There was no Wednesday post this week. Like a lot of people, I was distressed by Tuesday's results.
The last time we elected someone for president whose qualifications were suspect, we found ourselves mired in a disasterous war (the cost of which is
estimated to have paid for Obamacare for the next 50 years) and our economy cratered.
And Trump makes Bush look like a genius.
What really distresses me is that exit polls revealed that a significant number of people who voted for Trump admitted that they believed Hillary was
more qualified to be president, but thought that sending a loose cannon like Trump to Washington might just shake things up, hopefully for the good.
Be careful what you wish for. All the reports out there so far are that, instead of surrounding himself with experts, Trump seems intent on surrounding himself with echo
chamber buddies like Steve Bannon, Sean Hannity, and Newt Gingrich.
Any bets as to how many wars we're going to get into this time? Sigh...
ChemistKen
(NaNoWriMo Day 9): 8th Key Scene: Tests & Trials
Getting Middle Grade Voice Right
3 Ways to Improve Your Storytelling
Can Social Media Really Sell Your Books?
Mastering Stylistic Tension
Nanowrimo: Act I questions and prompts
STRONGER TOGETHER, BUT SO FAR APART
Not a writing link, but I thought this post by Chuck Wendig seemed appropriate.
Website of Ken Rahmoeller -- fantasy author, chemist, and lover of all things Hogwarts (Photo Courtesy of Scarluuk)
The House and the Senate are also both Republican, so things will happen. We can only pray now that it will be for the best.
ReplyDeleteThat's what worries me most. Before, we had a check on Congress. Now it's open season.
DeleteAfter last night, I closed FB on my computer and vowed only to open it to check my writing groups and my author page. Very tired of Trump apologists, especially the ones I'm related to. :(
ReplyDeleteOMG! My Facebook timeline has been choked by this one author who must spend every minute of the day watching FoxNews. She's ranting and raving so much, you can practically see the spittle on the screen. I suspect she's scared to death that what everyone's saying about Trump is going to turn out to be true.
DeleteI'm worried about the effect of having an EPA Cabinet member who doesn't believe in climate change... That's just one example, but as you say, Trump is intent on surrounding himself with people who agree with him rather than people who know what they're doing. He wants people to stroke his ego and make him feel good (and, he thinks, look good, but there's nothing and no one that can do that). I understand the desire for change, but the *kind* of change matters, and this is the wrong direction. People overseas already thought of us as loud, foul, and obnoxious and we've just sealed that reputation. So many people say it doesn't matter what other countries think, but it does; that's how the world works. On top of all that is the fear that Trump's election will bring out the haters because they now feel emboldened--like they have a mandate--to act on that hate. It's such a clusterf*** all around.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see how Trump responds to all this. He's already backing away from his initial policy of shutting down Obamacare on his first day in office, and the border wall seems to be evaporating away. We just have to keep the pressure on him.
DeleteAnd while the EPS thing is disturbing, it really won't matter much in the long run. Everyone knows climate change is real now (even the previous Bush administration finally acknowledged it), so the horse is out of the barn. The deniers might be able to slow things down a bit, but even they know they can't stop it.
Great links.
ReplyDeleteAll things happening within the US since the election is as worrisome as the possibility of wars in the future. It is kind of scary that American can behave in a manner that is harmful to other Americans and act out such hate. The behavior is as distressing as the rest of it and where will that take us as a people?
We are already a great nation, despite turmoil. I want us to stay that way, not destroy ourselves from within. We are not perfect but we are amazing and full of opportunity and possibility even today. Divide and conquer is a bad path to start traveling... and a bad path for the hope of future generations.
My hope is that after four years of Trump, the rest of the country will come together like never before.
DeleteSorry, but I must be literally the only author who is super happy about Trump getting elected! I was terrified of Hillary getting elected because she is a gangster. I've done my research on her and it is bone-chilling. I know more than I want to know. War is in Hillary's blood. Trump is sunshine compared to her. I figure I would be the lone dissenting voice on your blog because checks and balances, right? Can't have all these runaway authors making it look like every author supports Wall Street cronyism.
ReplyDeleteWell, Hillary certainly had her problems, but Donald is just plain scary. We'll just have to see what he ends up doing. Fortunately, he's already begun backing off on some of the things he said he'd do.
DeleteBut I do have to call you on that "War is in Hillary's blood" nonsense. Up until a month or so ago, the right wing attacks on her have always been that she's too soft on foreign powers, that she was too unwilling to be aggressive. It was only after Donald was scaring everyone with his rhetoric that they changed their tune and tried to paint her as too aggressive.
Politics is definitely alive and well in America.
Hi Cathy--no, you're not the only one. I just refuse to discuss politics because it always p*** off half of my readers. Not worth it. Who's mind will I change in a two-sentence argument??? I'm going over to check out your blog!
DeleteAs a Canadian, watching from the outside, it's unfathomable that Trump was elected.
ReplyDeleteChuck Wendig is always brilliant!
I remember how much the rest of the world laughed at us when Bush was elected. This time I think it's shock.
DeleteGood article on social media. That's exactly what I always wonder.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jacqui. I'm still not sure if social media sells books or not.
DeleteAre you ready for honesty? Every time Hilary opened her mouth I almost couldn't watch. She's made so many behind the scenes deals and is so dirty, I don't know what her true motives are--other than that she wanted to be president the first time she was in the white house. When I listen to her, that's all I see--the power hunger. Maybe she has good motives too, but her track record... I don't like Trump either, but I am hopeful that a business man will at least rescue our economy from the continued plummet that we won't survive. Socialism never worked as an economic policy (hello Russia!), and we've moved so far into those realms that I worry we may be beyond repair. We'll see. Here's the thing, I miss living in a nation where we could be proud of our strength--not apologizing to everyone else and acquiescing to their ridiculous demands. It's like how the Great Britain pulled out of the European alliance. Their natives could see they had a stronger economy independently. If they can stand on their own feet, why should their finances be weakened by countries like Greece? I'm all for compassion, but there comes a point where it's not charity, but enabling. The point is, every nation should be able to support their own population. Our median income in America is the same that it was in 1999. You read that right. Why isn't income following inflation? Soon we won't be able to support ourselves--not if we continue on this path. We'll all have to rely on the government, other than the few rich who decide to stick it out, despite being taxed 50 to 70% of their income. We need businesses returning to America, not leaving because politicians (who have no clue about business) think they can continue robbing the successful in order to keep impoverished people entitled and voting for them. While living in NYC I saw first hand the culture of government-supported living. Generations of it. They had no clue how to even think about breaking the cycle. That's not what I want for our entire country, but that's the direction we're headed if we don't get back to what makes our country incredible: the freedom of capitalism. Less regulation. More motivation to thrive in this amazing place.
ReplyDeleteSo yes, I'm hopeful Trump will go that direction. I'm convinced he will because of his own business ties, but I could be wrong. If I'm wrong, I suppose I lost the gamble--but it was better than laying down and saying, "Walk all over me. Take my money. Take my freedoms. Who cares that you'll use them amiss and pocket millions along the way." I don't trust her.
I don't trust him either, but I'll give him a chance. I think the weight of an entire nation is an awesome thing, one he's already feeling and humbled by. I think he will sincerely try to do what is best for the whole nation. Again, I could be wrong. We'll wait and see.
Well, everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I wasn’t planning to turn this post into a debate, but since you wanted to speak your mind, I thought I’d add a couple of thoughts myself.
DeleteI almost couldn’t watch when Trump opened his mouth either. Especially since he had trouble talking for more than a few minutes without getting nailed for lying about things he’d said before. Sometimes only days before. Even when he knew his prior statements had been recorded and could be instantly verified, he still lied right to our faces. I suspect his motives for lying had something to do with wanting to become president too, although I suppose it could be some sort of medical condition. The one thing I could never understand was why people let his lies slide when Hillary was pilloried for it.
However, I will call BS on the plummeting economy statement. It’s true that the median income (adjusted for inflation) is lower than it was in 1999, however, if you look up the yearly numbers, you’ll find the following. During 1992 to 2000, when Clinton was the president, the growth in median wage increased by an amazing 14%. Then Bush took over and the numbers began to drop. And then the Great Recession hit and the median wages nose-dived. Once Obama had brought the recession under control, however, the median wages began increasing again, and by of the end of 2015 (the latest data available), the median wage is now back to where it was in 2003. And if those same trends continue over 2016 (which many experts believe they have) we’ll probably be pretty close to where we were in 1999 by the time Obama steps down. In other words, remove the disastrous Bush years from the equation and you’ll find the median wage has been rising quite nicely, thank you very much. So Trump’s job won’t be so much about rescuing our economy as it will be to try and match what Clinton and Obama did during their terms. If Trump can manage that, then I’ll be happy.
BTW, since the recession ended, 14 million jobs have been added during Obama’s watch. Second behind Clinton’s 21 million, but more than the 9.6 million jobs added during Reagan’s terms (although the lower population levels during those years skew the comparison somewhat). Considering how badly Trump’s recent business endeavors have gone, I’d say the odds of Trump matching those numbers are pretty low. But that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.
To be honest, I’ve never been a Hillary fan. Couldn’t stand Bill Clinton when he was president. The main reason I wanted her to win was to have a check over an increasingly extremist Republican Congress. The last time the Republicans had control of both Congress and the White House, we got into a stupid war and the economy tanked. I’d just as soon not have that kind of crap happen again. It’s possible Trump can rise above all his faults and be successful, but that’s a pretty risky gamble to bet the future of this country on.
It's nice to see I'm not the only one who supported Trump. I certainly don't want to lose any friends over my vote or my opinion, but yes I voted for Trump. I'm a very liberal republican and have voted democrat more times than not, but I couldn't vote for her. The corruption surrounding her was too much for me. I voted for Bill Clinton and I remember all the scandals, but he was a charismatic man and she just screams. I didn't want four years beginning with scandal. The main reasons I voted for Trump, however had more to do with the economy, hoping the price of crude oil will go up as that's my family's business. The Dow has already surged to an all time high since the election. I believe in same sex marriage and I don't believe any of the potential replacements for Scalia will have any major impact on that. Far too many republicans support same sex marriage. I do believe in a woman's right to choose, but oppose late term abortions. I voted for Trump because my affordable health care is breaking me. I'm ready for a change. I hope he comes through. I didn't like that Hillary needs two different personas - yes the wiki leaks exposed much of the corruption we wouldn't have been privy to years ago. I do want a woman to become president, she just wasn't that woman for me. I had a real problem with her accepting answers to at least four debate questions from Donna Brazile. That really bothered me. I just hope the economy rises and that our country can heal and unite.
ReplyDeleteWe will have to see what he does. I'm praying for the best. Yes, I took a chance with my vote, but I feel like I knew what I was getting with Hillary, and I didn't like it.
I don't want to offend anyone. I've been engrossed in politics most of my adult life. This was a horrible election and we need to recover from it and heal. At Least with a majority in the house and senate, we should finally be able to get some things done- beginning with taking care of our vets and keeping Americans safe from ISIS and other terroriist groups. I know the election was hard on everyone. Please let's unite our country because divided we are more vulnerable to our enemies.
I'm an independent myself, although I've always leaned toward the conservative side. In fact, I've voted for a Republican in every presidential election up until Bush junior. Like a lot of people, I didn't think he had the qualifications to be commander-in-chief. Guess I called that one pretty well. Even so, I voted for a third party candidate rather than vote for a Democrat. Just couldn't bring myself to do it.
DeleteBut by the time the Bush Administration had ended, I was so disgusted by how much the Republican party had changed deteriorated, and like most of the country, I voted for Obama.
I was really hoping that Trump would cause the GOP to split apart so that the Republican party could rebuild itself and get rid of all the extremists that give it such a bad rep.
It would be great if the country were united again, but ever since Bush took office, Republicans in Congress have taken the stance that working with with Democrats is a blasphemy, so I expect the only way Democrats will have any voice is to stand against them.
Thanks for stopping by, Melissa.
I went to bed early on election night because I thought Hilary would win. Imagine my surprise in the morning! I'm glad I kept my Canadian citizenship and got one for my son, just in case. We'll see what happens over this month and the next with the lawsuits against Trump. Though I suspect he might get impeached within the first year, but that leaves the US with Pence, and I live in the state he bullied. He's not one I'd want as POTUS either.
ReplyDeleteI went to bed relatively early too, although I wasn't convinced Hillary would win. When the head of the FBI felt the need to influence the election the week before, I figured something was up. Let's hope his recent reneging on campaign promises continues.
DeleteBeing an Aussie, I can only watch from afar. It will be interesting and slightly nerve-wracking watching the future unfold.
ReplyDeleteBased on some of the early things Trump has said and done, I think even his supporters are feeling the same way.
DeleteBeing Canadian I'll keep my opinions to myself and just be grateful for friendship. Thanks for the links. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
I think the whole world is holding its breath. Obama is over here in Germany today. Let's see what news he brings with. Have a lovely week, Ken.
ReplyDeleteIt amuses me all the terrible things some people believe about Clinton when despite being probed by the Republicans and the FBI more times than an alien abductee, there is zero evidence she did anything criminal EVER. Accusations aren't proof of wrongdoing. And if the worst they can find is 5 emails from hundreds of thousands that shouldn't have been forwarded, then I want those who've never made a mistake to stand up and take a bow. Anyhow, I was a New Yorker. We know Trump and cannot wait till his supporters learn the hard way. Meanwhile, I'm safe in Egypt and don't have to deal with the crap that's going to rain down on the US.
ReplyDelete