I’m glad to hear your thoughts Shawn. Thank you for penning them down. It makes so much sense and emphasizes part of what I’m hearing from democrats but with a vengeance. Your words here help us remember how serious this is. As your almost sister, I also want to know that you’re taking care of yourself before saving the world. (Insert your oxygen mask on first metaphor). Love you!
Not sure it's even Possible to Boycott the full list of Fox enablers. And I don't just mean Fox news. I mean all the Fox shows that allow Fox News to exist because Fox gets it's money from all their channels... Here is a partial list. Automotive: Brands like Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet frequently advertise during NFL games and other prime-time shows.
Consumer Goods: Companies such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever promote household products across various programs.
Technology: Apple and Samsung often showcase their latest devices during high-viewership events like the World Series.
Fast Food and Beverages: McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo are common advertisers during sports broadcasts and popular series.
Financial Services: Banks and insurance companies, including JPMorgan Chase and Geico, target audiences during prime-time slots.
Michael, I appreciate the note. It all fell out into my keyboard this morning after a five-mile walk that didn't assuage my rage. For there to be a future, there needs to be a forceful response to disinformation. Froot Loops can't say they are as heathy as fruit. So why can a politician who will make us sick be able to say he is our salvation?
Ugh. I feel all of this. But I feel other feels too. As a counterpoint: I think there are simply too many cultural institutions in this country for the incoming administration to fuck with. Simply because they'll be too disinterested and too certain about their permanent majority. And also, the oligarchs bankrolling Trump—and Trump himself—so obviously want acceptance. Second only to power. So they cant overtake the culture. As long as there is culture, there will be stories. And as long as there are stories, there will be appetites for heroes. And as long as heroes exist, so will hope. I saw someone we both know commenting on Threads the other day that the only bright spot over these next four years will be the wealth of protest art and music and film that gets inspired. I haven't succumbed to the darkness to the point where I can't imagine all of that getting created without sparking a response. A resistance. A return.
C Woz, I appreciate that counterpoint quite a bit. The institutions may be strong enough. But this administration has the courts, the house, the senate, the White House, the popular vote, an 800 page plan for dismantling the government as we know it from religious fanatics with 2000 years of patriarchal bitterness seething in their veins. Their plans are fueled by true believers who do not value life over the afterlife and so will kill at will to achieve their aims. With a presidential pardon at the ready and presidential immunity and unbridled funding and regulations extinguished by the Chevron decision, our planet will become a cesspool. Irreversible damage is a tough thing to folk song your way out of.
Everything about Trump is the epitome of the villain in every superhero movie. And people can’t see that. If heroes rise, they will be crucified by the Pharisees who elected Don the Rapist.
I didn’t mean for this to go as dark as it has. It’s the only thing in me right now.
You aren't wrong to feel this sad, desperate, angry, and hopeless, dear Shawn Shawn. All caring thoughtful Americans are sharing your rage to some extent. But we all have to double down on the hard work of saving this country and our world for the sake of our daughters, sons, granddaughters, grandsons, and yes even those progeny of the MAGA mob.
There’s no point in singing to the choir. The voters who do not realize the serious doom dealt on us by whom they chose for leader will not read this, and we who hoped for a true leader are already stunned and grieving not only for the US but for the World.
There’s plenty of blue left in our flag. Nearly 49% voted for Kamala. It doesn’t show up when the swing states gave an edge to Trump and the electoral college is skewed by gerrymandering. You are not alone in your legitimate angst.
Do not blame Kamala…she ran a strategic campaign. She had strong outspoken dignitaries from both parties supporting her. Do not blame Biden, either, as he was ready and willing to continue a great job he’d begun, but he realized the power of a sleazy entertainer has greater impact than someone who actually knows how to do the job. Kamala, with her education, in-house experience, and education unwittingly became the sacrificial lamb.
The incredible changes Biden brought about in 4 years take time to develop the recognizable benefits in a country, and if he were given 4 more years, people would see the greatness of his achievements. But we are an instant-seeking society. We don’t even want to wait 5 minutes for oatmeal to cook… we want packets of gruel to microwave in 30 seconds. We want air fryers to prep a four- hour meal in 30 minutes. We want to gulp our food down and jump up from the table, throw the dishes in the dishwasher, and go out and make more money so we can spend more money.
Trump promised instant success. He’d end the war in Ukraine by giving Putin whatever the hell he wants. He’d stop the war in Israel by offering no more US support… give one of sides the Gaza Strip and tell them no more trespassing on either side or he’d push the button to make both sides unlivable. WHO cares about Muslims, anyway? You gotta be tough and fast. You gotta care about your own…unless they’re Black, or Jewish, or Latino or Haitian, or Muslim. These are interlopers, you see, in Trump World.
Given that most American folks read and think on the level of a 12-year -old ( you can check that) they really don’t care about the complexities of the fact that no country can exist on its own. Hell - Trump is friends with Putin, so of course Putin will never try to get in the way of world domination. China and North Korea? We’ll fix China with tariffs, which we’ll pay for, and Elon Musk will make us feel good about it, while he writes government contracts to make himself richer.
It’s all so easy!! Immigration? Shut down the border. Send back anyone who’s stealing jobs nobody wants back to their”shit-hole” countries. Let them drown in the Rio-Grande. Don’t allow them to earn enough money to get the reading skills they need to pass a citizenship test. They are only here to deal drugs and rape our women. Perfect solutions for an instant society.
On top of that, Kamala Harris is a WOMAN. A manly man does not grovel to a woman. Ronald Reagan highlighted the Marlboro man, who lives on his own, does what he wants, when he wants. Men nationwide have hung on to that image long after the commercial ended. Trump reincarnated it. Don-the-Rapist? To many who voted for him, he’s just being a manly-man. And “a man’s got to do what a man has to do.” Yes, they think that way.
Perhaps Americans have committed suicide by their vote. We’ll choke to death by gaseous air and die by hurricanes, fires, floods and drought caused by climate change. But the suicide won’t be a “ mortal sin.” A sin to be “mortal” has to have clear deliberate intent to separate oneself from a merciful loving God. God gives mercy on afflictions of stupidity or mental illness. Only when they intentionally name when life begins, and life ends, as many politicians have decreed, do they commit mortal sin. And when they force medical professionals to make unethical decisions resulting in women’s and infant’s deaths, these politicians are making themselves God, even when they rationalize they are doing a holy act. In the name of Jesus, politicians are forcing others to commit acts they do not want to do.
If you were told you can no longer create advertising for anything but a Trump-owned hotel or Resort, you could find another job…teaching writing, or starting a newspaper, if he allows those to continue, or start a business selling sea-shell art. Medical professionals who spent 12 years learning their profession, with a passion to heal do not have that latitude… although many are indeed talented in other areas, it’s not what they want to do.
So, I insist, do not blame the Democrats, Biden, or Kamala Harris for the loss of the election. Kamala Harris lost this election because Americans want an instant solution to their concerns and Trump has convinced them he is a manly man who can make it happen fast. And all we have to do is pay his golf fees.
I agree that Harris ran a solid campaign. I blame Fox and the corporations that support Fox. And the people who support those corporations which includes me.
It’s no use analyzing what could have been done. Or even what we can do from here. There will not be another US election. Hunting brown people will become a Trump-youth camp activity. And worse things than that await. Things I cannot fathom because I couldn’t fathom this.
I’m glad to hear your thoughts Shawn. Thank you for penning them down. It makes so much sense and emphasizes part of what I’m hearing from democrats but with a vengeance. Your words here help us remember how serious this is. As your almost sister, I also want to know that you’re taking care of yourself before saving the world. (Insert your oxygen mask on first metaphor). Love you!
I started yesterday with a two mile walk and today with a 5 mile walk. Trying to self-care my way until the cliff arrives.
I’m trying to focus on my oxygen mask.
But the plane is crashing.
Love you, too.
Not sure it's even Possible to Boycott the full list of Fox enablers. And I don't just mean Fox news. I mean all the Fox shows that allow Fox News to exist because Fox gets it's money from all their channels... Here is a partial list. Automotive: Brands like Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet frequently advertise during NFL games and other prime-time shows.
Consumer Goods: Companies such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever promote household products across various programs.
Technology: Apple and Samsung often showcase their latest devices during high-viewership events like the World Series.
Fast Food and Beverages: McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo are common advertisers during sports broadcasts and popular series.
Financial Services: Banks and insurance companies, including JPMorgan Chase and Geico, target audiences during prime-time slots.
Damn, the best analysis of the election I've read. And I've read a bunch. I'm going to link it and email it.
Michael, I appreciate the note. It all fell out into my keyboard this morning after a five-mile walk that didn't assuage my rage. For there to be a future, there needs to be a forceful response to disinformation. Froot Loops can't say they are as heathy as fruit. So why can a politician who will make us sick be able to say he is our salvation?
Ugh. I feel all of this. But I feel other feels too. As a counterpoint: I think there are simply too many cultural institutions in this country for the incoming administration to fuck with. Simply because they'll be too disinterested and too certain about their permanent majority. And also, the oligarchs bankrolling Trump—and Trump himself—so obviously want acceptance. Second only to power. So they cant overtake the culture. As long as there is culture, there will be stories. And as long as there are stories, there will be appetites for heroes. And as long as heroes exist, so will hope. I saw someone we both know commenting on Threads the other day that the only bright spot over these next four years will be the wealth of protest art and music and film that gets inspired. I haven't succumbed to the darkness to the point where I can't imagine all of that getting created without sparking a response. A resistance. A return.
C Woz, I appreciate that counterpoint quite a bit. The institutions may be strong enough. But this administration has the courts, the house, the senate, the White House, the popular vote, an 800 page plan for dismantling the government as we know it from religious fanatics with 2000 years of patriarchal bitterness seething in their veins. Their plans are fueled by true believers who do not value life over the afterlife and so will kill at will to achieve their aims. With a presidential pardon at the ready and presidential immunity and unbridled funding and regulations extinguished by the Chevron decision, our planet will become a cesspool. Irreversible damage is a tough thing to folk song your way out of.
Everything about Trump is the epitome of the villain in every superhero movie. And people can’t see that. If heroes rise, they will be crucified by the Pharisees who elected Don the Rapist.
I didn’t mean for this to go as dark as it has. It’s the only thing in me right now.
You aren't wrong to feel this sad, desperate, angry, and hopeless, dear Shawn Shawn. All caring thoughtful Americans are sharing your rage to some extent. But we all have to double down on the hard work of saving this country and our world for the sake of our daughters, sons, granddaughters, grandsons, and yes even those progeny of the MAGA mob.
There’s no point in singing to the choir. The voters who do not realize the serious doom dealt on us by whom they chose for leader will not read this, and we who hoped for a true leader are already stunned and grieving not only for the US but for the World.
There’s plenty of blue left in our flag. Nearly 49% voted for Kamala. It doesn’t show up when the swing states gave an edge to Trump and the electoral college is skewed by gerrymandering. You are not alone in your legitimate angst.
Do not blame Kamala…she ran a strategic campaign. She had strong outspoken dignitaries from both parties supporting her. Do not blame Biden, either, as he was ready and willing to continue a great job he’d begun, but he realized the power of a sleazy entertainer has greater impact than someone who actually knows how to do the job. Kamala, with her education, in-house experience, and education unwittingly became the sacrificial lamb.
The incredible changes Biden brought about in 4 years take time to develop the recognizable benefits in a country, and if he were given 4 more years, people would see the greatness of his achievements. But we are an instant-seeking society. We don’t even want to wait 5 minutes for oatmeal to cook… we want packets of gruel to microwave in 30 seconds. We want air fryers to prep a four- hour meal in 30 minutes. We want to gulp our food down and jump up from the table, throw the dishes in the dishwasher, and go out and make more money so we can spend more money.
Trump promised instant success. He’d end the war in Ukraine by giving Putin whatever the hell he wants. He’d stop the war in Israel by offering no more US support… give one of sides the Gaza Strip and tell them no more trespassing on either side or he’d push the button to make both sides unlivable. WHO cares about Muslims, anyway? You gotta be tough and fast. You gotta care about your own…unless they’re Black, or Jewish, or Latino or Haitian, or Muslim. These are interlopers, you see, in Trump World.
Given that most American folks read and think on the level of a 12-year -old ( you can check that) they really don’t care about the complexities of the fact that no country can exist on its own. Hell - Trump is friends with Putin, so of course Putin will never try to get in the way of world domination. China and North Korea? We’ll fix China with tariffs, which we’ll pay for, and Elon Musk will make us feel good about it, while he writes government contracts to make himself richer.
It’s all so easy!! Immigration? Shut down the border. Send back anyone who’s stealing jobs nobody wants back to their”shit-hole” countries. Let them drown in the Rio-Grande. Don’t allow them to earn enough money to get the reading skills they need to pass a citizenship test. They are only here to deal drugs and rape our women. Perfect solutions for an instant society.
On top of that, Kamala Harris is a WOMAN. A manly man does not grovel to a woman. Ronald Reagan highlighted the Marlboro man, who lives on his own, does what he wants, when he wants. Men nationwide have hung on to that image long after the commercial ended. Trump reincarnated it. Don-the-Rapist? To many who voted for him, he’s just being a manly-man. And “a man’s got to do what a man has to do.” Yes, they think that way.
Perhaps Americans have committed suicide by their vote. We’ll choke to death by gaseous air and die by hurricanes, fires, floods and drought caused by climate change. But the suicide won’t be a “ mortal sin.” A sin to be “mortal” has to have clear deliberate intent to separate oneself from a merciful loving God. God gives mercy on afflictions of stupidity or mental illness. Only when they intentionally name when life begins, and life ends, as many politicians have decreed, do they commit mortal sin. And when they force medical professionals to make unethical decisions resulting in women’s and infant’s deaths, these politicians are making themselves God, even when they rationalize they are doing a holy act. In the name of Jesus, politicians are forcing others to commit acts they do not want to do.
If you were told you can no longer create advertising for anything but a Trump-owned hotel or Resort, you could find another job…teaching writing, or starting a newspaper, if he allows those to continue, or start a business selling sea-shell art. Medical professionals who spent 12 years learning their profession, with a passion to heal do not have that latitude… although many are indeed talented in other areas, it’s not what they want to do.
So, I insist, do not blame the Democrats, Biden, or Kamala Harris for the loss of the election. Kamala Harris lost this election because Americans want an instant solution to their concerns and Trump has convinced them he is a manly man who can make it happen fast. And all we have to do is pay his golf fees.
I agree that Harris ran a solid campaign. I blame Fox and the corporations that support Fox. And the people who support those corporations which includes me.
It’s no use analyzing what could have been done. Or even what we can do from here. There will not be another US election. Hunting brown people will become a Trump-youth camp activity. And worse things than that await. Things I cannot fathom because I couldn’t fathom this.
You should start your own Substack, Barbara B You have a lot of wisdom to share.