The New World Disorder

Try as I may, it is nearly impossible to keep up with the sheer volume of dung being flung in every direction from the White House and Congress.

American has reaped what we have been quietly sowing. Capitalism has destroyed the republic.

The rich are in charge and they are going to ram policies down our throats which will destroy us, while whispering soothing assurances that this will make everything better. They'll distract the gullible with divisive rhetoric about minorities, immigrants, anyone who is different.

There are still some people, apparently, who buy it all and swallow.

That's a billboard in Russia. Think Vladimir is happy? You bet.

What I've been looking for is the pattern. What the hell happened and how? Sure, I read all the conspiracy theorists (or at least the sanest-sounding among them) and I am convinced about the Russia connection. But how? For what?

Today's news that the UK's Nigel Farage is a "person of interest" in the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the US election is finally showing the bigger picture. Farage, if you don't know, is one of the architects of Brexit. He and his big mouth pal Boris Johnson convinced a country they'd be better off without the European Union without offering a single explanation of how it could work and why it would be better. But, like us, the Brits bought it. They thought it meant isolating themselves from the refugees of the world, strengthening their economy and their future. They thought it meant national pride. It's not looking like any of that is true. It never did.

And who did Trump's dirty-work pal Roger Stone use as an intro to Russia? Nigel Farage.

The door was opened, the welcome mat dusted off, and Russia infiltrated social media just as Trump asked them to. And he won.

Who benefits? Putin. Every time. Putin. He's thrown the EU into confusion, isolated Britain, and helped put in a puppet who cozies up to whoever offers him the most money and ego-stroking.

Trumpuppet was very happy in the Middle East. They treated him like a powerful man. He was very unhappy with EU leaders. They treated him like the bully he is.

He throws out threats to back out of the Paris Climate Accord. He hints he's giving Russian back their camps in the US. He distracts and he lies and all his toadies do the same. There is not a member of his administration who appears to be clean.

The Congressional leaders who support him are as covered in Russian influence as he is.

So who stops this? Who adds it all up, declares this country has been taken over by a hostile government, and slams the door shut? The Democrats? They helped create Trump as surely as Putin did. Until they grow up and remember their principles, they've got nothing.

Ted Lieu, Chris Murphy, Kirsten Gillibrand, step up. We need you. Take the lead.

If you don't know it yet, be aware other countries are slamming their doors on us now. Try to cross the Canadian border. You'll find they're being a whole lot more strict than they ever were before.

We are alone with this. It's our house. We have to clean it.

The question is how?

Trumplandia

I've gone through all the stages of grief since the election except one: acceptance. Nope. Not doing that. I do not accept that this is "normal."

I do not accept that the Toddler In Chief has a sustainable presidency.

I do not accept that my tax dollars pay for him to shoot off his mouth, ignore briefings, spout hate, issue random orders, pander to his fans, then take off to Florida to play golf.

There is no such thing as "alternative facts" - those are lies.

Spin is also a way of lying.

Alt-right is a revisionist word for fascism and white supremacy.

Bullying is bullying.

Stupidity is stupidity.

Cluelessness, intolerance, slogans with no substance...you get the picture.

I'm done trying to understand people who support this dangerous buffoon. He has shown his hand, then doubled down on it, and if they still think he's okay, then I'm not okay with them.

I'm not okay with his circle of advisors, the apologists for hate, the fear-mongers.

I'm not okay with a lazy press, and if CNN tries to tell me there is a "Southern White House" one more time I may lose my mind. There isn't. Trump has a vacation house that is now an amazing investment in Florida, and he's making us pay for his weekly trips there.

If (perhaps I should say 'when') he's ousted, we get Pence. He is a policy nightmare and used the dreaded Obamacare (thanks, media, for running with that term and confusing the masses who thought the ACA was something different) to solve the disaster he created in Indiana.

At least he doesn't appear to be emotionally unhinged.

Sad to think that's an improvement. But it is.

Don't think I'm letting the Democrats off the hook. The DNC gave us this mess. Clinton gave us this mess. They refused to believe their version of status quo was going to lose the election. They STILL refuse to believe it, and rumors that Chelsea Clinton might run for office makes me want to lose my lunch.

The Run For Something movement, the Resist Movement, the Indivisible movement, the Brand New Congress movement, these give me some hope. Not much, admittedly, until they all band together...but I have hopes they will.

Bernie Sanders is a light in the dark right now, and I am grateful for his consistency. He speaks out. He calls a lie a lie.

Connecticut's Chris Murphy has been fearless in his opposition to Trump's agenda.
We need more of that.

 Congressional Democrats seem to be beginning to see the way the wind is blowing. They need to fight back harder. They don't have the luxury of getting tired. They wanted the job: now they need to do it.

The GOP is hoping that the opposition will blow itself out. I'm hoping they're wrong.
We are tired already. But if we rest, we lose.

We've won every skirmish when we stood strong against this pitiful president and his agenda of greed and hate.

If Trump's fans want to call us snowflakes, that's just fine.

This is a blizzard.