I have no real idea how to say this in a way that will adequately express how I feel.
I find myself inventing ways fo frame current events so that I don't have to face and deal with what I believe to be true: at best, we have a 50-50 chance of saving our democracy. Like a "perfect storm", unlikely events have meshed with improbable consequences to elevate corrupt incompetents to positions which may allow them to lead us into national suicide.
We have survived assaults by some of the most vicious and unprincipled psychopaths the world has ever produced---and now one occupies our White House. I would be lying if I said there are not times when I am scared out of my wits that I may live to see Rush Limbaugh's wet dream of "good Americans hunting down liberals with dogs" come to pass. But, those times are few and fleeting and are usually replaced by a renewed determination to defeat these moral cripples or go down fighting. However this existential crisis ends, I am determined not to be a bystander; a mere observer.
Now is the time for each of us to get off our butts and do whatever we can---not just what is easy or convenient or "acceptable"---WHATEVER WE CAN to get rid of Trump and every sick sonofabitch that has aided and abetted the criminal enterprise that comprises the Trump regime. Now is the time for stepping outside our usual comfort zone and doing and saying things that we KNOW are going to piss off some of the Powers That Be as well as some our family and "friends" because these things need to be said and done if our democracy is to have a chance of surviving.
I will not tell you what to do; I will implore you to do all that you can.
I am not wiser than you. I am not braver than you. I am an often confused and frightened man who is asking that we grit our teeth, join hands and face down these fascist clowns together.
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But I must point out that Trump is a figurehead and a product of the problem, not the cause of it. The existing capitalistic oligarchy is the problem. They have twisted the rule of law, they have manipulated our very societal model so that only the top percentile in our socio-economic ladder have any say in anything. However, there is one thing we MUST do to start this healing/correction/revolution/whatever it is going to take to repair the damage to our nation as a whole... first and foremost, we have to admit we let this happen. There is no magic figure to blame, there is no evil genius laughing behind the scenes when it comes to our laws and our society being corrupted by those who want power and will do anything to get it. We had and have the ability to be aware of what is going on... did we use it? There were safeguards in place for this stuff... what happened to them? Most could only be removed by vote or by legislation... how did that come to pass? Our political and legal structure is too corrupted for any use in correcting this problem now, so what do we do? Because, we the people are supposed to be running the show, and when the average turnout in most elections is in the low 30th percentile, you can see how the powers that be have pretty much won that arena. Decadence and corruption... two things that have become so common that we measure it in degrees now instead of blanket condemnation. Trump is the figurehead... we have to stop the entire assault by the '1%' (for lack of a better reference term) on every aspect of our lives to correct what you are talking about. Can we?
