After the misery of the first day and the badly attended inauguration our lives in Trumptopia cheered up somewhat. Saturday’s Women’s March was far bigger than the inauguration, bigger by several million people… causing Trump’s press secretary to spring out of his lair, into a press conference frantically denying the facts of the inauguration and present other facts, alternative facts hastily conjured up to satisfy his gilded boss. There were NOT 250,000 people at the event, he squealed… there were 2 million people.
Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?
Groucho Marx, Duck Soup 1933
The weather was glorious in Tivoli today. Full on climate change. 55 degrees. Mid January. The lilac is already budding. The poor plants are so confused. If this warm weather continues we won’t have stone fruit in the region again this year. My friend, farmer Mr. Migerelli lost $850,000 worth of peaches last year. The trees blossomed in January then a deep frost burned the blossoms on February 14th. He called it the St Valentine’s Day massacre.
Because of the wonderful weather everyone seemed extra jolly. The village is full of returning Bard students. The coffee shop has reopened after the winter break. I spent too much time in bed perusing social media and not enough time walking the dog. Director Amy Berg posted a virulent anti Trump post on twitter and I thought… you know it’s not good enough to sit on your butt in some swanky Venice coffee shop stating the obvious. Take some action, Amy. Earlier in the day I advised my weekender friends how they might do a little more than post caustic Facebook notes and start thinking about strategy. For a start, they could transfer their safe city vote upstate.
My friend Natalie who owns the Tivoli General store was crying the day of the inauguration but after yesterdays Women’s March she seemed a lot happier. I think the march affected everyone. Sending a really positive message after the horror of President Trump sank in.
In LA 750,000 people turned out and there were no arrests.
I started wondering, if life gets too bad in the USA, maybe society breaks down, where would I like to live? All over the world ordinary healthy people are falling for a debilitating bout of nationalism. This terrible and often fatal disease is currently sweeping one continent after another. Even though the disease of nationalism can be arrested with common sense… some victims never recover. Symptoms include: intolerance, flag waving and micro-aggression. Australia, France and the UK (where this stinking thinking originated) have all been badly affected. Also known as Zombie Fascism; this progressive disease leads to dogma, intransigence and intolerance. It is extremely contagious. I’m trying my hardest to avoid it by ignoring news channels, web sites and twitter. I’m praying I won’t be touched, moved or fascinated by the ease with which fascism falsely promises to solve all my problems. I’m hoping fascism won’t get me, or those I love. My family in England… they are already afflicted. How quickly I’ve seen my people fall, developing very ugly symptoms then… boom: full-blown fascism.
Theresa May, caught Zombie Fascism a very long time ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if Americans don’t recognize her name. Theresa May is the UK’s St Trinian’s style gym mistress (Prime Minister) who scored a ‘diplomatic coup’ as the first world leader to meet President Trump. She is so very proud of herself.
Words fail me. They may fail her when she meets Donald and realizes he’s full of shit and any ‘deal’ she hopes to make with him will heavily favor the USA. Like many other leaders across the world she should have waited and kept her dignity. Let’s remember, she’s only the prime minister because nobody else wanted the job of leaving the EU. At that very crucial moment after the Brexit vote… the men were nowhere to be found.
Seriously, part of me cruelly believes Americans deserve President Trump. All their bleating and moaning must sound like sweet music to the ears of those who have been fucked over this past 200 years by the USA. South Americans, Iranians, Iraqis, Cubans, across the world Americans have interfered in the lives and democratic process of millions of people.
Trump is uniquely American. He is their goddamned president whether they like it or not. Most… don’t like it. Yet, for decades Americans have been crippled by inertia and complacency. They don’t vote, they feel powerless or encouraged to feel their vote is worthless. The Trump clown car did not arrive by accident. However distasteful he may be, he is here for good reason. To energize, radicalize and motivate the people back into the democratic process. Evidence of which we saw yesterday.
Governments loathe the people marching on the streets, they hate the sound of breaking windows. Governments are afraid of the people. When the people rise up government is forced to admit its vulnerability, frailty and uselessness.
Today we must all fight, where ever we live, with the impulse to accept things as they are now. There is a new order… but it has nothing to do with Trump. It is about you and me finally standing up and not taking it anymore.
This is a crucial moment for all the people of the world. One we would be foolish to ignore.