Now What?

It didn’t seem real.
 
How could our country elect such a man to impose his will domestically and expose his incompetence externally?
 
It was a shock that hit so deep that many of us, maybe most of us, have been attempting to get through life by forcing it from our minds.
 
After all, we had more than two months before Trump could force his devastating policies on us. And we had the holiday season which was so much brighter than the future’s bleakness we all fear.
 
But now it’s January and the horror is coming in just a few days.
 
In fact, it’s January 6, four years to the day since a gang of ruffians attacked the capitol.
 
In fact, it’s January 6 of the current year in which the certification of the Trump victory will occur without the lying of four years past.
 
And we have to ask, “Now what?”
 
Will he actually do all he has threatened?
 
I have no doubt he will. We pretend otherwise at our peril.
 
Besides, we have seen foreshadowing of the future even while we were hiding behind holidays and pretension.
 
For example, we have learned of his cabinet picks, a sorry bunch in which Marco Rubio, believe it or not, stands out as the sanest and most competent.
 
In spite of all evidence to the contrary, I still can’t accept the vast majority of our country actually approves of the terror that is Donald Trump.
 
So does that make me feel better?
 
Not a bit!
 
But, grasping at straws, I’ve thought of scenarios that could conceivably save our country. Unfortunately, none comes without a price. I believe, sadly, that if our country is to be saved, it first must be hurt.
 
For whatever they are worth, the scenarios follow. If any of them actually occur, I’m thinking of hope for elections in two or four years (if we still have elections then).
 

1. Many of Trump’s votes came from those worried about the economy, particularly about inflation. I believe the majority of these were single issue voters concerned about survival. Now what if, as several knowledgeable people have predicted, Trump’s policies of tariffs and alien deportation actually add to inflation? Would these single issue voters then swing back the other way? Downside: they and all of us would have to suffer the detrimental effect of inflation before it became obvious.
2. The incompetents he has placed in charge of many of our government’s departments mess up so badly that the average Joe and Jane are affected negatively. Downside: we may have to deal with the reduction or elimination of vital services before this becomes obvious.
3. Infighting within the Trump orbit, already begun, could delay or sabotage some of Trump’s policies, showing an inability to satisfy the demands of his base. Downside: who knows what would happen to policies we have come to rely on as different individuals attempt to prove their point by implementing disgusting “fixes.”
4. The assignment of too much power to billionaires who have no understanding about the needs of the average citizen and employ their decision making to feather their own nests at the expense of the rest of the country. Downside: before getting their come-uppance, they will inflict so much damage it may take a long time to make it right.
5. The lifetime of lying, poor eating, constant anger, and generally unhealthy lifestyle may finally catch up with Trump and bring him to his knees physically. Downside: originally, I couldn’t think of anything. Then I remembered J. D. Vance.
6. Trump could act in ways that finally offend his supporters so much that they would abandon him. Downside: we’d all have to live with whatever this bad action was and it’s doubtful his believers would hold him accountable anyway. After all, they have forgiven his role in an insurrection, sexual misadventures, lying, and so much more. Why should we expect different in the future?

 
I wish my list made me feel better.