I'm going to have to bow out of the politics board
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I have Trump derangement syndrome.
I can't let go of the anger that he provokes in me.
I am emotionally crippled by the years of abuse, of lies, of failure to exhibit any human decency, of the grudges, of the betrayals of our allies, of the deliberate destruction of any concept of universal truth, of the obsession with shithole countries, of his downplaying of COVID, of his epic narcissism that leaves no room for him to acknowledge defeat.
As soon as I see anyone say anything positive about him, I feel enraged.
It's not healthy, but it's true.
I'm sorry @Chariotoflove. I'm sorry that I can't be adult about this one topic, but I can't be, and I'm not sure I want to be.
I think sometimes acceptance is unacceptable. I'll compromise on many things in life, but I cannot acquiesce to anything that leaves room for misunderstanding of how much pain he's wrought, of how much unnecessary death he leaves behind, how many families he's torn apart, directly (through immigration policies) or indirectly (by encouraging people to believe in this alternate reality he's created).
FFS, his ardent supporters wear Nazi shirts like 6MWE. Six million wasn't enough. They prepare sweaters in advance with "MAGA Civil War, June 6 2021" in expectation of his call to arms.
And he loves them.
He forced me off Twitter in 2016. He's forcing me off the Oppo politics board in 2021, but if I don't leave this board now, I'm going to force myself to leave the Hyphen entirely by failing to live up to the Oppo code of being excellent to one another.
On walkabout. Back soonish.
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FWIW, Trump finally conceded. Maybe you'll feel better when Biden is inaugurated?
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@dogisbadob I think it'll take solid judicial punishment before I take any solace.
There has to be consequences.
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Don't go.
HE irks me too, but mocking his ghastly family and pointing out his endless failures, and how the world will remember him as the worst president in US history, makes up for it.
Icing on the cake will be impeachment, he needs to be barred from holding office again.
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@just-jeepin First, I want to say take whatever time you need to sort things out. We'll be here keeping the lights on and rhetoric down. I understand your pain and hope you can learn to deal with it without feeling something is wrong. It's okay to feel the way you do and we here fully accept any decision you make. You are one of the greatest parts of this forum not just politics. We have been fortunate to read about your thoughts and insights so no one here feels any resentment towards you.
We know of others who caused so much anger and resentment that are not welcomed to this site and you are one the reasons we have this standard of keeping things civil. Good luck my friend and don't let the hate and darkness consume you.
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I don’t want you to go, and I don’t want you to lose a place where you can feel free to express yourself among people who love you (as I do). But you get so angry and so depressed. The world really isn’t so bad. The country isn’t so bad. Trump didn’t destroy it. It’s still here, and we are all poised for a great 2021. Try to let the hate go. Please, if only for yourself. Maybe put this part of the forum away for a while. Goodness knows I sometimes need a breather. Most of us do. But look at the good all around and then come on back.
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@Just-Jeepin Don’t be so hard on yourself. IMO it’s been a long destructive ride these last few years.
I’m surrounded by many rational Republicans turned super Trumpists and it’s massively uncomfortable as their attitude about many things has become seething, toxic, and aggressive. I post in here as it’s cathartic and I can blow off steam. Admittedly I’ll drop little quips when I want to expand further but I don’t always have time so I come off as a meme-ing shitposter probably, which is unintentional.
Hope you stick around in here. Enjoy your posts and discussions even when I don’t engage.
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Keep trucking Jeeper, your heart is in the right place. If you need a break, it makes sense to take it; the whole house will be here waiting for you to come back. I wish we could all take a break from this mess, but gravity lets it roll downhill, irrelevant of if any of us are directly watching it.
This post has highlighted how amazing this group is though. It’s a charged topic, it has driven a large body of people to the very fringe of reality, and yet everyone is calm and collected here and trying to keep the conversation flowing and assure everyone that wants to, takes part in it. Thank you OPPO, there is still hope for this world.
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@just-jeepin I've been about 98% done for years now, so I add a little here and there but mostly do what I do... DISTRACT EVERYONE
Cigar lounge!
14' Cayman S | 99' Miata | 20' Macan GTS
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I hope you'll stick around.
Honestly I'm not sure how you all are able to deal with the news cycle down there. If I was subjected to Trudeau similarly I'd probably harbor similar feelings. The chapter is almost concluded and I really hope that your country sorts out the political parties, news outlets and fellow citizens so you can all work together to move forward. It's not going to be easy, quick and without compromises by both sides, but it can be done.
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@just-jeepin I hear ya. Although I'll miss your comments on here. I need a break too. I was at the store yesterday and an older couple were in their Trump gear and I had to check myself from saying something.
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@Just-Jeepin I feel like everybody's fuses are on a hair trigger right now after everything on Wednesday. I feel like mine's been that way for four (maybe five) years now. And the fact that some in the GOP continue to gaslight us and carry on as if this is all normal is infuriating beyond belief. BUT it's important to remember that as @Chariotoflove was saying, the world isn't broken. Democracy isn't broken. As President-Elect Biden said yesterday, it's damaged, it's been weakened, but it's still there and it needs our civil discussion and debates to rebuild trust between people. (I'm paraphrasing a bit there)
I keep reminding myself that the loonie thugs that lead the insurrection on Wednesday were just a fringe group. Are they a fringe group who have been enabled and egged on by an incompetent crook in the White House? Sure. Are they shouting louder than the fringe group(s) on the other side? Probably. Is there still an entire media apparatus dedicated to promoting and spreading the lies they all believe in? Absolutely. But that's our challenge.
As Americans, hell, as humans, there is a lot more that unites us than divides us. We have to look beyond the simple labels of Democrat and Republican to find the common ground, or we are truly in danger. I've been guilty of this bubble think a lot lately, but I also know and work with a lot of people who I suspect vote R and I know in my heart they are also good people somehow. People that care, and work, and donate to charity, and have many similar beliefs to myself. They just happen to identify with the other party for whatever reason, and that's okay.
I think the biggest challenge in the next four years is going to be finding out how to bridge the deep chasm that's been building between the two sides. We have to remember, as Biden knew back in the primaries (to his benefit on November 3rd), that there are A LOT of people in the middle, who feel left behind by the partisan divides. Remember there are still around 34% of people who don't vote in elections. So while some 46% of the electorate may have supported Trump, that doesn't mean half the country did.
I have been angry as hell pretty often in the last few years, this week in particular. I've been quite furious with 45's attempts to label the election as fraudulent. As a pollworker, that insulted me personally. But if I relax and remind myself, he's only one part of the equation. There are a lot more people in the middle who know he's full of shit. And I've been heartened a lot lately by the number of people on all sides who have FINALLY been emboldened to call his shit out for what it is.
Let's hope that trend continues, and let's continue to be excellent to each other.
2009 Corvette Coupe, 2004 BMW 330Ci, lots n lots of pedal powered things!
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Lots of excellence in this thread, gents. May we all be so willing to offer apologies & forgiveness to each other.
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@stuckmtb said in I'm going to have to bow out of the politics board:
Democracy isn't broken. As President-Elect Biden said yesterday, it's damaged, it's been weakened,
I'm going to throw out a hot-take of sorts and say this. The whole thing has strengthened our democracy, not weakened it. I think this has been one of our finest hours since 2000. People shouted and impugned and threw every kind of frivolous challenge they could to overturn the election. But they did it through the system. Every lawyer and judge and candidate and lawmaker followed the procedure. The only time people really legally went off the rails was the protest and break in this week. And what happened in response? They were shut down, and the very same day, everybody on both sides repudiated the violence and got back to work doing the work of democracy. Even the biggest villains on every liberal's most wanted poster stood up and said, "NO!, the other guys won fair and square, and the country comes first." The system worked, and though I'm ashamed and embarrassed at the behavior of some of my countrymen, I'm proud to be a citizen.
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@poor_sh Aston to the rescue
