A hiatus, a vacation, a pause-to-reflect usually results in one gaining some needed clarity, some new perspective, some kind of shift in thinking. The act of stepping back is done for the sake of understanding the chaos in confusion experienced when one is caught up in the midst of something big. A disaster happens and we are all shocked dumb – sometimes to the point of being gobsmacked! To step back and take a deep breath is a common act of sanity. It is necessary sometimes.
Sadly, it did not work for me this time. I am still confused.
I was mentally immersed, emotionally over-invested in the hurricane that is Trump and the GOP. I was (and maybe still am) absolutely mesmerized and obsessed by what I was seeing down south and I was horrified by the evil and madness of it all – especially as to how it will eventually impact Sal and me and our families and friends. How is it possible that millions of people can support such ruinous and destructive leadership? How can millions of otherwise normal people do such horrible things? Act so badly? How can ‘Mericans be so mind-numbingly stupid?
And I have no answers for any of that despite the last month off. In fact, I am starting to lose interest in it. Isn’t THAT weird? But, think about it.….nothing is being said anymore that is new or educational. Nothing is changing except the anxiety levels. I am not hearing any answers. There is just more hate and polarization – not less. The train wreck is still underway! It is all crazy and disturbing, of course, but crazy and disturbing is now the new normal. We are, as they say, living in interesting times.
Oddly, that is the emerging opinion of health officials regarding the sub-topic of Covid 19, too. They are beginning to normalize the abnormal. They, too, are tired of using logic and science on anti-vaxxers and Luddites who prefer to spread the disease rather than curb it. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief medical officer: “It may be time for us to accept that we are just going to have to live with this virus from now on.” That is just another way of saying, “We give up. We are doing our best and no one is even listening. Education is futile. We may as well surrender to the vast ignorance that is prevailing and accept that we have all chosen this flawed path on purpose.”
I am hearing them ‘giving up’, anyway. Look at Fauci’s face! That is now the face of surrender. Not only are they giving up but so are some sane people. I read that 65% of Canadians do NOT want to be amongst the first to take the inevitable vaccine. Sanity, it seems, is vulnerable to fear, too. ‘Geez, they are rushing this vaccine. That is not good. The vaccine is slow in coming and the virus is getting faster at morphing and changing. My nutty cousin is convinced Bill Gates is trying to take over the world with a mind-controlling chip planted in us all by the coming vaccinations. I think I will wait, too.’ My guess: the vaccine will come and only a portion of people will take it. Not everyone. There will be no rush. The vaccine will come and the disease will remain.
I do not want to be amongst the first, either.
We are in the very difficult process of accepting major upheaval and change. There is a revolution of sorts happening on Earth and at a very large scale. Some of it is being initiated by the fascist right but some of it is being inflicted on us by a virus while still more chaos is coming by way of climate change. This untargeted revolution is apparently well underway but it does not have a sentient component. No leader. No philosophy. This revolution is dumb. This revolution is based on some weird primal, lizard-brain stuff. This revolution is massive and being waged on various fronts all hitting us all at once. We are being overwhelmed by change and we are not responding well at this point in time.
“So, Dave! I waited a month for that!?”
No. Apologies. I was basically just ‘reporting in’ on my current mental state…..reporting the results of having taken an intentional ‘step-back’……sharing where I am at……
So, bottom line: Catastrophic change is the new normal. And it has really just got started. And, so far, we are not adjusting well. Poorly, in fact. It is not just politics or viruses or climate change, it is all of that and, even more to the point, much, much more than that and it will all differ to some extent with each region and each person. Dumb Bubbas will shoot their guns and coal-roll Teslas while denouncing socialism while they get unemployment cheques, many innocents will get ill and some will die despite an available vaccine, the climate will continue to shock and awe us and yet we will continue to use oil as an indicator of economic health. We will continue to pollute the oceans. Trumpism will morph into Deep Trumpism. Upheavals will continue to happen in all walks of life.
Those BIG THREE forces will ricochet off other things and we will have lesser changes that will affect us each somewhat differently depending on where and who we are. Drug overdoes go up. The economy changes. Markets change. Relationships change. The three largest forces of change (Fascism, climate and Covid) are really the catalysts for dozens of smaller forces of change. We could be destined for a dark age.
“A DARK AGE!!??”
Well, economists are already stating what has been obvious for some time – the economy will continue to flatten. Low growth. Low interest rates. Recessions. Depressions. Civil unrest. High unemployment. Homelessness. Suicides, bankruptcies and drug overdoses. If it is NOT a truly historical dark age looming, it will definitely NOT be a bright and sunny booming age with wonderful advancements and healthy optimism in the air. We are in for some major challenges for the foreseeable future.
Moi? How am I doin’?
Oddly, I am OK. Thanks. If the month off gave me any perspective at all, it is that my tiny world is still alright, Jack. I am doing good. I am going to re-focus on some good ol’ OTG stuff. The BIG UGLIES are just too depressing. I am going to write less but still write regularly (spleen venting the little uglies I am afflicted with). I am putting myself in what I have referred to in the past as my holding pattern…it means that I am not fully in control of my own destiny right now and so I cannot make something happen…. but I know that some opportunity, some prompt, some inspiration will happen and I will be ready to respond when it does. Only then can I move on constructively. That has been my pattern most of my life and that is where I am at now.
Our Off the Grid Home 
Good to have you back. I haven’t taken a hiatus from my blog, I just haven’t had anything I’ve wanted to write about. Like you said, times are crazy and disturbing and I’m not doing well with it all. Not sure what will be in the future, not sure I’m ready for all the change. I’ll be around to read, but writing is going to have to wait. – Margy
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Good to have you back. You have just illustrated the reason why some of us are in a Dark Age mental state, Many are lacking in social intelligence and in informed self interest. You ask how can someone accept Social Security, food stamps, the affordable care act but hate socialism? It beggars belief. Senator McCarthy in the 1950s saw communists/socialist everywhere. Different times the Cold War and all that but an ignorant populists this time 2020 were ginned up to vote for the party that saw the wages of working people fall by exporting their jobs to Mexico and the People’s Republic of China. Do half of American voters suffer from a sort of Stockholm Syrondrome loyalty to Trump? People many of you were hurt by Trumpism so why vote for him? Why support bullies?
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You are both very kind. I am glad to have been missed to whatever extent that I was but I am afraid that the new, fresh, revised and improved model is almost exactly the same as the old one. The month did not change my attitude nor my POV. I am still the same guy who went out for a breath of fresh air October 2, a month ago.
And I still do NOT see the future clearly.
The only thing I can say is that ‘here is good’. I am doubling down on ‘here’. I like ‘here’. And I am even more distressed over what is happening ‘there’ and ‘everywhere other than here’.
I watched a very large and beautiful mink charging along the beach today. It was uplifting. Nature in all it’s splendor and only feet away. I am definitely in the right place for me.
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Now let’s hear from Jack the Raven.
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also from my side glad to have you back, and also glad that you haven’t changed….maybe we just like you the way you are! And nothing has changed, only gotten a bit worse with COVID hitting us much harder then the first wave. And yes, let’s hear from Jack
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Thanks for the update, Dave, even if not much has changed. We worry about you and Sal. Hope that the weather is not too bad at the moment. It must be getting chilly.
Craziness everywhere. Some people have no shame.
Stay safe. Keep your eyes peeled for subs just in case the crazy family and his cronies decide to make a runner. Just joking but anything is possible I guess.
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Definitely a chill in the air. We are burning wood every day now. More time indoors. The seasons have shifted but we are basically ready for what comes. Having said that, we were also a smidge lead-footed this year and did not get all that we wanted doing complete. But the basics are all good and we have stores. So, we are good. I think I will have to get a few additional things done this winter even if the weather is cold, wet, snowy or otherwise unpleasant. We just still have a lot to do. Glad you care, tho, Tracy. Thanks. Hope you and partner are doing well and that OZ is still Oz.
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It is good that you have chores to look forward to. Will take your mind off other things.
Oz is not itself at the moment. In some ways it is better in how it is caring for citizens. On the other hand, non-citizens stranded here are much worse off.
I’m spending as much time outside as possible. The mozzies are bad.
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We lived with Jack and Liz for close to 15 years. They were here when we came but both Jack and Liz have recently vacated their territory. They left early this year, maybe late last winter. Today, we have two new ravens who visit us almost daily and act in a similar manner but they are NOT Jack nor are they Liz. These guys are so different we have not even given them names yet. The new guys also have a lot to learn. And their first lesson is in how to deal with the gulls. We have a resident pack of about twelve to 15 gulls. Jack kept the gulls in line. If there was any food anywhere, Jack had first dibs, the gulls would back off and leave Jack to it. Liz went where Jack went but didn’t have the ‘brawn’ to be a tough chick on her own. But when J and L left the new ravens did not assert their domain over the gulls and now the gulls are currently the ‘big boys’ on the block. Ravens live – they say – almost 40 or so years in captivity but I do not know if that longevity is possible in the wild. But Jack was definitely senior. Plus he was BIG. Jack was half again as large as the new guy. Jack sent the eagle packing (altho a lot of shrieking was what likely drove the Eagle off). We think that Jack and Liz ‘handed off’ their empire to their latest brood and the NEW guys are young and without stay-at-home teachers. They inherited the territory but they may have been a smidge underprepared. We’ll see. One thing is for sure, they do NOT have the character or personality of Jack and Liz.
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The new ones are like new islanders….full of hope and dreams, but a smidge unprepared for what’s facing them 🙂
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Good to see the curmudgeon back!
Interesting US election numbers.
I also thought, ” How can 70 MILLION people vote for that Bull***t artist?”
Oh well, It’s their country.
Covid?
Personally I think its been a huge screw up by the people in charge.
My cynical side views most politicians as venal vote vying villains who would yell “Fire” in a crowded theater and then help people escape for the “win” at the polls.
I hear that the Netherlands is gassing 17 million Mink because the covid virus has mutated into another strain which has jumped to humans….. So much for research into a vaccine.
Resident birds.
I have hummingbird feeder that i’ve hooked up a heater under. “Zippy” is loving it.
The sparrows at the seed feeder disappeared for the last two day and I finally realized why.
Seems a hawk was sitting in the bushes under the seed feeder and would zoom out and grab one.
Evil arrogant bastard!
He’d WALK , not fly ,back in under the bushes….
I’ve taken the food source away until the rapacious raptor flies the “bird in the bush” coop.
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another comment on the US election if I may.
I dont think there will be any solid results until after the weekend.
The authorities cant handle millions of angry protesters (Trumps or Bidens) on a weekend.
Mid next week?
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Man! You think like them! But you are right…better to leave the Bubbas drunk, at home and watching football and tell ’em the bad news on Monday morning with Rush. Then, when they go to work at the meat-packing plant, they can let out their primal fantasies. Monday’s headlines: Millions of chickens slaughtered by angry AR-15 wielding Bubbas! JBS, Tyson and Carghill executives distance themselves from their workers. “There was no need to be nasty!” said Tyson spokeswomen, Tandy Cluster from Alabama. The chickens didn’t vote!”
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Hahahaha.
Chicken farms and M-16’s
The visuals.
You should write another book….. about MAGA angst therapeutic coping strategies……
You’d be a multi millionaire
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Joe Biden just called President elect!
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I think that is a very good thing…however, do we not have a conflicted madman still officially at the helm for over two months? Is that orange clown not petulant, vengeful and full of hate? Does he not sew chaos and confusion? Isn’t he still the single most powerful man in the world? That dork can still wreak major havoc.
Keep your powder dry, your cellars full and watch closely…..it ain’t over until the Southern District of New York says it is over.
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The FBI is on the Trump’s case. When Carter lost the FBI removed the red telephone from Carter that day. The American military is securing the levers of power.
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Let’s hope he doesn’t do anything real stupid…like calling on all his voters to get out on the streets loaded with guns….glad to have the Atlantic between the US and us…but Read Island is not that far away from the US….Take care David and Sal (that gun of yours in your picture might come in handy
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“In control of your destiny ”
Our lives, our destinies are akin to a raging river, I would bet that there are only 4-5 times that we were able to get a paddle into the current to enable a vague notion of control. Yours would be
1. You grew up staying mostly away from the dark side of life
2. You meet a good woman and contributed to the gene pool
3. You kept your head mostly above the water
4. You had the sense to buy that land
5. You worked your way out of the raging waters into a kinder back eddy where you are today.
😊
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We may still have the “orange man” for another 4 years. The media declaring an election winner, before due process of the required law, doesn’t make it so. (despite what the media would want us to think).
All 50 states have to certify the election over the coming weeks before presenting the results to the Electoral College, which then votes to determine the outcome. The inauguration ceremony for the next president is Jan. 20, 2021.
Newsweek Magazine had already printed published and distributed an issue of their magazine, during the last presidential election that on it’s front cover declared Hillary Clinton “our new madam president”. They had to recall that issue. (how could they have had such certainty to publish that issue to begin with?)
Ellis cited the 2000 presidential race between Democratic former Vice President Al Gore and then-Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush.
“Twenty years ago, some news organizations prematurely said Gore won that very close election and would become the next president of the United States. Those news organizations later pulled back their projections,” she said, although there are differences between the two races.
At the time, she added, “Legal challenges by the Bush campaign went all the way to the Supreme Court. The nation’s highest court determined that George W. Bush won the election. Imagine how different history would have turned out if Bush has simply thrown in the towel as soon as he heard someone on TV say Gore won the race.”
Ellis said that every “legal vote” has to be accurately counted, echoing comments made by Trump.
I know many have been holding their breath waiting to see the outcome of this election.
Now, taking a big sigh of relief may be premature.
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Maybe. Maybe there were enough votes that required ‘recounting’ that, if they all went to Trump, would change results. Maybe. Very unlikely. But maybe. The GOP put out fake drop boxes in California to do just that kind of crap so the potential for evil has already been proven. Well, it was proven against the GOP, anyway.
Re newsprint: many publications print two front pages when the results are not finalized. They had to lay out two, anyway. Printing may have been an error but laying it out is just good planning. That is just management, not a conspiracy.
Every investigation of alleged voter fraud to date has been proven meritless. But, with the GOP cheating at every opportunity, fraud may be real this time but, if it is, it will be traced back to Trump being the cheater. Trump lies, cheats, blocks, whines, blames and is totally incompetent. Those are not the qualities of a winner, Kev. He’s a loser in every way and this election is just the latest iteration.
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I’ll have more faith in the court’s determination, regarding voter or ballot shenanigans, and the final “legal vote count”, than I will have for any media conglomerate’s propaganda or anyone’s personal opinions. Investigations are certainly already under way. Whatever they and the courts determine I’ll accept.
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Kevin you seem to be full of hope for Trump’s eventual Triumph return? Trump has scoffed at many memes of civility. Including the rule of law. For a scoff law isn’t it ironic that Trump now seeks a legal remedy?
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Trump has not left. He is still in office until January 20th. Whether he serves another term beyond that remains to be seen. I’m sure there are many globalist establishment criminals that wish he would just be shamed into creeping away now, so they would not be exposed. The Fake Media suggests the need is so great that Biden should just take the reins of power immediately. (that is NOT the American rule of law..). My President is still in office for another 71 days, at minimum. I’m certain he’ll make positive and effective use of his remaining time in office, even if it is to be only 71 days. He has accomplished more good for America in his first term of office than any other President I know of has done, even during two terms of service. The rule of law you refer to, Dave, is the UN accord and it’s member treaties? My rule of law is the US Constitution. Yes, I hope he will be in office another 4 years starting on Jan. 20 2021
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Kev, we will likely never agree. Fair enough. You are still a good person who has been led astray or else it is I who is a good but misled fellow. Either way, we are each basically good. Having said that, I, too, was going to ask for three constructive, positive, good acts that Trump did….? Seriously….I cannot think of one. Not one! Chanting a plagiarized slogan is NOT one. Enriching the rich is NOT one. Selling out your allies is NOT one. Rolling back environmental protections……
I might give a naughty-boy nod to grabbing pussies but only because the world has gone PC mad. To be a pussy grabber in this day and age requires huge courage, total ignorance or a huge bank account. He has two of three but claiming bonespurs rules out courage. Honestly, what good has he EVER done anyone but himself and a few prostitutes?
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Kevin please tell me what Trump has done that you deeply admire?
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This is all about what he did just in his first 4 year term as president.
Trump has withdrawn America, or reduced our troop commitments, from most of the wars we were involved in when he took office. (Afghanistan war is ongoing since 2001) He has been working towards withdrawing from it. A peace treaty was brokered early 2020, but yet to be accomplished.. He has committed the US to NO new wars.
President Trump received three separate nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
He has encouraged our NATO allies to spend $69 billion more than they had been contributing to the NATO effort expenses since 2016.
He went after the terrorist organization, Isis, essentially nearly eliminating them as a threat within the first 2 years of his administration. (the previous administration was funding them and supplying them covertly with arms to fuel their Arab Spring agenda of initiating wars and govt. overthrows across the middle east). Isis had been an ongoing security problem for years prior to the Trump administration.
He pursued and eliminated the Islamic terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, likely resulting in many fewer American and Nato military lives lost from terror attacks by that organization.
He started and continues progress on the southern border Border Wall. Despite NO funding from congress and relentless opposition from Democrats. Approaching some almost 400 miles completed now. Areas where it is completed see greatly reduced incidence of drug smuggling and human trafficking. The CCP Covid plague has made countries worldwide want to bolster and strengthen their borders to limit and control the spread of pandemics..They praise Trump’s border wall. The US Customs and Border Patrol agencies PRAISE Trump for this accomplishment: https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/along-us-borders/border-wall-system.
They were looking forward to the wall’s completion.
Agreements with Mexico and other Central American countries, along with the Wall, helped end large Caravans bringing uncontrolled numbers illegally entering America.
(Biden intends to STOP the progress on this effort, part of his campaign platform)
Trump is well supported by law enforcement, who he praises and tries to assist and fund and help with reforms. (Democrats lead the way with the “defund the police movement” and support non-enforcement of laws against rioting and looting in our troubled cities).
So far, Trump has installed three Supreme Court justices and 220 judges overall to the federal bench — all for lifetime appointments. Amy Coney Barrett became Trump’s third Supreme Court justice on October 26, barely a week before Election Day.
By December 2019, Trump nominees made up roughly 25% of all US circuit court judges, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
Trump seems to have a way with the economy. His first term has seen record improvements in all sectors of unemployment: blacks, hispanics, asians, women, veterans other low income categories of workers all seeing record employment and wages. I’m not making this up, go check it out here:
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-biggest-accomplishments-and-failures-heading-into-2020-2019-12#accomplishment-reshaping-the-federal-judiciary-1
Reducing taxes and regulations for businesses to encourage them to come to America, do business here. https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/7-reasons-manufacturers-are-returning-to-the-us
Look, maybe I don’t know everything about this. There could be something I’m just not seeing,
but look, I watched many of Donald Trump’s campaign rallies. The HUGE numbers of turnout for these events. It is NOT made up. The cameras turned to to show the tens of thousands that often couldn’t even get in to these venues and stood outside listening on speakers or watching a screen. Cheering this man on. Donald Trump spoke to these huge crowds largely without teleprompters. Usually for an hour or more. They LOVED him!
Contrast this now, with virtually every rally that I saw for Joe Biden: some had almost no one there.
The press cameras wasn’t even allowed to show the non existent crowds, but often someone with a cell phone put their filming on youtube videos. NOBODY THERE!
One event of JB’s there was a bunch of car horns honking outside the venue. You know who it was?? A convoy of TRUMP SUPPORTERS honking their car horns. I can’t make this up. I saw this video.
So yes, you can tell me that creepy Joe Biden, who molested his own daughter when she was a kid, and took influence bribes and graft for his family, with his crack addicted pedophile son Hunter, from the communist chinese party and the Ukrainian petroleum company, is the right man for this job (not that I’ll believe you..) and you can say any manner of negative things about Donald Trump, without offering any substantiation, but I guess if they are not able to sort out this ballot and voting fraud stuff? We certainly are going to find out what Joe Biden is going to do. If so?
God Help Us!
(leave this blog up here so I can point to it at some dreaded future time and say I told you so)
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….I saw the video on the internet …
Therefore it must be true.
And in concluding you spew the internet allegations personally insulting to Biden.
In true MAGA moron fashion.
Ok .
Trump’s association with Jeffery Epstein a KNOWN pedophile who “committed suicide” while in lock up before his trial where he would get to plea bargain and “name names”.
Trump who has been accused of groping, assaulting and raping women and children.
( I particularly enjoyed the tape of him bragging to a reporter about grabbing women….so classy).
Trump who is the only President not to reveal his income tax records in over 60 years.( whats he hiding?)
Trump has alienated every NATO leader with his boorish insults, bragging and posturing.( all while China gets stronger and stronger)
Trump, who skipped Vietnam because he had “bone spurs” and then calls veterans who were prisoners of war “losers”.
Trump, who will sue anyone at the drop of a hat who stands up to him with the truth. ( sueing the American people over an election is a new first in his childish legal battles)
Trump is a boorish, bullying. braggart who rode his fathers millions all the way to the Whitehouse and the pathetic, uninformed idiots that voted for him are either too stupid , too stubborn or too senile to admit ……their…… man….. lost.
Grow up, get a life , get over it.
The world needs real leaders not an arrogant asshole like Trump.
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“(leave this blog up here so I can point to it at some dreaded future time and say I told you so)”
Would that “dreaded future” be in a few months after all the MAGA MORONS who attended Trump rally’s unmasked and absorbing a super spreading virus return to the cities , towns and villages missing their idiots?
Infecting millions of innocent non MAGA morons.
I hope.
No I pray that after all is said and done and the virus has run its deadly course……..there will be investigations into what Trump knew and what he refused to do about Covid.
( I’m sure that investigators can find some former employees willing to testify from all the people who have quit or were fired from his administration….
Then I hope there will be a class action suit against private citizen Trump and be will be sued for every last dime he has.
Irony is a cruel master.
The final lawsuit against Trump will be his financial undoing.
🙂
John Bolton claimed in his excellent book “The Room Where It Happened”
I was told on my first day at the Whitehouse by an aide that…….. “Dealing with Trump was like dealing with an eleven year old…”
After I was there a few months I realized the aide was incorrect….by about a decade.
Trump WAS the worst President in at least 100 years and he deserves everything that is coming down the pipe.
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Excoriating!. Perhaps a lighter touch on the invective please.
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Some of these claims about Trump’s successes were mostly Trump’s aspersions unfulfilled. If your goal is to convince others of Trump’s good record then you might want to detach QAnon’s claims against Democrats and examine instead what drew 75 million voters to vote Democratic. The possibility that Americans will start the journey of towards mutual understanding begins with dialogue not with name calling and vial assertions.
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