You’re going to see a lot of sky-is-falling commentaries from pundits this week about Donald Trump’s upcoming coronation.
Hopefully, this isn’t one of them.
Sure, I’m concerned. But in the end, I figure we get the government we deserve – good and hard, for better or worse. And in this instance, my fellow Americans felt we deserved four years of a narcissist nut backed by a Republican Congress with a vision for the future based on the 1950s.
So, OK, let’s see what happens.
My head tells me our new leaders will deliver on their promises.
They’ll dramatically cut taxes on the rich and tell us the rich will in turn trickle-down benefits to the rest of us. Which they won’t. Trickle-down economics inevitably means trickle on.
They’ll cut taxes a tiny bit for the rest of us and pretend it makes a big difference in our lives, which it won’t.
Progress against global warming will slow without U.S. leadership.
We’ll have tense moments with other countries because of Trump’s tendency to blurt before he thinks.
Our land, water and air will get dirtier, all in service to industry.
Millions, I suspect, will lose health insurance because without government subsidies they simply won’t be able to afford it. (If you think, tax credits, health savings accounts and competition across state lines are going to make up the difference, you probably believe in the tooth fairy and that Mexico will pay for that silly wall.)
And the Supreme Court will be stacked with arch conservatives, affecting the nation’s course for the next 50 years. (Bye-bye, Roe v. Wade.)
Of course, I could be completely wrong.
Maybe President Trump will rise to the occasion and suddenly become presidential, although you have to wonder considering his childish, reactive and thin-skinned behavior since the election.
Maybe the Republican Congress will realize it doesn’t have the mandate it thinks it does and that the entire party is in fact on thin ice with many Americans, just as the Dems are, and maybe that realization will temper their behavior, although I’m not counting on it.
Or maybe, in four years it’ll turn out that our new leaders were right all along and we’ll all be living in a Republican paradise, delivered unto us by the greatest president in American history backed by the greatest Congress ever.
I doubt it, but whatever the case we’re gonna get what we asked for, America. Probably good and hard.
Buckle up.
Image credit: DonkeyHotey
I think your right on all of this Andy But you did leave one thing out people in 4 years will see that things promised by republicans are not their. But the demorcracts will some how be blamed for the whole mess and the republicans will again get reelected to keep the whole mess going for another 4 years
Absolutely. There’s a guy on here who blamed the Great Recession on BILL Clinton.
Good morning Andrew,
I agree with everything you said; however, I have to disagree with the following statement you made: “I’m concerned. But in the end, I figure we get the government we deserve – good and hard, for better or worse. And in this instance, my fellow Americans felt we deserved four years of the Donald backed by a Republican Congress”. Actually, our fellow Americans voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton by three million votes–maybe not a perfect candidate but so much better than what we now actually have as of this coming Friday. God help us.
That’s true she won the popular vote but not the electoral and that’s all that matters. She was the worst possible candidate at the worst possible time. I think she’d have been an OK president, but the Dems would have been wise to pick anyone else.
Nicely said, Andy, thank you.
Being an educator, I’ve been watching the DeVos nomination closely. May I draw readers attention to a recent editorial from The New York Times, Tuesday, January 10, 2017:
“Big Worries About Betsy DeVos”
Here’s the link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/opinion/big-worries-about-betsy-devos.html?_r=0
Thank you for the link. It’s good to see news agencies outside Michigan questioning the DeVos family’s money and politics. We need a national uprising to squelch her politics, for profit charter school ties, and the monies the family has spent buying favors with “YUGE” donations to candidates. They pretty much own the Michigan Legislature.
Agree completely. She’s going to taker her Michigan charter school movement national, thereby weakening education and making it for-profit, which means again the richest kids will have the best schools, the poorer kids the poorest.
how is it, we as a nation, are so very blind? I don’t ‘get’ any of this!
Sincerely, Nada Radakovich, Mott Park
I don’t get any of this either. But more of us voted against him than for him and we are still in trouble because people voted in so many republicans and now there are no checks and balances and now they are ramming through this crap as quick as they can.
Remember that as of noonish Friday, Orange really is the new Black. Just sayin’
Ha, yup. First nation in the world to be led by an orange with lemon hair.
Great column! You said it all, very well, what it is that resonates in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans. We will see sooner than later the direction our country will be taking. God bless the USA.
We will be lucky if we don’t have:
1. A nuclear bomb that has been dropped on some country because they pissed him off.
2. A war with someone.
3. Dirtier air and water.
4. A one or more degree increase in the average world temperature.
5. Double digit inflation. (A 35% tariff will only effect the consumer)
Yup.
Great article, Andy!
Our president-elect scares me, but, it is what it is. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Wow! Such positive thoughts and comments from a bunch of losers! As I have said several times before, can’t we all just see what 4 or 8 or 16 years bring? Still love your columns, Andy, and wish they were still in the Citizen Patroit.
Me, too.
I’m trying to convince myself that the country won’t implode, but it’s really not working. I never realized how much hate there is in this nation. Hatred for each other. I don’t see how pummeling anyone who is not a mirror image of you helps the country, but that’s what this guy brings to the table.
I have never been as afraid of the future as I am now. I have experienced WWII, Korean War, Viet Nam and the Gulf Crisis and never felt as uncertain of America’s safety and might. He is just too volatile, reactionary and uncensored to lead this great country.
Where are you, A-Hell? We need a place to pour out or hearts. No Post since Sunday? Are you okay?
The paid liberal anarchists are rioting. They are attacking police, attacking innocent civilians and destroying property. They need to be imprisoned for many years.
These riots perfectly represent the Democrat party.
Have any of you noticed how much our Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow looks like Margaret Thatcher?