Sunday, December 31, 2023

Happy New Year?

No, no, no . . . there is nothing happy about it!

How can I say such a thing before the year has begun?  Very easily.  First of all, it begins on a Monday - never a good sign.  But more importantly, Donald Trump is within striking distance of regaining the Presidency thanks to polls showing him more popular than ever among the Republican base while President Biden's poll numbers are lower than a gopher's basement.  Nothing - not a good economy, not increased infrastructure jobs, not his foreign policy leadership (least of all his handling of the Israel-Gaza War) - has turned that around.  We can't count on Trump to be taken down by guilty verdicts in his various upcoming trials, assuming they ever do come up, because he'll appeal them faster than you can say "habeas corpus."

Trump, meanwhile, has also gained support from people tired of hearing Biden's defense of his policies - which they feel have not benefited them - and even the threat to democracy can't seem to motivate voters, as they have apparently forgotten about January 6, 2021, in an apparent national amnesia epidemic.  Biden has his work cut out for him to restore not the soul of a country but to restore a memory to a country that, by accounts, doesn't want one.  

So, sure, your son might end up being sent to a labor camp in North Dakota and possibly being hung for treason because he called Trump a wanker on Facebook, but at least your groceries will be cheaper, right?

For the time being - the time being lasting through January 19, 2025 - we are safe.   After that day, we could and likely will be in great danger, as Trump Mark Two may take over and within a short time establish a right-wing dictatorship that lasts a long time.  

Enjoy New Year's Eve tonight.  It may be the last one you ever celebrate.

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