Deplorable Nation

Every generation has a significant moment in history, one that marks a dramatic change of course or a notable event. For my parents, it was Pearl Harbor, and for people my age, it is probably the assassination of President John Kennedy. Today’s generation will now have a new event to commemorate and parents and grandparents will have to answer the question “What were you doing on the day America died?”

Sure, we had a good run. For 240 years we had worked to create a nation that was different from the monarchies and colonial empires of the past. Although it took some years, we were able to create a multicultural society – one devoted to democratic principles, a fair justice system and widespread economic prosperity. Public education and a strong social safety nation allowed our citizens to find good employment and live without fear of going into poverty in their old age.

Sadly, all that is over. The nation we once knew as America no longer exists, and I will never say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the National Anthem again. Our country has overnight become the nation of Trumpistan, a one-party oligarchy, dedicated to enriching its President and getting payback for the many perceived criticisms of our new corporate figurehead. Our allegiance now is to a system shaped to accelerate the flow of wealth upwards, dooming millions of Americans to a fate of no health care, rising energy costs, and a warming planet. To the rest of the World, our country is exposed for what it really is – a nation filled with hateful, ammosexual pussy-grabbers. A nation whose military will be used to protect corporate interests around the World. A nation that can no longer claim to be the leader of the “Free World.”

Republicans are gleeful, realizing that their dreams of outlawing abortions, ending public education, and cutting off the government “freebies” given to our hungry children and senior citizens will finally come to pass. Once Attorney General Guliani’s national “stop and frisk” law is implemented, no citizen will be safe from the coming pogroms and persecution of political enemies. Like Sandra Bland, it is likely the authorities will discover Hillary Clinton dead in her jail cell – obviously so ashamed of her many crimes that she could no longer face the future.

Well, I, for one, will refuse to Sig Heil the Republican Reichsfuhrer. This will, of course, mean I will probably end up in the internment camps along with the rest of the liberals, gays, Jews, Muslims and Mexicans. Trump has already made it quite clear what he would like to do to his political enemies and I believe him.

Once there is one-party control of the country, all opposition to corporate oligarchy will disappear. Our so called “Fourth Estate,” the guardians of truth and exposers of corruption, have been shown to be nothing but corporate lapdogs, lapping up every speck of pablum thrown out by the Koch Brothers. The media’s perpetual fawning over Trump, their free 24/7 coverage of his every move, and their constant reporting on the fake crimes of Hillary Clinton reveals them to be nothing more than shills for Big Business. Although they would certainly deny it, their idolization of Trump contributed greatly to his victory.

On a personal level, I am now MUCH more fearful of my fellow “citizens” of Trumpistan than I am any foreign terrorist. The gun-waving, profanity-screaming bigots who now represent the Republican Party have been VERY clear about what they would like to do to their perceived “enemies.” Indeed, our very foundations of decency have now been abandoned and females, blacks and other groups should be worried. If it is OK for the President to grab a woman’s pussy, it should be OK for any man to do so. If it is OK for the President to say Mexicans are rapists, should we be surprised when some “oath-keeper” shoots one at the border? If it is OK for the President to declare war on a religion, should we not expect even more mosque-burnings and religious persecution? If it is OK for the President to forcibly evict black people from his rallies, should we expect to see more Dylan Roofs?

Finally, it is the ultimate shame on our nation that we turned our backs on common sense and voted for a candidate with no experience in politics or the military. I would be surprised if Donald Trump could name the three branches of government, much less understand the complexities of legislation, budgeting, and running the Federal bureaucracy. The only positive thing I can look forward to is watching Trump blame his total failure to accomplish ANY of the things he said he will do on Obama and Hillary. Republicans have based their entire strategy for the last 8 years on blaming Democrats for all of the nation’s problems. It will be interesting when they see the National debt go up even higher than it did under President Obama. I look forward to hearing their excuses when health care premiums rise 20-50% after the ACA is repealed. This time, they will have no one to blame but themselves…….