Thread "The US Election" in forum "Comic Talk and General Discussion *"

Posted at 5:12AM, Dec. 2, 2016

I will tell you what is horrifying-

I was teaching an eighth grade math class yesterday when three blonde haired children, two girls and one boy, raised their arms in a sieg heil salute in unison. This type of message should not be in our schools and it is troubling.

If anyone listened to Trump's speech in Cincinnatti yesterday, then you would have heard that his country is going to be an inclusive society. It is "all about America, America, America." Welcome back American Isolationism, it has been about 80 years.

Posted at 8:12AM, Dec. 2, 2016

My middle school friends and I were exchanging Heil Hitler salutes all the time. But that was a more innocent time because we all watched Hogan's Heroes and Monty Python. I routinely goose stepped and even celebrated the 40th birthday of the Tiger tank. Kids do silly stuff that adults freak out at because they want to freak adults out. Especially middle schoolers. So you just point out how inappropriate that behavior is but don't freak out. Were they arcing their arm across the chest before putting it up rigidly? That's actually Roman salute as adopted by the Fascists not the Nazi one. By making that kind of distinction you are disarming the child's behavior not reinforcing it by freaking out. That's why school psychologists loved me back in the day. Stop shocking behavior by acknowledging it, dissection and moving on. Maybe make them watch Der Fuehrer's Face or a wartime Bugs Bunny cartoon. Mel Brooks ridicules the Nazis while acknowledging the evil. That way the kids learn how ridiculous the behavior is and move on.

The comparison of Trumpism to Lindbergh and America First was made in the New Yorker magazine. While compelling I didn't find it particularly convincing. What precisely is the US isolating itself from? Trump will be engaging the Chinese and Russians as well as radical Islam and his choice of Secdef is a respected military leader in the best Patton mode. The kind of reading general who knows good hyperbole from foolish saber rattling. The kind of guy who can disarm behavior others find shocking and move on towards their goals. Semper fi Mac.

We're all making wild ass guesses based on our worst fears. The kind of catastrophizing I was alluding to with my remarks about the 1970s predictions of doom and gloom. The US electorate is reinforcing failure by reelecting two first term failures. In a row. No matter who was elected in 2016 the American people lost. There is a glimmer of hope in the proposed pro growth policy of a Trump administration so I will wait and see. But I am not holding my breath. Could be a Trump bubble and the economy tumbles from a false spurt of growth and the American people turn Congress back over to the Democrats and disarm Trump. Never know.

Posted at 11:12AM, Dec. 2, 2016

Just a little more than two weeks have passed since my last declaration of hope, and my perspective has shifted.

I admit I have to do some reading up since I am in a "social bubble," but most of what I've read about Trump's appointments is scary. An "alt-right" supporter, a "pesticides don't harm people" climate skeptic, a proponent of conversion therapy, a hedge fund manager, an anti-abortion-but-don't-fund-birth-control budget master (I wonder his thoughts on Viagra) …

So aside from breitbart.com, where does one look to learn about how these people will improve the U.S.?

Posted at 11:12PM, Dec. 2, 2016

ayesinback wrote:
Just a little more than two weeks have passed since my last declaration of hope, and my perspective has shifted.

I admit I have to do some reading up since I am in a "social bubble," but most of what I've read about Trump's appointments is scary. An "alt-right" supporter, a "pesticides don't harm people" climate skeptic, a proponent of conversion therapy, a hedge fund manager, an anti-abortion-but-don't-fund-birth-control budget master (I wonder his thoughts on Viagra) …

So aside from breitbart.com, where does one look to learn about how these people will improve the U.S.?

And now you know the fear and disgust the right felt about Obama's cabinet. Don't worry they are the most vile and evil collection of monsters ever assembled in one place. One's mind boggles at the hyperbole spun about a few off hand comments or unwanted association. I remember reams of such dubious connections in 2008 but since they were people who were more in line with my political thinking, I didn't mind so much. But the opposite side is full of heretics and demons. When did politics become a struggle of dogma versus heresy? All good liberals, I call for a crusade onto the heretics of the right. Such wrong thinking must be rooted out of the body politic and destroyed.

Listen to yourselves oh great progressives and be amazed that you sound like the forces of the Inquisition and the conservatives sound like the free thinkers of the Renaissance. Let your voices be heard in this free Republic and let the system rein in the wild horses of demagogues.

I love the free exchange of ideas and opinions and marvel at this Republic created by the Constitution of these United States. The system will prevail over whatever fools the people elect and their crony hangers-on.

Wonder where I can get a nice early 19th century suit. I feel like Henry Clay or Daniel Webster facing down Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun.

Posted at 5:12AM, Dec. 3, 2016

bravo1102 wrote

…

The system will prevail over whatever fools the people elect and their crony hangers-on.

Ah huh

Posted at 1:12PM, Dec. 3, 2016

Now I need to shut up and get back to producing a comic. I've wasted enough time on this foolish hair wringing and running about. There's work to be done.

Posted at 4:12PM, Dec. 3, 2016

bravo1102 wrote:

I suppose you would prefer Tiananmen square or the Draft Riots of 1863 dispersed by the soldiers fresh from Gettysburg or the Hay market riots or Napoleon's whiff of grapeshot mowing down the multitude to maintain order?

Excuse me? I thought Animal House did an admirable job of showing how silly panic-in-the-streets looks, especially when it occurs over something that is not life threatening. I advocate for neither panic nor martial law. You suppose quite a bit.

Posted at 4:12AM, Dec. 4, 2016

ayesinback wrote:
bravo1102 wrote:

I suppose you would prefer Tienanmen square or the Draft Riots of 1863 dispersed by the soldiers fresh from Gettysburg or the Hay market riots or Napoleon's whiff of grapeshot mowing down the multitude to maintain order?

Excuse me? I thought Animal House did an admirable job of showing how silly panic-in-the-streets looks, especially when it occurs over something that is not life threatening. I advocate for neither panic nor martial law. You suppose quite a bit.

The whole image of the poor ROTC cadet yelling "remain calm" before getting run down just got to me. I imagined I was the poor idiot saying we should all be calm as the wave of Trumpist fascism surged over us all.