Fight: Feeling the Pain

“Experience keeps a dear school, yet Fools will learn in no other.”

The above quote is from Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. In this context, dear means expensive.

I would like to thank Cletus for giving me this quote.

It is clear that much of the American voting public has a rose-tinted view of the last Trump administration, associating it with full economic times and order.

In reality, his last administration was marked by chaos, corruption and manufactured crisis. He had such a good economy to work with because President Obama left him a healthy economy.

Even before COVID-19, signs had emerged that Trump’s economic policies were causing harm, even with the few guardrails he had. Agricultural firms had a hard time finding workers, so crops were rotting in the fields. The trade wars that Trump started made the subsequent recession caused by COVID-19 much worse, along with how badly he botched the pandemic response.

For any deficit hawks in the audience, his 2017 tax cuts added trillions of dollars to the national debt for nothing.

Many of the people who voted for Trump don’t remember what Trump’s presidency was like.

The best tactic Democrats can use to regain ground is to let Trump have his way in certain areas.

Only when voters feel the effects of Trump’s policies will they return to their senses.

Maybe.

The only guardrails I want to keep in place as much as possible have to do with the ability of the federal government to interfere with state election results, making sure that vaccines and other medical products don’t kill a lot of kids and anywhere where Trump could blunder into World War III.

Otherwise, let Trump have his way.

Only when voters cannot afford food and other essential items because of Trump’s economic policies will they be open to listening.

Based on who Trump is surrounding himself with for his transition to the White House and his past record, along with Tucker Carlson and Don Junior vetting staffers, I suspect he will largely botch the logistical and organizational aspects of being president.

This means that his efforts to deport 11 million people is going to be marred by sloppiness and incompetence. I get the feeling that ICE under Trump will not check who is a US citizen very closely. These deportations are also going to leave a hefty bill for American taxpayers.

Trump’s tariffs will feature corruption and ineptitude just like the rest of his administration.

Keep in mind that if a former marine general could not keep Trump in check, no one can.

Blue states can take the pain. Red states won’t be able to.

Make sure to work in your local area to mitigate the damage, especially for those who did not vote for the upcoming catastrophe.

A Word to Those Who Voted for Trump

It is undisputed that you won the 2024 presidential election, along with the House and Senate. The federal government is yours. There are no Democrats who can stop you besides giving viral speeches and filibustering.

But I think you will come to regret that sorely.

Democrats are no longer able to bail you out.

Congressional Democrats bailed out the Republicans during budget negotiations toward the end of 2023 when they needed votes to pass a budget and avert a government shutdown.

In fact, this is a recurring pattern.

Eventually, probably soon after January 2025, more American voters will recognize just how out of their depth today’s Republican Party is when it comes to governing. Once Trump carries out his economic policies and the price of groceries and other essential goods goes through the roof, you will have a lot of explaining to do.

I will remind you that despite the very real and serious problems that blue metropolitan cores face, red America still has much worse numbers on metrics like life expectancy, overall health, literacy, educational attainment and so much more. Let's also not forget it's those Blue Metropolitan Cores that provide so much of the tax dollars that red states like Mississippi are dependent on.

I am obligated as an American citizen who takes his civic responsibilities seriously to accept free and fair election results, even ones that leave me sick to my stomach.

But because I no longer plan to run for any office, I am not required to affirm your decisions or worldview. I am not required to affirm you, love you or care for you.

I am polite out of necessity, nothing more.

You are not worthy of my respect. Your actions in the last eight years have brought shame and disgrace to the United States and its best ideals.

You are not freedom fighters or persecuted in any way. Few if any of you have experience with real pain and adversity. That will change soon.

No.

You are simply suckers, grifters and losers.