Chill, America. Not every Trump outrage is outrageous.

I've thought a lot about this. I'm very aware that I sound like a right winger after Obama was elected, what with talk of tyranny, Fascism, and coups. And once we decide this is how things are then anything that doesn't confirm our predetermined beliefs just serves to actually reinforce them. If there's a terrorist attack and Trump doesn't eliminate elections in 2020 and just declare himself dictator, it's only because we dodged a bullet. If Trump does something I actually like, it's an attempt to lull me into a false sense of security.

I'm not trying for my most hated logical fallacy, false equivalence. Right wingers were wrong every step of the way about Obama and their unhinged derangement was, well, unhinged. And the two parties are not the same: we have witnessed nothing less than the fringe voices of the right take over the party and dominate it. Nothing like that has happened on the left. But it's worth keeping our sanity in check and assessing each Trump action on its own terms and not as a conspiratorial chess move meant to destroy our democracy.

 

I tried that right up to his inauguration speech. When the same vitriol and alternative facts came spewing forth; a pall came over my head. All I can think of is to find the next fight. Acceptance is not an option.
(I can remember people voting for Nixon and voting for Democrat Senators and Congress People. It was like the populace actually wanted "checks and balances." Not seeing that anymore. It is all or nothing.) Wasn't "from the White House to the Court House" a thing with Bush2?
Whereas I know not every outrageous thing he tries will come to fruition; he can cause plenty of damage with what does.

 

I almost always vote a split ticket. Sure, it feeds a lot of the gridlock, but that's they way that our system works. If Congress can't agree on the wording of a specific bill, that more-or-less reflects that we the people don't agree on the issue either. People complain that not much has been accomplished recently, but at the same time individuals are so polarized that it's hard to find a middle ground that works for everybody. Is it better to pass something just for the same of a feather your political cap, or is it better to wait until you can get something done right? I see valid points for both approaches

Furthermore, I also vote differently at different levels of elections; there are things that I think should be the duty of the federal government and not the states/counties, and vice versa. Often these things lean more toward one party at one level and another party at another. But in these days of all-or-nothing partisanship and polarization, it's hard to find too many people who appreciate the way the system was designed to have these multiple levels of government with different priorities

 

I will concede that what you say makes sence.
But telling me to calm down at this point is kinda like telling someone who is severely depressed to, cheer up. Doesn't work.

 

I like the analogy

 

What about the tactic of presenting 10 unacceptable things, knowing that you will want to look reasonable, so you will end up having to accept 2 of them in order to do so. Or you want others to view you as reasonable so you have to demonstrate a willingness to "compromise" and therefore have to accept 2 of them.

This isn't business as usual, and simple differences of opinion. Unacceptable choices should always be fought. Now, the repudiation should be grounded in arguments of legality, ethics and history and not just emotion (although for normal people you may know when something feels wrong, even if you don't understand the rule of law enough to argue from that position.). Also, there is merit to limit the freak out to the things Trump has done vs the things people are afraid he will do. This is the biggest difference between the right-wingers and Obama...he never took their guns away or raise their taxes. While with Trump we have the executive orders. This is why the Inauguration speech matters, and the tweets and the interviews, and I'm sure his first State of the Union will be a doozy. All of those set the tone and the agenda for the Administration, and the official position of the United States and we are kidding ourselves if at this point we don't take him at his word.

 

Exactly, this is NOT business as usual. I am an old woman and have seen the right/left shift approximately every 8 years many times. I have never seen a total circus like this. This is unprecedented and must be carefully monitored. A wait and see attitude could let much slip through.
I was disappointed when Nixon edged out Humphrey, I did not like him but he did not scare me. When Reagan trounced Carter I was truly scared. And for good reason. Many of his policies continue to have an adverse effect on my husband and myself. I kind of liked Bush1. Whereas my husband continued his employment under Bush2, we had to deal with our home becoming almost valueless and our sons going off to fight in an immoral, illegal war.
This is the first time I have been terrified. And I am terrified more for other people than myself at this point.
My biggest fear is that that this buffoon will get bored and quit or get impeached or drop dead of a massive coronary and leave us with the man who refused to say that he would put the constitution before his religious beliefs. (Something JFK was forced to do over and over again.)

 

Uh, yeah and thanks.
Someone with depression will generally need medication.
In order for me to cam down I need valium.
How is that false?

 

I disagree. Anxiety, provoked or otherwise (and it's *clear* that he's intentionally, even gleefully provoking his enemies, which is, well, most of us), is as real as depression. I certainly feel my blood pressure rise over some of the trolling, as I take it as a personal affront to my own sense of patriotism and good feelings about my homeland that he's pissing on.

So yeah, calm down is proper and all, but it's easier said than done. I get the sentiment, just not the tone.

 

Funny, it sounds to me like a perfect analogy. What would be a better one? Does it make to much sense for the state of mind this country is in at the moment?

 

Yeah, I'm not ready to calm down, thanks. I'm not running around like a maniac, but I am upset about the way Trump and his minions are crapping on things I happen to care about. We're not arguing about him changing the White House dishes here, we're talking about some of the actual founding principles. That isn't being hysterical or over the top -- these guys are actually doing damage. I calmed down after the election (or sank into a deep despair, either way), tried to go into this new reality with some level of hope that maybe Trump would rise to the office. The opposite has happened. It has become a tacky casino filled with grifters and corruption, right there for all to see (see today's Secretary of Education as exhibit A).

So, no, thanks, I cannot and will not calm down. I don't want to chill at the moment. I'm not talking about jumping on his every inane tweet. I'm talking about objecting to policy and talking openly about it.

That said, if Trump does something that makes some sense, of course I will give him credit. Unlike the right, I really don't WANT this president to be a total failure just so I can be right. I'd love to be all wrong about him and for him to be a great president, helping the people in this country who need it most.

Thus far, he has done the opposite of that, defiantly, arrogantly, obnoxiously. In a short window of time, he has made the world a less safe place. There's nothing calming about that.

 

Here's an excellent article by Ezra Klein about Congress's responsibility in all this. It heavily references conservative David Frum's Atlantic article, which is also a good read.

How to stop an autocracy

"So why, then, are we surrounded by articles worrying over America’s descent into fascism or autocracy? There are two reasons, and Trump is, by far, the less dangerous of them.

Trump has shown himself unconcerned with the norms of American democracy. He routinely proclaims elections rigged, facts false, the media crooked, and his opponents corrupt. During the campaign, he flouted basic traditions of transparency and threatened to jail his opponent. His tendencies toward nepotism, crony capitalism, and vengeance unnerve. His oft-stated admiration for authoritarians in other countries — including, but not limited to, Vladimir Putin — speaks to his yearning for power."

(snip)

"The judiciary, however, is not the branch of government with the most power or the most responsibility to curb Trump’s worst instincts. That designation belongs to the US Congress.

The president can do little without Congress’s express permission. He cannot raise money. He cannot declare war. He cannot even staff his government. If Congress, tomorrow, wanted to compel Trump to release his tax returns, they could. If Congress, tomorrow, wanted to impeach Trump unless he agreed to turn his assets over to a blind trust, they could. If Congress, tomorrow, wanted to take Trump’s power to choose who can and cannot enter the country, they could. As Frum writes, “Congress can protect the American system from an overbearing president.” He just thinks they won’t."

And I'll post - again - a handy guide to how to exert pressure on YOUR Congresscritter, which is arguably the most effective thing (certainly the most direct) each of us can do to influence Congress, which in turn can influence the White House.

Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda

 

Want to know how bad it is. Today my daughter called me because her husband packed up the kids and left home because of her insane right wing rantings. She would get in such name calling, spit emitting discussions on the internet and then when still in anger, throw things, slam doors, scream, etc. out of the frustration of trying to defend the undefendable. That Orange Glow asshole has managed to insight the breakup of my family. Not his fault directly, but, by the general feel of the country at this point. My son in law is going to try and save the marriage, but, it is going to take some heavy duty reasoning power to get her to admit her mindless obsession.

 

I am so sorry to hear that. I have to give the son-in-law credit for removing the kids from such a situation. This is not the first family I have heard of being torn asunder by this crazy political climate. I have been so lucky. The very few Republican friends I do have did not support him.

My husband, rather than flat out refusing to work for he-who-must-not-be-named supporters; is telling them he has to raise his rates as we will soon have to pay for our health coverage. One lady got very affronted and exclaimed, "He's going to replace it!!" Yeah, and it isn't really a Muslim ban either.