From Quartz:
“Donald Trump’s election victory has not only terrified liberals, minorities, and much of the planet, but has shaken some people’s faith in democracy itself. That this bigoted, lying, self-contradicting, autocratic, anti-science, tantrum-throwing man-child could become the world’s most powerful leader surely shows the very system for choosing leaders is fatally flawed. That far-right parties, emboldened, may now win several upcoming European elections surely shows voters cannot be trusted. Perhaps democracy has become too democratic. Perhaps we need epistocracy, where only the most knowledgeable can vote.”
Now that’s not what the publication is endorsing and in fact says that’s not the answer.
What I’m focused on is that, as Dave Chappelle astutely pointed out on SNL last night, we elected an internet troll as our leader.
And before I see any more conservative butthurt over a pretty fair monologue overall, Dave is giving the angry Yam (my words, because who knows yams better than I do) a chance.
I’m trying not to lose my religion that the popular vote is now half a million names higher in Hillary’s favor. The Electoral College was meant to keep us hysterical women and dark-skinned folk from having too much of a say
Hell, even Trump had spoken against the electoral college. I think it is the one thing we agree on. Well, he disliked it till he won through it. Typical politician.
Oddly, the bulk of my fear doesn’t lie with him.
I mean, sure, he’s just another big CEO with big promises who will end up being mostly ineffective and the business of America Inc. will survive despite itself.
But the system is rigged — there I agree with him too — just not in the same way he believes.
The system will get him impeached or indicted by the party that never wanted him. We will get a President Homophobe and THAT is what knocks my knickers to the floor. That dead-behind-the-eyes Pence is our Dick Cheney.
I do hand it to Bush the Second, though. In hindsight, I think he was a solid leader. It took me too many years to see that. I figured he would wage a war on women. He didn’t. He did a lot of good things. And that mofo was so so smart. He played it down. Underpromised and overdelivered.
In any event, I feared Cheney like I fear Pence. But I never feared my fellow Americans then like I do now. I’m still wearing my Hillary shirt and mom says I’m gonna get us killed with that and my “love trumps hate” bumper sticker.
Look. I have a friend who is a proud deplorable. And she doesn’t realize all the racist shit she has said over the years. I fear her. With her gun ready to fire and ethnic joke ready for the right audience. Isn’t contributing to the economy in a noticeable way and doesn’t care to.
And I’m not saying my over-informed vote counts more. But I admit my liberal smugness motivates me to vote for the greater good more than my personal betterment. (I hate Obamacare too but it helps a lot of people, even if not my people.)
Maybe this is my lesson. Help yourself first. Everybody else is. Nobody voted with my well-being in mind.
I got too comfortable with the nice black man in office and the idea of the pretty white lady taking over.
I got lazy thinking things were great. They aren’t. They weren’t. They may never be.
I want to be out there protesting. I am thankful you can do that in this America. Even if people you don’t care about tell you to stop your tantrums.
Hey if a vocal minority can get Starbucks to re-issue its holiday cups because their message of unity is too divisive, why can’t a majority of voters take to the streets to ask for their voices to be heard too?
Also from Quartz:
There is now much soul-searching to be done for those who believe in keeping up the case for liberal values and open borders. But the answer is not to alter the nature of democracy. When democracy has picked an autocrat, it’s already too late.