A Slightly Humorous Take Upon A Less Than Funny Election
Well, maybe not so funny but this election truly a reflection of America today, what it is and what it isn't. But before I get into post-election analysis and commentary, I will grace your eyes with some hopefully applicable quotes to what we, the American voting public, just witnessed. Laugh or cry as you may but what we appear to be seeing is democracy seen through a myopic lens, an hazy interpretation of what American Culture is and isn't. An ophthalmologist might term the 2024 election as the "Year of the Cataract Inflicted Voter," whose distorted vision requires immediate surgery. And of course a seeing eye dog.
Chinese Proverb:
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." Xunzi (340-245 BCE)
This quote is taken from "Patterns of World History," Oxford University Press, 2012, Peter von Sivers, Charles A. Desnoyers & George B. Stow. If you search for it on the internet, you'll understand better why this applies to this election and to voting in general.
H. L. Mencken, July 26th, 1920 (the complete and non-abbreviated quote):
"The larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small electorates, a first rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying even the mob by force of his personality. But when the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre---the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum.
The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the day will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
The sad part about this is that it remains true over 100 years later. I give you this question. Has expansion of the vote improved overall representation? The year after the majority of American woman (1919) got the right to vote, Warren G. Harding was elected in 1920. Anyone remember the"Tea Pot Dome" scandal? Harding, dying in office in 1923, gave us Calvin Coolidge. It is hard to find but the Sinclair Lewis novel from 1928, "The Man Who Knew Coolidge" is worth reading. Very funny. I liken it to one long prose poem.
The next quote, two paragraphs, are taken from an article entitled "The Nazis were Human-just like Us" by Sir Richard J. Evans, which was published in the November 2024 issue of BBC History Magazine. In August of this year, Evans published "Hitler's People: The Faces of the Third Reich." The quote can be found on page 66 of the magazine, the article under the greater subject line, THINK PIECE/The Third Reich. This examination is also part of a greater series on BBC Two. Find it at bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00084td
"In addition to all this, an important new reason has emerged for turning our attention to Hitler and to those who carried out his orders. For the past few years, democracy has faced a growing threat in many parts of the globe. Would-be dictators and strongmen have emerged, undermining and attacking democratic institutions in one country after another, replacing the rule of law by the arbitrariness of their own whims, muzzling the media and curbing freedom of thought. They have millions of followers who swallow their propaganda lies and seem to care little about truth, probity or general human decency.
While history never repeats itself, it does, as Mark Twain is reputed to have said, sometimes rhyme. By trying to understand Hitler and the men and women who joined him in creating the Nazi dictatorship, we may perhaps help ourselves to better understand the enemies of democracy and the leaders and followers of authoritarian or populist movements and regimes in our own time."
I provide you this due to my obvious feeling that there are parallels between now, the year 2024 and 1933/34 and what happened in Germany. As Evans says, I see the "rhyme" in recent events and statements made both by Trump and the GOP and their followers. How can anyone forget what happened on January 6th, 2021?
Now I want to share two foreign language words that could apply to Mister Trump and what he does and is doing. Words in any language can provide explanation. Understanding and knowledge is essential for comprehending the world, both human and nature, around us. Real information minus silliness is vital. Factuality I suggest should be everyone's first religion.
These two words, one from the Dutch and one from the German, are from the Dictionary Scoop website dated November 26th, 2024. No, I don't speak either language, having enough trouble with English. I have long enjoyed reading dictionaries and exploring new vocabulary. Back during my ill-fated 10th grade of formal education, working on the school newspaper I wrote a column I called "The Spotted Zarf." I am not telling you the definition. Grab that dictionary!
Epibreren: A Dutch word that means to act convincingly as if you are doing something important while actually doing nothing useful at all. For more info concerning this word, go to DirectDutch.com. Have fun!
Verschlimmbessern: A German word that literally means "to make something worse while trying to improve it." Or, "making something worse while intending to make it better." For more info, go to https://germanyinusa.com
Call me a cynic or just plainly, an asshole but these are apt descriptions of the incoming 47th President. But I mostly disagree that Trump has any intention of making anything better for anyone except perhaps himself. His entire narcissist personal history screams that out loud and clear. Maybe many American voters need to have their hearing checked. Or perhaps to them, common English usage is unintelligible. "What is Trump really saying?" "Oh, that he loves me!?" "Of course that must be true!" And if you believe that, you belong in a zoo!
First, Before more Diatribe, WA ST Results:
At least with Seattle and King County and Statewide races, the Democrats won, and most won decisively. The two Republicans I voted for, Sharon Hanek for WA ST Treasurer, and Lori Theis, District 32, WA State House, both lost badly even though they would have done a good job. But when people blindly vote a ticket minus knowing anything about the candidate other than their party affiliation, you get what happened in Seattle and elsewhere in the country. I do admit that some of the local GOP candidates were unelectable but is it fair to paint everyone with the same brush without first doing some investigation? No it isn't but welcome to the mindlessness governing most voter's decision making. Three-quarters of all Americans are either overweight or obese. Plump voters equal fat-headed decision making? Perhaps. And what a hypothesis that is, poor diets translating into knucklehead voting. I'm am sure it is something based on solid science and endorsed by that Trump favorite, Dr. Oz. Let's all us eat a Twinkle in celebration!
And continuing with WA ST results, only one of the millionaire's initiatives passed, that being the "take your hands off my natural gas stove" one. While half-baked, natural gas does a great cheese omelet.
Parallel Minds: Cab Passengers and the American Voter
I will fully admit it. Given the obvious information concerning Donald Trump, I felt he was unelectable but I should have known better, given my long experience in the cab dealing with the typical passenger. There is no better place to understand America than behind the wheel of a cab. Everybody, and I mean every type of person imaginable enters the cab. Transportation is a necessity whether one is crazy or sane--- they have to get to where ever they need to be. And therein lies the typical American conundrum: everyone thinks they know more than you do upon every subject under God's heaven.
The customer gets in the cab and of course they know the best route when clearly they don't. One thing that is true about the illiterate passenger is that they don't understand or respect literacy, and in my case, knowing every damn street in Seattle and how to swiftly get from A to B, not comprehending I speak a different language, taxi, an obscure local dialect.
The parallel to the typical voter is similar. Thinking they know all about our American governmental rules and traditions and history, they make cockeyed decisions based upon self-manufactured fantasy, economic realities and fundamental laws be damned, insisting they know the best way to democracy even though their way is a crooked highway to autocracy.
Thus, this kind of illiteracy is dangerous, leading to a dead-end like Donald Trump, DeStantis and many others more than willing to upend the 248 years-long arc of relative progressive democracy. At times it has been a very bumpy ride but still we as a nation have arrived every four years to a rational agreement that what was started in 1776 was a good idea and should continue.
Getting back to taxicabs, countless times have I told the disruptive passenger, " No sir, No madam" "Sorry to say but I know the way better than you. Just sit back and I will get you there quicker than you can imagine." But when someone thinks they are smarter than you, that you are fooling them, that you can't be trusted, you get a bad ride and a bad election. Clearly Kamala Harris knew the best route taking America forward but instead voters chose the candidate taking America backward. Try to tell them we are taking a wrong turn and they start shouting. You should hear them in the cab, acting like I was about to murder them by taking the correct route, not for a moment respecting me.
And that folks, in a taxi nutshell, is what happened to Harris. H.L. Mencken's mob won the day, taking all of us down a doomed highway. What our final destination will be I am afraid to think but on this slippery roadway I fear we are all headed for the nearest ditch, and once there, spinning our wheels, stuck in Trump's muck until 2028, the voters then calling for the nearest Democrat tow operator to get us the hell out of here.
