly affect his approach but a wild card by this point will be personal safety. He's a man who has had two attempts on his life within the campaign, another whilst in power and paranoia may set in heavily. In this third year and flowing hard into the fourth, he will largely abandon focus on America and anything the public cares about in favour of sheer self-preservation. He will spend his days exploring every avenue to extend his presidency beyond the term limits alongside the alternate avenues of self-pardoning and undebting himself from any and all consequences should he have to give the role up again in January 2029.

Overall, his first term will be the Paw Patrol to his second terms Dark Souls. He's not inhibited by a pandemic, having long careered old guard GOP members around him or a balanced Senate. By the time his term is closing he will likely have stacked 7 out of 9 senate seats with his own boot lickers, boot lickers who have already granted him immunity for everything he does for the next four years.



Outside of that, this election marks the singular worst moment in modern era American politics and something that the Democrats are really going to struggle to come to terms with because there are now some inescapable truths that they, America and frankly the rest of the world really need to come to terms with. A major number of minorities support hard right abhorrent views. A major number of women support these views too. This is despite both groups being robbed of their rights directly as a result. White male voters are a significant number that drive these figures but it's simply not the case that they are an isolated cause. There's a really ugly truth. This isn't a protest vote, it's not a celebrity culture zeitgeist moment.

It's a reflection of what lies at the heart of the American societal core.
The other bitter pill to swallow is that America is very, very, very far from alone. The world has progressed in acceptance and rights etc since the 1970's and 80's but it's the scale of that progression that is a lie and has allowed progressives to fool themselves into overlooking the clear reality that those darker day mindsets remain just as present... they just felt they needed to hide themselves until now.

The only irony in this is that those who have once again allowed Trump to take office will be among the first to suffer at his hands.

I've already seen comments from people who are very disappointed and trying to console themselves that they just need to ride out four more years. Immediate self-delusion. The lessons for the GOP are plain now, the ramifications of this election will resound throughout the rest of our lifetimes, there's no walking this one back.