I’ve been stewing in my thoughts for the last several days, and I feel the need to purge my brain. I hope that by typing them out, I can rid myself of some lingering concerns. I intend to do this only once, as I have no desire to make this a habit.
To begin with, I no longer wonder how empires fall. While I’m not asserting that America will collapse, I now understand how empires ultimately disappear. I’m currently reading “Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition” by the Conquistador Cabeza de Vaca, and a sentence in the intro stood out to me: “to this day, apologists refuse to acknowledge the destructive impulses nurtured by the Conquistadors and instead justify their efforts by any means possible.”
The Republicans played the long game, and they won. It will not be hard to look back on this and see how they did it. Democracy was a chess game to them, and they were the only ones who knew they were playing. The irony is that Republicans beat themselves at their own game. Not only did Republicans win, but they beat their own party. There is no Republican party anymore. Even the GOP is gone. What exists now is the MAGA party. I’m not entirely convinced the Democratic party can survive this, for I think they are done, too.
I always say the answer to everything is money, and I believe that still holds true in this case. What has happened exists in the realm beyond end-stage capitalism. We are entering uncharted waters, and money is steering the ship (with power functioning as a co-captain).
MAGA won because Americans lost. They lost their financial stability. They lost their sense of security. They lost their ability to do better than their parents did. The American experiment is over. It is going to be the MAGA experiment from here on out.
I didn’t vote for this. I would never vote for this. Yet, I will have to live under this regime. I do not believe for a moment that the government will look out for my interests. Domestically, I care about human rights, environmental protections, affordable housing, affordable healthcare, and financial security (among other things). I extend these same concerns internationally, with the additional desire to end all wars. The world has become an ugly place. There is a pervasive feeling that hate has won. Hate will continue to win. When I envision the future, I see a relentless tide of hate crashing against humanity, like waves lapping at a beach. There will be nowhere to escape when that tide reaches everyone’s shore, for the same water surrounds the entire world.
Many people are saying, “It’s going to be hard over the next 4 years,” as if Trump will be limited to just one term. While some argue that legal measures can restrict him, the reality is that there are no restraints. The Supreme Court has granted him extensive executive power, and the DOJ has given him authority over prosecutions. This enables him to act without regard for constitutional norms, leaving anyone who opposes him vulnerable to prosecution, including Congress members and judges. His supporters celebrate his disregard for restraints, and fear of protest keeps many from standing up against him. Traditional Republicans seek to align with him rather than oppose him. People must recognize that this the new reality.
I reserve little hope for the future. This is the world they wanted, the one they fought so hard to obtain. They finally get to touch that hot stove we warned would burn their hands.
This country is the United States in name only. How is there any unity when some states impose restrictive rights on others? “States’ rights” is merely a legal term for stripping away the rights of others.
I question why I’m taking the time to write any of this. It feels like no one cares. What will I do in the next four years? Certainly not protest. Voting was the only tool Americans had to try to avert a dystopian future. My fellow Americans seem to have decided that this weapon was not worth using — or perhaps they chose to use it against us; I’m not entirely sure. I don’t even have the energy to care. I feel numb, and I don’t know how long this numbness will last.
I’m going to continue writing, not about politics, but about travel. Not about travel that I’m going to do, but travel that I have already done. Honestly, I doubt I will travel anywhere for a long time. Travel has become too expensive, and if the next administration decides to abolish the FAA, I wouldn’t even feel safe getting on a plane. I renewed my passport last month — not because I plan to travel, but in case of an emergency. This seems to be the future we are heading toward.
I’ve already written two books, and I’m in the middle of finishing a third. I am writing them as relics documenting the era we’re living in. My third and final installment is destined to be a doozy.
My available books include Memory Road Trip (e-book or paperback) and Time Traveled (e-book or paperback).
Krista Marson 