Americans need to take a good hard look at themselves

Many people around the world are scratching their heads.  They can't believe it.  American voters have rejected Kamala Harris' message of hope and optimism.  They have elected as their president a man who behaves in a manor that is absolutely disgusting and obscene.  Still, over 78 million Americans voted for Donald Trump.  Over 78 million Americans voted for a convicted felon, a racist, a misogynist, a climate change denier, a conspiracy theorist, and an authoritarian,  Oh yes, he's also civilly guilty of sexual assault.  I shudder to think that's who you really are, America.

Never forget January 6, 2021, a shameful  day that will live in infamy, just like Pearl Harbor Day and September 11, 2001.  Trump encouraged an unruly mob of white supremacists to attack the Capitol in Washington, D.C., causing death and mayhem.  He regards the January 6th mob as "patriots," and he intends to pardon them.  

On November 5, 2024, Trump did not win a landslide victory.  He did not receive an overwhelming mandate, though, of course, he will always claim that he did.  This was not Johnson versus Goldwater in 1964 or Nixon versus McGovern in 1972.  According to the latest stats from Reuters (November 20), Trump won 49.9 per cent of the popular vote (76,807,906), while Kamala Harris won 48.3 per cent.(74.250,975).  Trump received 312 Electoral College votes, while Harris received 226.  Yes, Trump won the election, but it was by no means a landslide.

Honestly, I didn't see this disaster coming.  Now that I've had some time to reflect, I can better understand what happened, and why.  Here are some points that I would like to make.

* American voters received false information from social media. They falsely blamed Joe Biden and the Democrats for the inflation that he didn't cause.  It is not Joe's fault.  Inflation is a problem all over the world, and it was worsened by the pandemic.

* Trump had a huge lead among male voters.  He's conned them into believing true manhood means acting tough and bullying others.  Also, even in the year 2024, some American voters (and that includes women) cannot bring themselves to vote for a woman, especially a woman of colour.

* Trump had billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Rupert Murdoch giving him support and money.  He also had Big Pharma, Big Oil and the insurance companies behind him.

*Trump went on all the podcasts popular with white males.

*  Many Americans falsely believe that the economy was better under Trump.  In fact, Joe Biden had to clean up Trump's mess.  Trump increased the deficit with his tax breaks for the wealthy.  If American voters had taken a good look at the economic statistics, they would seen that the U.S. economy is doing very well under Biden.  Trump plans to damage the U.S. economy with his ill-advised tariffs.

*Many Americans falsely believe that Trump is a good businessman.  He is not.  Six of his business ventures have gone bankrupt, including his casinos in Atlantic City.

" Trump has allowed racist Americans to vent their spleen.  He's allowed them to blame "illegal aliens" (Should be undocumented immigrants.  They are human beings, not creatures from another planet).

* The mainstream corporate media were much easier on Trump than Kamala.  Americans kept being told that they didn't know enough about Kamala.  Trump's behaviour was normalized because "it was just Trump being Trump."  The Democrats should stop pointing fingers,  Kamala ran a good campaign.  She offered good policy such as tax credits for first time home buyers and those who want to start small businesses.

As brokenhearted as I am about the election, there is not much I can do.  I can only write my opinions.  I have to get over the disappointment and move ahead with my life.  The unfortunate result of the election can not be undone.  Sadly, the United States and the world are stuck with Trump for four more years, and maybe longer if he messes with the constitution and becomes a dictator.  I just hope that somehow we can all get through the next four years.  It's a shame, but it's not under my control.  Maybe in two years, Americans will realize the horrible mistake they have made and elect Democrats in the 2026 midterms.

Trump cannot evade justice forever.  He is not invincible and he will eventually face the long arm of the law.  This too shall pass.  Someday Trump will be a consigned to the annals of history.

- Joanne