After Nearly a Decade of Trump, America is Fatigued and Anxious

[Social Media]

 

It seems almost unimaginable now, but there was a time when Americans could go days, even weeks, without hearing about Donald Trump. That all changed nearly a decade ago when Trump decided to run for president. Since then, he has become an ever-present figure in the news, ensuring constant media coverage through a blend of controversy, threats, and turmoil.

 

As Politico aptly described, Trump is "the ultimate attention seeker," his name emblazoned not just on buildings and golf courses, but also deeply etched into the national consciousness. The media obliges by providing extensive coverage, reporting on everything from his veiled threats of violence and complaints about mistreatment to his courtroom antics. Even mundane events like Trump’s 11-car motorcade to the courthouse often overshadow significant developments during President Biden’s tenure.

 

Many Americans fondly remember the relative calm of the "No Drama Obama" years. Joe Biden, with his notably calm demeanor, does not command the same free media attention as Trump. This disparity raises questions about the fairness of media coverage in an election year and its impact on the American public. Outside the fervent support of the MAGA camp, many Americans report suffering from crisis fatigue. Recent polls reveal that voters from both parties approach the upcoming election with a mix of exhaustion and an acute awareness of its importance. Since Trump’s entry into national politics, societal anxiety has noticeably increased.

 

In March 2017, The Oregonian reported that Trump’s dominance in the news cycle was fueling therapy sessions across the country. Psychologists noted a rise in collective angst due to the Trump administration’s tumultuous early months. Three months later, the *New England Journal of Medicine* highlighted that a significant portion of U.S. adults were stressed by the political environment, with two-thirds expressing concern about the country’s future. By 2019, the Washington Post declared that "Donald Trump is stressing out America," and by the fall of 2020, the Inquirer echoed this sentiment, stating that four years of Trump had left most Americans stressed. In 2021, author and Vox correspondent Anna North reflected on the psychological toll of Trump’s term, noting the enduring impact of his chaotic and divisive rhetoric.

 

Despite leaving office, Trump did not fade from the spotlight. By 2023, an op-ed in The Hill observed that with Trump facing multiple indictments and numerous criminal charges, America's political institutions were under immense stress, likening the situation to the tensions of the Civil War era. The op-ed suggested that this turmoil had contributed to a diminished American Dream. Guardian commentator Margaret Sullivan questions whether the media has learned anything from Trump’s 2016 campaign, during which he was a "great distractor" who received disproportionate coverage. Analysts found that Trump garnered nearly $2 billion in free media attention and dominated 63% of campaign news coverage early in 2016.

 

This pattern is repeating with Trump’s trials. Instead of being seen as a lawbreaker, Trump’s portrayal as a martyr by the "deep state" has only solidified his supporters' resolve. With the judicial system increasingly viewed through a partisan lens, many voters may remain uncertain about Trump’s legal status by election time. Whether he wins or loses, Trump is expected to dominate the news, either by contesting the election results or by furthering his disruptive agenda.

 

As Americans approach another critical election, they must ask themselves if this is the future they desire. Can the nation withstand more years of chaos and anxiety? Or is it time to make America calm again by retiring Trump from politics, either through legal means or by relegating him to private life at Mar-a-Lago?

 

Opinion William S. Becker

 

Credit: The Hill 2024-05-22

 

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[Tug]

YUP!it’s time to ditch that albatross and make government boring again!

[riclag]

Trump sure did open the door and exposed the  Washington Establishment . And the way foreign business interests are conducted!

As Potus there was no wars-and his economy was breaking records until the virus came and shut down the Country.

I think many on the left are fatigued not so much of Middle America Americans , methinks.

They tried everything to expose him too, All the dirty tricks from spying on his campaign ! Hillary starting the Russian hoax by hiring Steele and his dossier. Msm media love affair with The Mueller investigation that failed and then hiding hunters laptop story ! Two impeachments that failed in the Senate!

 

And now the current scam of 4 dem prosecutors arresting him in what many feel is attempts at election 

interference.

But despite the Marxist attempts at political persecution Trump is winning in the polls in a 

3 way race.Why cause his opposition is weak and the world is on fire , under his watch.

 

 

https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/HHP_May2024_KeyResults.pdf

[KhunLA]

To the title ... I thought the only 4 yrs of Trump was refreshing, and a nice change from the tyranny imposed by all the other administrations (except Carter) that people had to deal with.

[Cryingdick]

To a large extent this isn't of Trump's making. The media attention brought h8m into power and the constant attention and court cases may well bring him back. To that degree it isn't Trump's fault that he lives in their heads 24/7. 
 

You want to talk fatigue? Look at Biden. 

[Chomper Higgot]

It’s a characteristic of toxic narcissists.

 

They are toxic.

 

 

[Tug]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

Trump sure did open the door and exposed the  Washington Establishment . And the way foreign business interests are conducted!

As Potus there was no wars-and his economy was breaking records until the virus came and shut down the Country.

I think many on the left are fatigued not so much of Middle America Americans , methinks.

They tried everything to expose him too, All the dirty tricks from spying on his campaign ! Hillary starting the Russian hoax by hiring Steele and his dossier. Msm media love affair with The Mueller investigation that failed and then hiding hunters laptop story ! Two impeachments that failed in the Senate!

 

And now the current scam of 4 dem prosecutors arresting him in what many feel is attempts at election 

interference.

But despite the Marxist attempts at political persecution Trump is winning in the polls in a 

3 way race.Why cause his opposition is weak and the world is on fire , under his watch.

 

 

https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/HHP_May2024_KeyResults.pdf

He and his family took full advantage of that position how much did Jarod and ivanka get from the Saudi?

[Skeptic7]

Been "fatigued" (translation: fooking over) this con-man since the '80s. Had a job offer from Trump Shuttle in 1989. Turned it down cold. Staying temporarily unemployed was the better option. Told friends way back then, would never work for that charlatan. 

[Cryingdick]

1 minute ago, Skeptic7 said:

Been "fatigued" with this con-

 

a lot of people are fatigued with a $75 bag of groceries costing more than a $100 and hauling it home on the bus because a $12 Uber ride is now $20. That's what this is going to all come down to.

[CanadaSam]

Again, it simply boggles the mind that out of 333+ million people, they can not find one, young, intelligent, sensible person to put foward as our future president?

[Cryingdick]

3 minutes ago, CanadaSam said:

Again, it simply boggles the mind that out of 333+ million people, they can not find one, young, intelligent, sensible person to put foward as our future president?

This is because it isn't the people deciding who gets to run these days. A primary should be mandatory on both sides.

[KhunLA]

14 minutes ago, CanadaSam said:

Again, it simply boggles the mind that out of 333+ million people, they can not find one, young, intelligent, sensible person to put foward as our future president?

If young & intelligent, why would they want the job.    By the time intelligent people are 35+, they probably make more than the president's salary, without the headache.

[impulse]

44 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s a characteristic of toxic narcissists.

 

They are toxic.

 

Yup.  That TDS really takes it out of you.

 

[Walker88]

2 hours ago, riclag said:

Trump sure did open the door and exposed the  Washington Establishment . And the way foreign business interests are conducted!

As Potus there was no wars-and his economy was breaking records until the virus came and shut down the Country.

I think many on the left are fatigued not so much of Middle America Americans , methinks.

They tried everything to expose him too, All the dirty tricks from spying on his campaign ! Hillary starting the Russian hoax by hiring Steele and his dossier. Msm media love affair with The Mueller investigation that failed and then hiding hunters laptop story ! Two impeachments that failed in the Senate!

 

And now the current scam of 4 dem prosecutors arresting him in what many feel is attempts at election 

interference.

But despite the Marxist attempts at political persecution Trump is winning in the polls in a 

3 way race.Why cause his opposition is weak and the world is on fire , under his watch.

 

 

 

https://harvardharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/HHP_May2024_KeyResults.pdf

LOL!

 

Here's some facts:

 

Even before Covid, his 'economic performance' (per GDP change) was in the bottom 30% of all Quarters since the end of WWII.

 

Hardly 'breaking records'.

 

He inherited 4.8% unemployment and a growing economy; he left 6.8% UE, a Recession---and he achieved that disaster by increasing total National Debt by 41% over the first 44 Presidents. Just like his businesses, he was a failure economically. At least in his businesses he had inherited so much money, got so much in allowance from daddy since he was 3, and had his daddy co-sign all his loans, that he could created the appearance of being a success. His leaked tax returns tell an entirely different story.

 

He imposed sanctions on Chinese imports, claiming "China will pay". No, the US Consumer paid. Because China retaliated by changing sourcing on agricultural products to South American nations, he had to hand out $28 billion in relief to US farmers. That's called "Socialism".

 

As for 'wars', he did not end US presence in the Middle East, and the Afghanistan War lasted his entire term. Shortly before he lost the 2020 election, he ordered the release of 5000 Taliban jihadis in Afghanistan. They resumed their takeover of the country and some of those former prisoners now rule the country. He abrogated the JCPOA (only because Obama had achieved it), which immediately put Iran back in the nuke game. Oh, and he ordered the assassination of Qasem Solemani, an Iranian general. Hardly a peacenik was 45.

 

The clown who now whines daily about "UNFAIR" and WEAPONIZATION of justice regularly led chants of "Lock Her Up". Guilty until proven innocent seems to have not been part of his thinking.

 

Biden started no wars, although goobers and the Cult like to attribute Israel-Gaza and Ukraine to Biden, despite the fact Netanyahu tacitly approved Hamas funding (because like Netanyahu, Hamas is against a Two State Solution), and the invasion of Ukraine is purely a result of 45's friend Putin. Biden started no wars and finally accepted reality and got the US out of Afghanistan.

 

Oh, the who is the first President since Herbert Hoover to leave office with fewer Americans employed than when he took office? 45. If you want to blame it on Covid, remind me who said "It's 15 people now, but soon will be 1". Oh, and despite his claim of "like, a really stable genius", it turns out injecting Lysol and sticking a UV light where the sun doesn't shine is not a cure for Covid.

 

Recently, there has been 27 straight months of UE under 4%. That is the first time since the 1960s. Growth as measured by GDP has been the best under Biden since the 1990s under Clinton. The inflation caused by 45 running up $8,400,000,000,000 in new debt, or $25,000 for every man, woman and child in the US, had to be handled by jacking up interest rates. Just 45's debt added another $trillion to the National Debt since 2020, because of the 380 pip raise in rates.

 

And of the few policies 45 actually has should he win again is that he will set interest rate policy, not the Fed, and he will do new tax cuts (as if 'trickle down' actually works).

 

If a 2nd term happens, be ready for a total economic collapse. The guy who declared 6 bankruptcies will do the same to the US. He has floated the idea of refusing to pay foreign holders of USTs. Since the US still needs hundreds of $billions to fund its deficit, reneging on debt service will have foreign money run from USTs, which either sends rates soaring, or else results in a dollar collapse. Tax cuts now will just worsen the deficit situation.

 

Who will be hurt the most by his plans? The very people who support him, which is to say the people who are being obviated by lack of marketable skills, poor education, technological advancement, and the coming AI layoffs. Serves them right.

 

I expect that in a 2nd term for 45, the US will see 20% UE, a collapse of the dollar, Stagflation, and quite possibly a kind of soft Secession of States like California (a State which the US needs far more than CA needs the US), the States of New England, and other States that are net contributors to the Federal budget and who fund the parasitic Red States.

 

I will enjoy some schadenfreude as I watch the Cult suffer. They will get what they wished for in their abject ignorance and easy gullibility....the dumb people's idea of a smart guy, and unsuccessful people's idea of a business genius.

 

There will be some sadness, however, that a country long on the path to greatness was eventually destroyed by a willfully ignorant, vindictive, totally self-serving, pathologically lying, corrupt, conman. It will have proven H. L. Mencken right:

 

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

[Hanaguma]

20 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

LOL!

 

Here's some facts:

 

Even before Covid, his 'economic performance' (per GDP change) was in the bottom 30% of all Quarters since the end of WWII.

 

Hardly 'breaking records'.

 

He inherited 4.8% unemployment and a growing economy; he left 6.8% UE, a Recession---and he achieved that disaster by increasing total National Debt by 41% over the first 44 Presidents. Just like his businesses, he was a failure economically. At least in his businesses he had inherited so much money, got so much in allowance from daddy since he was 3, and had his daddy co-sign all his loans, that he could created the appearance of being a success. His leaked tax returns tell an entirely different story.

 

He imposed sanctions on Chinese imports, claiming "China will pay". No, the US Consumer paid. Because China retaliated by changing sourcing on agricultural products to South American nations, he had to hand out $28 billion in relief to US farmers. That's called "Socialism".

 

As for 'wars', he did not end US presence in the Middle East, and the Afghanistan War lasted his entire term. Shortly before he lost the 2020 election, he ordered the release of 5000 Taliban jihadis in Afghanistan. They resumed their takeover of the country and some of those former prisoners now rule the country. He abrogated the JCPOA (only because Obama had achieved it), which immediately put Iran back in the nuke game. Oh, and he ordered the assassination of Qasem Solemani, an Iranian general. Hardly a peacenik was 45.

 

The clown who now whines daily about "UNFAIR" and WEAPONIZATION of justice regularly led chants of "Lock Her Up". Guilty until proven innocent seems to have not been part of his thinking.

 

Biden started no wars, although goobers and the Cult like to attribute Israel-Gaza and Ukraine to Biden, despite the fact Netanyahu tacitly approved Hamas funding (because like Netanyahu, Hamas is against a Two State Solution), and the invasion of Ukraine is purely a result of 45's friend Putin. Biden started no wars and finally accepted reality and got the US out of Afghanistan.

 

Oh, the who is the first President since Herbert Hoover to leave office with fewer Americans employed than when he took office? 45. If you want to blame it on Covid, remind me who said "It's 15 people now, but soon will be 1". Oh, and despite his claim of "like, a really stable genius", it turns out injecting Lysol and sticking a UV light where the sun doesn't shine is not a cure for Covid.

 

Recently, there has been 27 straight months of UE under 4%. That is the first time since the 1960s. Growth as measured by GDP has been the best under Biden since the 1990s under Clinton. The inflation caused by 45 running up $8,400,000,000,000 in new debt, or $25,000 for every man, woman and child in the US, had to be handled by jacking up interest rates. Just 45's debt added another $trillion to the National Debt since 2020, because of the 380 pip raise in rates.

 

And of the few policies 45 actually has should he win again is that he will set interest rate policy, not the Fed, and he will do new tax cuts (as if 'trickle down' actually works).

 

If a 2nd term happens, be ready for a total economic collapse. The guy who declared 6 bankruptcies will do the same to the US. He has floated the idea of refusing to pay foreign holders of USTs. Since the US still needs hundreds of $billions to fund its deficit, reneging on debt service will have foreign money run from USTs, which either sends rates soaring, or else results in a dollar collapse. Tax cuts now will just worsen the deficit situation.

 

Who will be hurt the most by his plans? The very people who support him, which is to say the people who are being obviated by lack of marketable skills, poor education, technological advancement, and the coming AI layoffs. Serves them right.

 

I expect that in a 2nd term for 45, the US will see 20% UE, a collapse of the dollar, Stagflation, and quite possibly a kind of soft Secession of States like California (a State which the US needs far more than CA needs the US), the States of New England, and other States that are net contributors to the Federal budget and who fund the parasitic Red States.

 

I will enjoy some schadenfreude as I watch the Cult suffer. They will get what they wished for in their abject ignorance and easy gullibility....the dumb people's idea of a smart guy, and unsuccessful people's idea of a business genius.

 

There will be some sadness, however, that a country long on the path to greatness was eventually destroyed by a willfully ignorant, vindictive, totally self-serving, pathologically lying, corrupt, conman. It will have proven H. L. Mencken right:

 

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

LOL. Nice cut and paste job, but Americans aren't buying it. You very conveniently left out that the pre-Covid economy in the US was fabulicious. Two buck gas, two buck eggs, sub 2% inflation, record low unemployment for minorities, border under control (to an extent at least). I wasn't a fan of the deficits, but you can't have everything.  

 

Now look at post-Covid Biden if you dare. Four dollar gas, three dollar eggs, 4% inflation, 7% mortgages on overpriced homes, people are squeezed.  

[impulse]

48 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

LOL!

 

Here's some facts:

 

Even before Covid, his 'economic performance' (per GDP change) was in the bottom 30% of all Quarters since the end of WWII.

 

Hardly 'breaking records'.

 

He inherited 4.8% unemployment and a growing economy; he left 6.8% UE, a Recession---and he achieved that disaster by increasing total National Debt by 41% over the first 44 Presidents. Just like his businesses, he was a failure economically. At least in his businesses he had inherited so much money, got so much in allowance from daddy since he was 3, and had his daddy co-sign all his loans, that he could created the appearance of being a success. His leaked tax returns tell an entirely different story.

 

He imposed sanctions on Chinese imports, claiming "China will pay". No, the US Consumer paid. Because China retaliated by changing sourcing on agricultural products to South American nations, he had to hand out $28 billion in relief to US farmers. That's called "Socialism".

 

As for 'wars', he did not end US presence in the Middle East, and the Afghanistan War lasted his entire term. Shortly before he lost the 2020 election, he ordered the release of 5000 Taliban jihadis in Afghanistan. They resumed their takeover of the country and some of those former prisoners now rule the country. He abrogated the JCPOA (only because Obama had achieved it), which immediately put Iran back in the nuke game. Oh, and he ordered the assassination of Qasem Solemani, an Iranian general. Hardly a peacenik was 45.

 

The clown who now whines daily about "UNFAIR" and WEAPONIZATION of justice regularly led chants of "Lock Her Up". Guilty until proven innocent seems to have not been part of his thinking.

 

Biden started no wars, although goobers and the Cult like to attribute Israel-Gaza and Ukraine to Biden, despite the fact Netanyahu tacitly approved Hamas funding (because like Netanyahu, Hamas is against a Two State Solution), and the invasion of Ukraine is purely a result of 45's friend Putin. Biden started no wars and finally accepted reality and got the US out of Afghanistan.

 

Oh, the who is the first President since Herbert Hoover to leave office with fewer Americans employed than when he took office? 45. If you want to blame it on Covid, remind me who said "It's 15 people now, but soon will be 1". Oh, and despite his claim of "like, a really stable genius", it turns out injecting Lysol and sticking a UV light where the sun doesn't shine is not a cure for Covid.

 

Recently, there has been 27 straight months of UE under 4%. That is the first time since the 1960s. Growth as measured by GDP has been the best under Biden since the 1990s under Clinton. The inflation caused by 45 running up $8,400,000,000,000 in new debt, or $25,000 for every man, woman and child in the US, had to be handled by jacking up interest rates. Just 45's debt added another $trillion to the National Debt since 2020, because of the 380 pip raise in rates.

 

And of the few policies 45 actually has should he win again is that he will set interest rate policy, not the Fed, and he will do new tax cuts (as if 'trickle down' actually works).

 

If a 2nd term happens, be ready for a total economic collapse. The guy who declared 6 bankruptcies will do the same to the US. He has floated the idea of refusing to pay foreign holders of USTs. Since the US still needs hundreds of $billions to fund its deficit, reneging on debt service will have foreign money run from USTs, which either sends rates soaring, or else results in a dollar collapse. Tax cuts now will just worsen the deficit situation.

 

Who will be hurt the most by his plans? The very people who support him, which is to say the people who are being obviated by lack of marketable skills, poor education, technological advancement, and the coming AI layoffs. Serves them right.

 

I expect that in a 2nd term for 45, the US will see 20% UE, a collapse of the dollar, Stagflation, and quite possibly a kind of soft Secession of States like California (a State which the US needs far more than CA needs the US), the States of New England, and other States that are net contributors to the Federal budget and who fund the parasitic Red States.

 

I will enjoy some schadenfreude as I watch the Cult suffer. They will get what they wished for in their abject ignorance and easy gullibility....the dumb people's idea of a smart guy, and unsuccessful people's idea of a business genius.

 

There will be some sadness, however, that a country long on the path to greatness was eventually destroyed by a willfully ignorant, vindictive, totally self-serving, pathologically lying, corrupt, conman. It will have proven H. L. Mencken right:

 

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

 

Too

Many

Words

 

[Hanaguma]

IMHO the fatigue is largely due to media hyperbole and the breathless exhaustive coverage of anything 'Trump'. How many times did we hear "the walls are closing in", "the latest bombshell" or "the beginning of the end"?  Trump singlehandedly kept the cable news industry afloat for 7 years. They should be thanking him, not mocking. 

 

I've said before, with a guy like Trump there really is only one way to hurt him- ignore him. That is the cruellest cut of all for a narcissist. But it can't be done, either here or back in Uncle Sugar's backyard.

[Cryingdick]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s a characteristic of toxic narcissists.

 

They are toxic.

 

 

So toxic gonna toxic? 

[Paradise Pete]

3 hours ago, riclag said:

Trump...Hillary...Trump etc.

 

Did you get your shoes yet?

[herfiehandbag]

10 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Too

Many

Words

 

What is more, some of them are too long for MAGA comprehension!

 

I did like the bit about the crowning glory of installing a moron in the White House though.

[Tug]

41 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

LOL. Nice cut and paste job, but Americans aren't buying it. You very conveniently left out that the pre-Covid economy in the US was fabulicious. Two buck gas, two buck eggs, sub 2% inflation, record low unemployment for minorities, border under control (to an extent at least). I wasn't a fan of the deficits, but you can't have everything.  

 

Now look at post-Covid Biden if you dare. Four dollar gas, three dollar eggs, 4% inflation, 7% mortgages on overpriced homes, people are squeezed.  

Ahh the 2 buck gas was during Covid lock down when they overproduced so much they ran out of storage im paying 5$ for 2 dozen eggs now at Costco the border was a mess of his creation and he absolutely exploded the deficit for nothing gained walker 88 is a articulate knowledgeable AMERICAN not a foreign person undercutting America and puffing up the worst president in our history……..everyone is entitled to their own opinion ,but sometimes i suspect motives .thanks walker if you bother to read my poor grammer please keep killing them with facts !!

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

To a large extent this isn't of Trump's making. The media attention brought h8m into power and the constant attention and court cases may well bring him back. To that degree it isn't Trump's fault that he lives in their heads 24/7. 
 

You want to talk fatigue? Look at Biden. 

Ultimately more appropriate and useful to look at the full details of how many laws trump has broken / ignored / twisted. And how he has tried to make new laws, not needed just his attempts to get him 'off the hook'. 

[WDSmart]

Yes! It's been horrible, and I don't think it's even close to being over yet.  

 

When I was growing up and living in the USA, I always knew there were racists, sexists, xenophobes, fascists, and other dissidents, but I thought they only made up maybe 10% of the population. Now, it's apparent they make up as much as 40%!  They must have been there all the time.

Trump didn't create these people; he just gave them permission to crawl out from under the rocks they've been hiding. 

[Hanaguma]

37 minutes ago, Tug said:

Ahh the 2 buck gas was during Covid lock down when they overproduced so much they ran out of storage im paying 5$ for 2 dozen eggs now at Costco the border was a mess of his creation and he absolutely exploded the deficit for nothing gained walker 88 is a articulate knowledgeable AMERICAN not a foreign person undercutting America and puffing up the worst president in our history……..everyone is entitled to their own opinion ,but sometimes i suspect motives .thanks walker if you bother to read my poor grammer please keep killing them with facts !!

So your Costco eggs have gone up only 25% in three years. Great. Most supermarkets I could find it was a lot more.  So you are OK with 25% food inflation? Also 50% housing inflation? Double gas prices?  Biden's deficit this year nearly double Trump's debt in 2019? 

 

Let's be realistic. Neither Biden nor Trump have a great chance to actually survive 4 years. So if you vote for Biden, you are actually voting for Harris. Good god.

[Hanaguma]

2 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

Yes! It's been horrible, and I don't think it's even close to being over yet.  

 

When I was growing up and living in the USA, I always knew there were racists, sexists, xenophobes, fascists, and other dissidents, but I thought they only made up maybe 10% of the population. Now, it's apparent they make up as much as 40%!  They must have been there all the time.

Trump didn't create these people; he just gave them permission to crawl out from under the rocks they've been hiding. 

You are world class paranoid, my friend.  Equating someone who disagrees with you on politics to such a level is a sign of hysteria and, dare I say, derangement? 

 

I was in the US on multiple occasions from 2016-2021 and it was good. Round trip flight from Japan to LA in the $500 range, car rental 30 bucks. life was good.  Dollar menu at Del Taco.... 

[nattaya09]

40 months of Biden has fatigued the American public far more than the the decade of media driven hyperbole and fabrication created to feed their Trump obsession

[WDSmart]

5 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

You are world class paranoid, my friend.  Equating someone who disagrees with you on politics to such a level is a sign of hysteria and, dare I say, derangement? 

 

I was in the US on multiple occasions from 2016-2021 and it was good. Round trip flight from Japan to LA in the $500 range, car rental 30 bucks. life was good.  Dollar menu at Del Taco.... 

I haven't been back to the USA for about 20 years, and right now, with all the social unrest, I doubt if I'll ever return there.

 

I don't consider everyone who disagrees with me on political issues deranged. I am a far-left liberal, but I can certainly appreciate many conservative political views. An example of that is before Trump, I did not support the Second Amendment, but now, because of him, I do, and I wake up every day hoping to hear on CNN that someone has exercised their rights under that amendment concerning Trump.

However, my priorities are focused on societal issues. Your last sentence, in contrast, does show me where your priorities are—the economy—money, money, money! I am an anti-capitalist and a confirmed socialist. So, yes, I would probably have a lot of disagreements with you if we discussed politically associated economic and social issues, especially when they include Trump. 

He (Trump) has certainly succeeded in breaking whatever unity we did have in the USA into two distinct, opposing groups. I admit I am certainly fully in one of them and don't know how this division can ever be healed. 

[Hanaguma]

1 minute ago, WDSmart said:

I haven't been back to the USA for about 20 years, and right now, with all the social unrest, I doubt if I'll ever return there.

 

I don't consider everyone who disagrees with me on political issues deranged. I am a far-left liberal, but I can certainly appreciate many conservative political views. An example of that is before Trump, I did not support the Second Amendment, but now, because of him, I do, and I wake up every day hoping to hear on CNN that someone has exercised their rights under that amendment concerning Trump.

However, my priorities are focused on societal issues. Your last sentence, in contrast, does show me where your priorities are—the economy—money, money, money! I am an anti-capitalist and a confirmed socialist. So, yes, I would probably have a lot of disagreements with you if we discussed politically associated economic and social issues, especially when they include Trump. 

He (Trump) has certainly succeeded in breaking whatever unity we did have in the USA into two distinct, opposing groups. I admit I am certainly fully in one of them and don't know how this division can ever be healed. 

If you wake up every day hoping that a past President gets assassinated, I would call that deranged.  I am no fan of Joe Biden, but the worst I wish for him is a long retirement with his grandkids, starting next January..

 

Would we disagree? Most definitely, but you may be surprised on some issues. As for national unity, that has been fading for 20 years. IMHO the difference is economic and not racial though. Also urban/rural. Any map of voting patters shows this clearly. It is a pity, and if a leader could take steps towards healing the divide it would be great. Can't see that happening in this election cycle though.

[WDSmart]

3 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

If you wake up every day hoping that a past President gets assassinated, I would call that deranged.  I am no fan of Joe Biden, but the worst I wish for him is a long retirement with his grandkids, starting next January..

 

Would we disagree? Most definitely, but you may be surprised on some issues. As for national unity, that has been fading for 20 years. IMHO the difference is economic and not racial though. Also urban/rural. Any map of voting patters shows this clearly. It is a pity, and if a leader could take steps towards healing the divide it would be great. Can't see that happening in this election cycle though.

I hope Trump's control over the MAGA group gets destroyed and he is eliminated in any way that works. As for the rest of your post, I pretty much agree.

I agree that our loss of unity can be blamed on the growing economic division. I blame that on capitalism. In a socialist economy, the total wealth (not money) of the society would be controlled by the government and used to provide everyone with what they needed (as much as possible). There would not be a division based on wealth. I think a part of many of the other divisive attitudes (racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, etc.) are prompted by this division of wealth or are at least exaggerated by it. And again, I think the urban/rural divide is societal based. The rural areas are conservative because they are satisfied with their lives and just want to be left alone, and the urban areas are more liberal because they are unsatisfied with their lives (mainly due to capitalism) and want things to change.

Those are just my off-the-cuff responses to your post. I haven't really thought them completely through and don't intend to. Trump is the immediate problem, IMO.

I agree with your last statement, except I don't expect any "leader" to heal the divide. I believe it will have to be more of a societal effort where the community is the force that heals the divide. And I agree that I don't see that happening in this election cycle. Unfortunately, I anticipate that neither side will accept the election results if they lose, and there will be a lot of violence. 

I will watch all the violence on CNN from my easy chair in my home, safely isolated in the mountains of Thailand.

[newbee2022]

7 hours ago, Social Media said:

Or is it time to make America calm again by retiring Trump from politics, either through legal means or by relegating him to private life at Mar-a-Lago?

It's not a question but the ultimate solution. Nobody needs such an erratic, racist, egomaniac narcist, not even America.🙏