The Country is Pissed Off, Pre and Post

Unhappy and worried Americans take to the streets exercising the rights of free speech  and t peaceful assembly. Others try to create violence within such a setting. Some Americans, consumed by hate, now feel free to harass, insult, torment, and even assault other Americans because of the shade of their skin.

All of this blatant hatred in a constitutional democracy as the result of a presidential election, in spite of President Obama's effort to make the transfer of power peaceful and smooth. The bottom line is Americans are pissed off. (Forgive the vulgarity, but after the language we were subjected to during the political campaign, my usage seems mild.)

The Clinton supporters are angry because their candidate, in spite of winning the three debates, leading in the polls, and winning the popular vote, lost the election.  They are outraged that the FBI inserted itself into the final stage of the campaign and  believe that the media was manipulated. They are also convinced that Vladimir Putin and the Russians took an unholy interest in the election, and disgusted that the winning candidate made statements threatening to many.

Prior to victory, the Trump supporters were angry with the status quo:  government, politicians, bureaucracy, social programs, lack of jobs, international trade deals, factory closings, Wall Street, and innumerable real and perceived injustices.  In many cases, this anger was fueled by fear, fear of  the other: immigrants, people of color, and especially Muslims.

After the surprising results of the election, the pundits on both sides tried to explain the results. The Republicans were quick to say: "The people who voted for Trump, although they may not have liked his character,  were voting for the conservative agenda." The Democrats were scratching their heads and asking themselves why Americans would vote for a sexist and racist.

There has been much analysis as to what the election means. Did Hillary lose it? Did Trump win it? Why didn't the Democrats go to the polls as they did in 2012? Since it was so close, did the 3rd party candidates flip it?

But the most important question is: if a sexist and racist candidate receives a majority of the electoral vote, does that mean those voters are also openly or secretly sexists and racists? I would hate to think that is the case. Granted some voters fit into that category (you know who you are)abolish, I hope that many who voted for him did so in spite of his sexism and racism,

And in the final analysis, it's not that difficult. The country is pissed off. The Trump voters saw Hillary as the same old boring vanilla and wanted a new more exotic flavor. The untried outsider has more appeal than the perceived insider.

So, Mr. Trump's problem is that after he and the Republicans build walls, expel Latinos, force Muslims to register (as of the present, they will not have to wear a crescent moon and star on their coats), abolish Medicare, build more pipelines, cancel citizens' health insurance, privatize National Parks, reduce taxes on the wealthy, cancel trade deals, renege on the Paris Accord, initiate a trade war with Chins, sabotage the Iranian Nuclear Agreement, and possibly withdraw from NATO. the country will still be pissed off - now, for other reasons.

Change simply for the sake of change does not work.