Where to Start

Everyone, it seems, is looking back on 2020, trying to figure out what went on. The Coronavirus, of course, is pretty clear. It originated in China, and spread throughout the world, killing 1,842, 967 so far across the planet. The highest number of deaths is in the United States, with 347,956. This is largely due to Donald Trump, our deranged criminal sociopath president, who had no concern for anyone other than himself and his reelection. Many have written about this, so there's no need to rehash his criminality here. He was defeated in his "reelection" effort, and will soon be evicted from the White House.

What is more interesting to me is the cult-like devotion of many, if not most, of Trump's followers. His vote total was 74,222,957, 46.8 % of total votes cast. That is very high, way too high, for a deranged criminal sociopath. Roughly half of Americans voted for a clear, verifiable, provable sociopath for president. I don't buy the conventional pundit rationalization that Trump voters feel left-out, or dispossessed, or ignored by "Democrats." They are the same element of the country that gave us Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. 

"White" people. There is no such thing, of course, as a "white" person, or even a person with white skin, but that doesn't slow the all-knowing knowers down a bit. People of European ancestry are known metaphorically as "white" people, and people of African, Australian Aboriginal, some East Indians, and a broad swath of what is known as "Oceania" are called "black." Just as "white" people aren't white, "black" people aren't black. 

 Though no one is white, 75% of those who identify as being white voted for Donald Trump. Three quarters of white people chose a deranged criminal sociopath for president of the United States, down by 3% from 2016. Or maybe 5%, according to another source. The same source, Vox, says that Trump improved by 2% among "white" women, to 55%. If you filter down the percentage of "white" people who are "gay," college educated, urban, young, and union members, that leaves virtually ALL "white" people not in these demographics voting for Trump. Rural, small-town, lesser-educated, heterosexual, Christian, and old. Yikes! What a divide!

Trump, visibly controlled by Russian president Vladimir Putin, is a traitor. This matters not one bit to his followers. He's the Great White Hope. This is worth remembering when "white" Americans accuse other Americans of being unpatriotic, or traitors. They are just mouthing words, attempting to scapegoat others about something they have no real concern about, just using it as an excuse for hysteria.

A question worth asking at this point is what is so sacrosanct about "whiteness," and "white" culture, that it is a life-and-death proposition. No one is white, but it is still worth killing others for, and putting a deranged criminal sociopath and traitor in power over the whole country, indefinitely.

I grew up in this culture, in urban, rural and small-town "America." "White" culture is based on Western, European culture, which is broadly characterized by the ego, or ahamkara - the individual self, acquisitive, competitive, exclusive, rapacious, and ultimately paranoid and tribal. Even in its most tribal manifestation, though, the "tribe" of white people is not a collective. It is at best a loose collection of paranoids.

And, it is doomed. Capitalism, the economic system of individual greed, is doomed, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it is destroying the planet. It also maldistributes economic reward, giving the lion's share to the very few. Trump, in this sense may have been a blessing in disguise. He is the embodiment of human evil, and he has almost singlehandedly destroyed the country. 

And yet his fanatical followers would kill to keep him in office. Fanaticism dies a hard death. Trump called the Coronavirus a hoax, so his followers refuse to wear masks or social distance. Some insist the pandemic is a hoax to their dying breath from COVID. 

So here we are, 2021. A new president, whom I find myself liking more each day. Trump and many "Republicans" are still refusing to accept the election result, trying every means possible to overturn the result. It should come as no surprise. Trump is a criminal and so are the "Republicans." 

The next several years should be very challenging, to say the least. The pandemic will likely linger for a long time. Our economic system will likely fail. The climate will most certainly get hotter and more destructive. We may not survive as a species. We can choose to survive. First, though, we need to learn how to recognize truth. We can start by giving up on being "white" - or "black." Or any other color. We are not our skin color. Skin is just skin, a major organ of the body, a sheath and integral and interactive part of the functioning of our entire systems. We are much more than skin, and much more than our bodies. About half the people in this country choose to be less than their skins.

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Here's a song. Here's another. This tune can get you in the mood for working together. Here's a song for the departure of Trump. His empire was an illusion, but it is now fallen. This is how Trump created his pretend empire. Here's a song by the Waterboys, not to be confused with the Proud Boys. Or the Boys in the Band. Or the Boyz n the Hood. This song is by what some would call a boy band, though they were no longer boys. If Vladimir Putin had his way, this would be our national anthem. Had Trump been more competent - that is, competent at all - he might have gotten his way.

Surprise of surprises, Trump pressured Georgia's secretary of state to "find" enough votes for him to win. I wonder, as this develops, how many election officials in how many states he pressured to "find" enough votes. Irony of irony, Trump may be charged with felony election fraud after he is evicted from the White House. 

The Godfather theme is music too fine for Trump and his "Republican" enablers. This song is more to their level of understanding. Or this. Poor Trump. He thought he knew everything. Monumental fool doesn't even begin to describe this profoundly evil being. Thankfully, he is the ultimate LOSER. When he finally gets sent to prison, Parchman Farm would be fitting. He can sing this song. At noon January 20 this will be Trump's new theme song.

All Trump has left is politicians throwing stones.

The pandemic has been very kind to the super-rich.