World is Falling Apart Thread (Locked forever)

[foxhound1022]

I have my ticket to the freak show, and notebook in hand.

[Jmustang1968]

Thats a very narrow outlook and spin you put on that assessment.

I think it is a very broad view, actually. It's big picture stuff. I think in the narrow view we see a lot more "good" history and find worthwhile moments that we can hold up as ideals for reforming the whole system, but the "American Experiment" is really, ultimately, just like much of the rest of human history: about 90% people doing horrible shit to one another and about 10% cool ideas for getting along with minimal strife. (Those are bigly scientific numbers, by the way)

This is also a microcosm of human nature, people being people throughout history.

No doubt.

And on monetizing division, I'd say if anything, Democrats are much more guilty of that.

Eh, I am not sure nor do I really care. All political parties do it now and have done it in different ways and at various intensities through time. Deciding who's the bigger asshole doesn't really matter when both will shit all over you either way.

When I said narrow, I meant that it is a narrow slice of the broad view.

I'd actually agree that that's a fairly fair assessment of American history. Not acknowledging the facts that institutional racism, ruthlessly exploitative capitalism (both of its own citizens and abroad), and geographical seclusion have all been very significant factors in America's rise to power is looking at history with some very rose-tinted glasses.

Sometimes it's easy to look back and say, "Ah, yes, we clearly did X because of democratic principles and because we're spreading them to the rest of the poor world," but things are rarely so simple, in my opinion. Things like Manifest Destiny, which was a really racist, nationalistic policy that prompted a huge war with Mexico to take half of their country's land. Things like the Gilded Age of the 20's, where tons of "self-made men" got hugely wealthy through their own innovations and capitalistic cruelty towards their own workers. Yes, America is "great" in the literal sense, but it's gotten there by riding on the backs of a systematically impoverished working class.

I dont think you fully read what I wrote.

[J T]

I have heard from a friend with cancer who believes this will be the last president she gets to vote for because when Trump and the Republicans inevitably follow through on their plans to cut back Medicaid and Obamacare, she will lose her healthcare and die.

I have heard from my father who was close to retirement, but who now thinks he is probably going to have to keep working knowing that Trump and the Republicans plan to eliminate Social Security and Medicare and who is feeling otherwise uncertain as he watches his stocks spin out of control following the election results given the market's concerns about Trump's protectionist trade policies and plans to default on the national debt.

I have heard from my younger brother who had a stroke in his 20s and was always denied insurance afterwards because of a pre-existing condition fearing he may now have to face that injustice all over again if Trump and the Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act as planned.

I have heard from my beautiful wife who wore her white suffragette outfit on election day in feminist pride as we watched election results pour in with the excited anticipation of thinking we were about to witness the election of the first female president, something she has waited her entire life for, but instead she was left sobbing uncontrollably in disbelief at this egregious example of yet another highly experienced and qualified woman losing the job to a man with no prior experience.

I have heard from friends in my old home state of Utah wondering in utter bafflement how Trump and the Republicans can deny climate change and make plans to pull out of the Paris Agreement when they directly see the clear results of climate change and water diversion on the dried up Great Salt Lake. My friends from Florida are equally flabbergasted when the southern part of that state regularly floods now from the rising sea levels. I haven't talked to him yet, but I am sure my friend who studies micro-ecologies under arctic ice is feeling the same.

I've heard from my queer sister-in-law who is currently traveling outside of the country and is fearful that she does not have as accepting a home to come back to, especially with Mike Pence as vice-president who has been a strong advocate for conversion therapy, which my field of psychology abhors. If you don't know, the entire American Psychological Association has condemned conversion therapy because it does not work, because it has disastrous effects on mental health, and most importantly because being gay is not a mental disorder. Other gay friends are wondering how much longer they will be able to retain the right to marry who they want to marry under the new presidency, which wants to revoke that right.

I've heard from kids that my wife works with who have to fear their families will be torn asunder when some of them are deported after Trump and the Republicans do away with the DREAM Act that has allowed them to be in this country. One child from Mexico was already stopped by a woman in a restaurant who felt it was worth interrupting the child's meal with her family to directly tell this little kid "It's Trump's America now. Go back to the country you came from."

I have heard from multiple parents now who do not know how to raise their kids, especially their daughters, to be kind and have faith in others when the new leader of the free world, usually a potential role model, regularly speaks derogatory language and makes denigrating actions. I have heard from multiple people who have considered suicide because they so intensely do not want to live in a world where Donald Trump is the US president. A number of people I don't know sadly did kill themselves today, according to news reports. I have heard from multiple women who no longer feel safe as it has suddenly become clear to them just how much of the country will support and award the highest position of power to a clearly sexist man with a trail of sexual assault allegations and one allegation of rape of a minor. I have heard from multiple people from other countries who are scratching their heads over US politics and fearful for what Trump's anti-trade policies and aggressive military machinations will mean for their countries.

I have also heard what the winners of this election have said in this thread and others. Know that I have paid close attention to which of you have made effort to be a gracious winner and which of you have decided to respond with gloating, taunting, and calling people faggots while I am in turmoil and pain and my fellow Hillary supporters are trying to make sense of all this. I have ignored anyone who has tried to tell me I have nothing to worry about. A Trump presidency combined with a Republican senate and freshly chosen Supreme Court Justices will have tangible consequences, and while this will fill some of your hearts with glee, I have friends and family who will suffer from those consequences. I will suffer from those consequences. I don't appreciate your giddy celebration.

Day one is over. 1,459 to go. If these 24 hours are any indication, it's going to be a very long 4 years, maybe even 8 years. Don't count on me leaving the country or killing myself though. I'm a fighter and a patriot. I value freedom, equality, and the greater good. If I have to spend decades working to restore the progress that is about to be undone for America, I will. I am not going to let Donald Trump ruin these next 4 years of my life.

[Thierry Henry]

Take your nonconstructive attitude elsewhere, brunoafh. Too bad this post is wasted on you, and you're banned from the forums oblivious to your own homophobic slurs you decided to throw around. Thanks for proving my point through your own inability to control your delicate ego. Good riddance.

Make political discussions great again! Build a wall between civil discussions and trolls... and make the troll pay for it!

[foxhound1022]

If anything, this result has shown people's true colors on both sides.

[TSTR]

For my NC homies, how about no more slimy ass Pat McCrory shitting on the environment and education? At least there is a little comfort in that, eh? Bye bye greaseball, and take your shitty little disaster vest with you.

[samsonlonghair]

Here's another positive note: In Virginia we defeated the odious "right to work" ballot measure that tried to amend union busting directly into the state constitution.

[ElkinFencer10]

For my NC homies, how about no more slimy ass Pat McCrory shitting on the environment and education? At least there is a little comfort in that, eh? Bye bye greaseball, and take your shitty little disaster vest with you.

FUCK YEAH!! Maybe now they'll give me a decent salary.

Here's another positive note: In Virginia we defeated the odious "right to work" ballot measure that tried to amend union busting directly into the state constitution.

Thank god for yall. Right to work shit has been horrible for North Carolina.

[marurun]

While I'm all for acknowledging our past sins and improving in the process, I believe that is an astoundingly negative view of this country.

The US is indeed founded on a number of high-minded ideals, but our rapid growth as a world power was built almost entirely on oppressing others. It was the norm at the time, but we perfected it to a degree even the Brits were jealous of. They had to give up their colonial holdings but we simply settled in and took over.

[Exhuminator]

If anything, this result has shown people's true colors on both sides.

Absolutely. This is the most factual statement I've seen in this thread for many pages.

While I don't agree with a lot of what's been said in this thread recently, I do appreciate the diversity of opinions. It certainly keeps things interesting. It'd be mighty boring if we all agreed on everything.

While it's tempting to hold Trump to every word he said to get elected, the fact is most presidents don't accomplish even half what they said they would. Obama currently sits at 45% accomplished ( http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter ... /obameter/ ), which is actually pretty high for a modern era president. The chances that Trump will accomplish every wild promise on his election trail agenda are not odds I'd bet on. Even with a Republican congress and senate at his side, it doesn't mean his party members will actually agree with him on all things. The sky may be dark for some of you, but it isn't necessarily falling just yet.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/09/opinions/ ... index.html