Explaining Myself.
Trump Never Trumped Common Sense To Me
11/24/2024
Okay here is my analysis of the Trump win in the 2024 election.
1. Some of the Stuff You've Already Heard
I think the Democrats' inability to relate to the regular "working man", which includes effectively communicating Biden's economic successes; a longstanding track record for advocating for the normalizing of a role in society for people who literally sneak into the country to live here (in my view, if you do that and thrive that's a lucky break for you but you should always feel the pressure of being found out and deported -- not feel free to show up at the DMV looking for a driver's license - WTH?); and not re-shuffling the conversation about transgender and diversity to make sure that, while fighting the injustice of discrimination against alternative gender spectrum people, made sure that such battles were not above the issue of a 40 hour work week no longer solving a problem for anyone financially. On that latter point, I don't even think they were headlining any of that as an issue, but certainly they let the Trump campaign believe otherwise. So, yeah, pretty much any YouTube critique of what the dems did wrong, applies.
2. As Above, But With Stronger Emphasis On...
But then there is all of that political persecution that was so obviously designed to shoot Trump out of the picture permanently. They came to call it "Lawfare" and unfortunately it's apt. It's incredible how so many professionals in the justice system and in the media were unable to grasp how transparent it looked to dig up trivial matters of guilt and go non-stop in the media about what a "criminal" Trump was. Yes, they created a martyr and to some degree even terror. Is that what the justice system is for? -- controlling political candidates and election outcomes? Any idiot comes to learn, sooner or later, that wagon-fixing is common between conflicting parties, but holy cow, in the case of Trump Lavrentiy Beria would have been proud in the validation of his philosophy. People who by and large aren't idiots as a whole felt compelled to bite back. I am sure more than one independent looked at the endless legal bombing and said F that.
I am proud of this point because I saw it early on and tried to warn anyone with whom I so entered a political conversation. Prosecuting Trump for doing something that is likely routine among chummy loaners and their customers, making a huge show out of collecting boxes of mismanaged files, and not dropping the theory of a direct tie between Trump's intentions and will and those who vandalized and breached the White House on January 6, were all incredibly stupid.
3. The Strong Man Factor (Nobody is Talking About)
And, I believe, apparently uniquely, that Trump also won due to the simple effect of a "strong man" attraction. Joe Rogan couldn't shake the stars out of his eyes after Trump sat down with him and felt proud to be key to a master that so endowed him with the attention. Not blaming Mr. Rogan because let's face it, most of us common folk, wouldn't be able to resist either. Rather, I'm pointing out the effect of a confident jerk that kept things narratively simple and digestible. Just because we don't have kings doesn't mean that the facade of one isn't all compelling. Civilizations have settled on royalty because there's something to it, and Trump kind of illustrates that. All manner and method of mental contortion were employed among many to mysteriously align their principles with the charismatic loudest voice in the room. If the contortion was too great to process, enough people just flew up their hands and concluded, for the light of Trump, they just wanted change.
The reality though is that they were just sucked and stuck into a charismatic vortex.
Let Me Explain My Position
I guess it's fair to explain my own opinion on Trump's win.
I didn't vote him I voted for Harris. Not that I was impressed with the Harris platform - such that it was - but because, as in 2020, I considered the Democratic candidate, in absence of a strong third party candidate, the best defense against someone wholly mentally and emotionally unqualified for the job, not wanting someone half-cocked with their finger on the nuclear button.
Consider, I even enjoy and appreciate some of the pro-Trump talking points to boot.
For example, he and his minions all hate the media, which in my own head, is part of a movement I've been massaging for at least a decade now (#deauthorizethemedia, right?)
And also, I can relate to retaliatory "political smearing" and staging, having once taken a contrary position on a high profile matter, and worse, naively amplifying it, against the university who was also my employer at the time. That and politicians in the community at large who I was besmudging as a muckraking blogger at the time. Everyone had it out for me!
Point being though, I get that you never want to believe that actual grown adults in actual respectable positions of influence, would actually engage in dirty tactics, or be suspicious that they might, but it happens.
So Trump even has my sympathy on that.
Nor does the fact that I don't agree with the Democrats on some of their banner positions (I guess you can tell from above that I pretty much agree that illegal border crossing should be treated and coveted as something that is, well, illegal) sway me on the deeper doubt of Trump's qualification as a trustworthy national leader. Trump is a showman, a Biff-level capitalist who doesn't understand the entire point of human governance, and who has no business in any role coming even close, let alone that of the Presidency.
At best, I can resolve that at least we are definetely going to experience a change that may or may not lead to a better world, whether as a result of Trump's direct actions, or, the actions of decay, war, and tribulation that result from Trump.
Look at it this way, the world after Hitler was pretty good so long as it wasn't Hitler's.
So, there you have it. I don't want to end this on some high political or ideological lesson or preach of any sort -- this is me, as always, just explaining myself.
By Dave for Personal Blog.
deauthorizethemedia explanation politics
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Let Me Explain
07/08/2024
In June of 2024 I reengineered my entire WWW presence to reflect the reality that all my online expressions were taking place first and foremost on commercial social media platforms. To make online interaction worthwhile I conceded that I needed an active audience in order to fuel the spirit, and that the blog platform -- even one based on a CMS engine that I myself had developed -- wasn't providing me enough of the lulz.
The "blog it first" syndication model as it is sometimes known as became futile, inefficient, and redundant; whereas commercial social media platforms afforded everything I need to emote fast. Try as I might to resist reacting on Threads, Facebook, Reddit, and so on, before blogging, I could not. And when I failed to do so the energy of a reaction that I swore I would carry over to a longer more meaningful blog post later, evaporated before I could.
As a result my blog languished. And that felt somehow corrosive to my writing and production spirit. Not to mention that it fanned a betrayal of my passionate advocacy that people live more on the open web.
I still understand the criticality of one's own WWW place. But given the reality of my behavioral preferences, which is not unlike the untold millions of others, I see that my advocacy for an independent digital presence needs to process a different formulation.
And so, here we are. Everything I do online wherever I'm doing it is first, and this "blog", if we can still call it one (we can't, more on that in a moment), is now something like a second.
My WWW space is now a repository platform. Somewhere to place and reference things I have produced with focus and with exceptional significance that needs to live somewhere I control. Under this model I don't expect repeat visitors or a perpetual audience. I expect it more to be a showcase that I can link back to from social media as needed.
I think this is a better balance for me and a better use of the independent streak. Not just here at my personal blog repository but my other sites as well. I will export this philosophy making it part and parcel of my other blogs like BuffScan.
Blogging will still happen but only under exceptional circumstances. No more trying to beat a story or point out of a thin conviction. I don't know how frequently under this model my personal writing will ever appear here, but know now that when it does, it is over something borne of conviction and feeling.
Why, take this very entry as an example.
By Dave for Personal Blog.
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