Money is the Least of Our Problems

My maternal grandfather was a conservative fellow: I’m sure he voted for Nixon both times and for Ford; if he had lived long enough he would have voted for Reagan, both Bushes, Dole, McCain, and Romney. Grandpa Jack would not have voted for Trump—“That man has no respect.” Respect was a huge thing for my grandfather, if he caught us being disresepctful that behavior was corrected immediately. Disrespecting women? Don’t even think about it. I wish Grandpa Jack was around sometimes but less selfishly I’m glad neither he nor my other grandfather are alive to see what our country has become, so uncivil and disrespectful…on both sides.

Let me digress a moment, I promise this all will lead back to my main point—

I voted independent in 2012 and 2016. In the latter election, I knew Hillary would carry both the electoral and popular votes here in Oregon. In the former, my perception was that both candidates were of the same cloth: Career politicians who would bend the knee to corporate interests and the wealthy. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Obama and I’m glad he won. but at the end of the day he is a career politician. Would Romney have added the right wing Christian fundamentalists to the Supreme Court that Trump did? Unknown, but Romney is---(as he proved during the impeachment)—a decent man who will put what he feels is right above his own self-interest (he destroyed his political career with that vote). I don’t think he’d put a Kavanaugh or a Clarence Thomas in. So…I voted with my heart and my conscience in 2012 and 2016; in 2020 I voted with my understanding and as a history nerd. Trump and his disciples speak of the 2020 election being stolen. No, he still got 75 million votes, the second most of any candidate in the history of this country, he lost because people like me understood we couldn’t just vote with our beliefs, we needed to bend the knee to the best interests of our country and 86 that particular carpetbagger out of the White House. This is how Biden, a decent man but a career politician, won the election. And I will vote the same way in November, because these elections are not just a re-run of the old days, of Republican and Democratic candidates selling the same product (feality to corporate interests and the wealthy) in different packaging, the game has changed and the consequences have grown more dire.

Let’s go back a little over a hundred years: There was a country suffering terrible inflation and still reeling from a pandemic that swept the world. The people were humiliated, they were lost…and then along came a group led by a charismatic leader who gave them direction, gave them hope. So, the people started following this populist leader and his buddies. Opposition was surpressed or spun to the benefit of this new group and they eventually took over the country. Now…it is laziness to compare an adversarial group to the Nazis—both sides do it—but what happened in German in the 1920s is an archetypal situation—

Donald Trump is not Hitler! He will not put people in camps and gas them!

The problem has become bigger than one man. I don’t think DT fully understands the machine he has fired up. I think he gets pleasure from how it allows him (for the moment) to sit on a throne, how it bends the knee to his whims (for the moment). Here’s the danger of him being back in the White House: SCOTUS has given him a blank check, a literal “Get out of jail free” card. If you think DT will not abuse that power to protect himself and his interests, please mail me whatever you’ve been smoking.  I am going over my concerns in the next paragraph.

DT wins the election in November. Progressives and other Left leaning folks riot in the streets, I know there will be a shitshow here in Portland, Oregon. We are surrounded by “Red” areas like Vancouver. So…the Proud Boys or other MAGA groups see the chaos here in Portland and drive over armed to the teeth. They counter riot. They are outnumbered so they shoot and kill people. This happens in Blue cities all over the country. The MAGA shooters are tried and put in prison…only to be pardoned by DT. He does this because it supports his interests and his ego.  When he is in office and able to implement his deportations, Progressives and other Left leaning people protest, some bodily try to stop the whole procedure and many are killed either by the law enforcement entity carrying out the deportation or the MAGA armed groups there to counter protest. They have no qualms about shooting to kill, they see that DT pardoned shooters during the November riots (and the January 6 people). Why is DT doing this? He doesn’t need to keep his promises, he can’t run again…or can he? DT is not stupid, he is many things, but he is not stupid. He adapts. DT wants to remain President, he enjoys the power, the prestige. DT makes a deal with MAGA in the Congress and the Senate, both houses controlled by one party or another with an extremely thin margin: There is a call to change the Constitution, maybe a new amendment, maybe altering an existing amendment so DT doesn’t have to leave in January 2029 , J.D. Vance will have—as Vice President—the means to decertify election results. Now…how will they change the Constitution with such thin margins in both houses? Intimidation, threats of physical violence, the usual plays. MAGA makes J.D. Vance promises if he plays along, they keep DT in line by allowing him to belief he has the power, is the strong man. They help him choose at least one maybe two new Supreme Court justices, and it goes on and on.

Inflation sucks. It hurts paying more for groceries, for gas. These interest rates are crazy, if I have to buy a car it is going to be agony…but there are things more important than money. I’m glad Harris mopped up DT at the debate. Did she make more than vauge promises? No. What will a Harris presidency be like? More bending the knee to corporate interests and the wealthy (despite her promises to the contrary). She is a political animal. If she has ideas and plans, Harris is a lot more vital and tough than Biden and will have more success. If she wins, she will begin an ad campaign for “Harris 2028” and will understand that ad campaign showing the results she wants depends on her pleasing her base. There will be a lot of talk about “taxing the wealthy and corporate interests” but it’s just talk; the wealthy and corporate interests run this country and Blue and Red folks are too busy fighting each other to do anything about it. I will vote for Harris in November and I will vote for her or whomever the Democrats put up in 2028. Why? Why will I sacrifice what I believe in my heart? Because MAGA isn’t going away. God, I hate admitting that, but it’s a truth all of us need to face. And these people who are thinking of (or are committed to) voting for DT and are basing their decision on money, please don’t sell our democracy out just because you can’t afford a new T.V. or Hot Pockets. Learn to cook; you’ll save money and eat better. Yeah, I know the Dems are putting out scare ads about the “threat to our democracy if DT wins.” The thing is, as a history nerd who has seen “MAGA” many times over the centuries, the threat is real.

My grandfather was a conservative guy, he is also one of my role models. In his own hyper civilized, hyper polite way, he didn’t take shit from anyone. God knows how many jobs that man had (but he always had a job, always). Grandpa Jack followed his beliefs, he always did what he felt was right. If he were still alive he would never vote for Trump or any of the MAGA people.  It wasn’t just that they aren’t respectful, it was that my grandfather understood people well enough to see the threat MAGA people actually pose; he understood the bad things normally decent people are capable of when they are desperate, when they feel cornered. My grandfather understood that most people are inherently good, but there are some people who are geniuses at manipulation and know the pleasure we get when we get are allow to explore the darkness that is in all of us….