It’s surreal. I honestly feel like I somehow entered some alternate timeline and have to find my way back to the true reality like in Back to the Future. Trump = Biff.
I’m reeling. I’m feeling a little bit queasy – and it’s more than just the ultra rich chocolate mousse I stomached this evening – it’s the fact that 58,287,592 Americans voted for this beast. The same guy who said he was going to build a wall and make China pay for it. Who wants to ban Muslims from entering the US. I was trying to put my finger on exactly what makes me despise this man, and I think more than anything, it is the hate that he evokes through fear. Trump’s strategy since the beginning of his campaign has seemed to be around throwing the most ridiculous, extreme, bigoted words out there in order to get a reaction. And it’s worked. Unbelievably, the I-can’t-believe-he’s-running-surely-this-won’t-go-far-candidate has won the race. Oh, and Trump can be sure it wasn’t rigged too, thanks to his newfound presidency.
To anyone oblivious enough to think that this outcome is irrelevant to New Zealand, or any other countries besides the US itself – please sort yourself out. This affects the whole world. The US is massive and has huge influence economically, politically, environmentally, and in every single avenue in existence. This is a man who doesn’t believe in climate change: “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” As if it’s just a scary bedtime story told to young campers at bonfire night and not scientifically proven and unravelling before our very eyes. I may be going on a tangent here, but World War III doesn’t seem so implausible. One can only hope not.
On the way to a friend’s house tonight, I did what I sometimes do when I want to have a think. Found myself a swing, and just let my brain wander where ever it wanted. I had entirely given up on Hillary by this stage, the pessimist in me at odds with the part of me searching for hope in the situation. My resolution is this: we still have control over ourselves. Sounds weak, doesn’t it. But the US is not the whole world, contrary to what some of them may believe.
I feel sorry for JJ Holmes, a 12 year old with Cerebral Palsy who was rooting for Hillary in the light of Trump’s hideous mocking of disabled people.
I feel sorry for all the Muslim-Americans, immigrants, and people of colour who will suffer under Trump’s presidency – that’s if they’re allowed to stay.
I feel sorry for the United States, and on behalf of the world: you let us all down, North America.
bohemianhumanist.com 