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From Brexit to Trump
You may remember this. Feel free to adapt.
That said, Brexit *is* different to the US election.
It was led my misinformation and lies and propaganda (which they walked back LITERALLY THE DAY AFTER) and general dissatisfaction. We've had 8 years of 'austerity' and people are not happy. And the Leave camp used this to make people angry at immigrants rather than point out that the government has cut into social services to the point where thousands upon thousands of people are reliant on foodbanks (THIS IS NOT NORMAL). It was a similar sort of anger, but our racial issues are different. (I mean, racism & xenophobia come in many guises. Still comes back to the same things, but different strokes...)
Also, as we had no Hillary figure, we did not have the corresponding visceral misogyny. Indeed, the outcome was an orgy of backstabbing, so all those who had engineered the outcome found themselves out in the cold, and Theresa May swept to power (unelected!!). I mean, yay for a female prime minister, but I would have preferred one less... Tory. :( Especially as Labour is about as much use a chocolate fire guard and we NEED someone or something to push back against the creeping right wing policies that keep being rolled out.
Re. Brexit we are still in limbo. In the US you can watch a horror show unfold, daily, whereas we are just sitting here, waiting for the other shoe to drop and mourning Toblerone.
Plus, our vote WAS of course a popular vote - not that it's that simple. It was SO close.
Anyway, some links for you re. the election.
Empathy isn’t a favor I owe white Trump voters. It has to go both ways.
We remember that out of suffering, healing is possible. Out of darkness, light shines brighter, and, not to sound all yoga about it, we cannot have one without the other. Had Hillary Clinton won, many of us would have moved on as if all was right with the world, but the world is very wrong, and the impact of that wrongness is on display for all to see.
Yes, the white male anger that fueled Trump’s victory was real — but it isn’t valid
Make no mistake, Trumpers are angry. What they're angry about is the loss of unearned race and gender privilege
The misogyny apocalypse: Turns out being white and male counts for more than intelligence, grace or decency
It was unimaginable that America would self-destruct rather than elect a female president. But that's what happened
How Van Jones Became a Star of the 2016 Campaign
Yup... Pretty much how I feel #Brexit #eu #uk #winniethepooh pic.twitter.com/DPYon3Em4m
— Ben Barnes (@benbarnes) 6 July 2016
That said, Brexit *is* different to the US election.
It was led my misinformation and lies and propaganda (which they walked back LITERALLY THE DAY AFTER) and general dissatisfaction. We've had 8 years of 'austerity' and people are not happy. And the Leave camp used this to make people angry at immigrants rather than point out that the government has cut into social services to the point where thousands upon thousands of people are reliant on foodbanks (THIS IS NOT NORMAL). It was a similar sort of anger, but our racial issues are different. (I mean, racism & xenophobia come in many guises. Still comes back to the same things, but different strokes...)
Also, as we had no Hillary figure, we did not have the corresponding visceral misogyny. Indeed, the outcome was an orgy of backstabbing, so all those who had engineered the outcome found themselves out in the cold, and Theresa May swept to power (unelected!!). I mean, yay for a female prime minister, but I would have preferred one less... Tory. :( Especially as Labour is about as much use a chocolate fire guard and we NEED someone or something to push back against the creeping right wing policies that keep being rolled out.
Re. Brexit we are still in limbo. In the US you can watch a horror show unfold, daily, whereas we are just sitting here, waiting for the other shoe to drop and mourning Toblerone.
Plus, our vote WAS of course a popular vote - not that it's that simple. It was SO close.
Anyway, some links for you re. the election.
Empathy isn’t a favor I owe white Trump voters. It has to go both ways.
We remember that out of suffering, healing is possible. Out of darkness, light shines brighter, and, not to sound all yoga about it, we cannot have one without the other. Had Hillary Clinton won, many of us would have moved on as if all was right with the world, but the world is very wrong, and the impact of that wrongness is on display for all to see.
Yes, the white male anger that fueled Trump’s victory was real — but it isn’t valid
Make no mistake, Trumpers are angry. What they're angry about is the loss of unearned race and gender privilege
The misogyny apocalypse: Turns out being white and male counts for more than intelligence, grace or decency
It was unimaginable that America would self-destruct rather than elect a female president. But that's what happened
How Van Jones Became a Star of the 2016 Campaign
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Anybody who voted for this criminal FAILED TO CONDEMN rape. They FAILED TO CONDEMN racism and Islamaphobia. And most of them EXPLICITLY ENDORSED the idea of deporting millions upon millions of immigrants. I'm fucking furious about it, and I'm not ready to forgive them.
I'll save my empathy for the already-disadvantaged groups who are going to suffer even more under this administration. And when the Trump supporters themselves start suffering (which they will), I'll have the comfort of knowing that they actually deserve it.
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I'm working on a more introspective post re. the whole thing, because damn, white people own the mess and should try to clean it up.
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Meh.
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;-)
kerk
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;-)
kerk
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I just want to comment on one thing here, really- "unearned race and gender privilege". Interesting how this privilege was earned for centuries, even thousands of years, and how you want to resist evolution with forceful correction.
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By subjugating others...
I don't want to build walls (hell, it's not even really my fight), and it seems churlish to say that 'they started it'. I don't know the way forward. it'll take a lot of listening and care and trying to understand each other. But it's hard to understand people who seem to hate you.
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Conditions change, asians have best brains so when need for muscle will completely dissapear, they will totally take over the world.
Well, let me ask you- what do you base your thought of "opponents hate me", on? What makes you think Trump supporters really really HATE you? Have you thought maybe certain "vulnerable" groups are not respected, not considered worth social support? Have you thought maybe some vulnerable groups are directly connected to crime and terrorism? Have you thought some vulnerable groups overload healthcare and therefore are not considered fairly coexisting with the rest?
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Have you thought maybe certain "vulnerable" groups are not respected, not considered worth social support? Have you thought maybe some vulnerable groups are directly connected to crime and terrorism? Have you thought some vulnerable groups overload healthcare and therefore are not considered fairly coexisting with the rest?
Oh you do *not* want to talk me *me* about these things. Not only am I European, I'm Scandinavian. We have sky-high taxes, and some of the best welfare societies in the world. Free childcare, schooling, health care, wide ranging social services. We are also the happiest people in the world. We look on America as strange and primitive and rather uncivilised in how they refuse to provide services to their citizens that we consider unnegotiable.
And as for overloading healthcare, and 'certain groups' being connected to crime etc... Breaking Bad might be the best example. Walter White is a perfectly decent man. Because he gets ill and can't afford the treatment, he turns to crime. His particular story would not be possible in Norway or Sweden, as he would get treated for free.
Basically my position is that a civilised society looks after its most vulnerable. Pay working people a living wage, tax them highly and provide for everyone.
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Thank you...always...
*HUGS*
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