Let’s Let the Trump Out!
The time has come to fully indulge the American majority
A year ago I suggested that a Trump win in 2024 could be a useful enema for America, and here we are — he decisively won the electoral college and the popular vote, too, substantating his assertion that the American people have given him a mandate to govern as he’s promised. Hello, Democrats: democracy works both ways, The People have indeed decided.
That said, the sentiment behind that last snark is ironic and paradoxical considering Trump’s own election denialism. Following the playbook of autocrats throughout today’s world and modern history, Trump vilifies and slanders his political opponents to the point the foundational structures and processes of elections and government itself are called into question.
Had Trump lost this November, he would have declared victory. Now that he won, the otherwise bogus election results are accurate. Amazing how that worked out, and even more astonishing that the asymmetry between the parties is now taken for granted. Also normalized is Trump’s callous disregard and open contempt for most norms, the essence of his brand.
Everyone knew that a Harris win would have ushered in a Biden 2.0 style administration, conventional status quo continued — no doubt the essential reason she lost. Everyone similarly sensed that a Trump win would release the Kraken of anti-establishment, anti-government, anti-anti-anti-everything woke, libtard, progressive, and identity politics — BOOM!
If nothing else, Trump the pathological and chronic liar kept his most important promises to his constituents in 2016, and he seems to be doing so now — with the added gusto of double-assassination survivor, comeback champion, and popular vote winning president elect. He promised to shake the Capital Beltway to its core, his frantic Cabinet picks already in play.
Despite the feigned shock and awe of the left-leaning media and a few remaining establishment Republicans, Trump is only getting started. Just this morning I got a text from a friend with a link to a story about Speaker Johnson proposing cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and defunding Planned Parenthood, my pal amazed by those impacted largely voting for the GOP.
As I pointed out in another post, Trump’s Southern Strategy 2.0 helped shift enormous blocks of traditional Democrats to the Right, segments from African-Americans and especially Latinos to, surprise surprise, millions of women who weren’t swayed by the rescission of Roe. The hook: go full-macho, racist, misogynist, autocrat as a show of strength, calming nerves.
The post-election numbers reveal the effectiveness of Trump’s focused messaging, not only surging his base but growing his support across every voting segment except, wow, white people. The willingness and enthusiasm of people to vote against their best interests is nothing new, but Trump’s bluster and bravado took it to new depths, sealing his sweeping victory.
What can we make of all this? If you’re a fervent Trumpista like my friend Ed with whom I had a lively pre-election debate then you’re thrilled-to-ecstatic, and if you’re a Democrat or even a Bad Libertarian such as moi then you’re WTF-to-terrified. Regardless where you’re coming from, get set for where we’re going, which is an Institutionalized Trumpistan.
Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence! Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff! RFK, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services! Lee Zelden to head the EPA! Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel! And of course Matt Gaetz for Attorney General! The list goes on, as if the paranoid rants of a libtard Substacker have all come to life for realz.
Inclusive of a super-sized role for Elon Musk, none of this should come as a newsflash. Unless you’re stumbling and mumbling through a chronic haze of denialism like Susan Collins, you should expect this to be merely the opening salvo of the Trump-Destroys-DC blitzkrieg. Yes, Trump actually does say what he means and means what he says about retribution, too.
The Democrats can meanwhile play the blame game all they want, either pointing fingers at their own campaign strategists, or the American people. The former might save elections and money in the future, but the latter is stupid and irresponsible. The bottom line is this: A majority of Americans, after everything that’s happened vis-à-vis Trump, voting him back to power.
As such, We The People get what we deserve, and deserve what we get. Most importantly, Trump supporters have gotten what they’ve always wanted, an unfettered and unleashed Donald Trump. The silver lining for everyone, including the Left, is MAGA in whatever form it takes having its chance to fully play itself out. They see it as Victory, I see it as an enema.
Paul Feyerabend was an Austrian philosopher of science, years ago known for his seminal Against Method. The essence of his Weltanschauung was that highly structured inquiry is so loaded with prejudice, biases, and self-imposed boundaries that scientists and academicians miss most of their opportunities for innovation and advancement, undercutting knowledge.
Recent critics such as my favorite Sabine Hossenfelder take a more practical tack, but I love their shared perspective that systemic problems throughout science, government, and all of society can be improved by questioning the foundation of how we do what we do. You see where I’m going with this: Trump the anarchist is about to set it all on fire, booyah.
Is Trump the best choice to effect otherwise necessary change in how we’re governed, conduct foreign economic and military policy, what we eat, and ultimately what we believe? I’m more on Anne Applebaum’s side than Marc Andreessen’s, but none of us has any alternative. Trump won the popular vote fair and square, so let’s let the Trump out! Hang onto your hats…
More ideas for you to think about and comment on…
