“What’s going to happen in this next election? I’m terrified about what could possibly happen, because our leaders matter. Who we select, who speaks for us, who holds that bully pulpit, it affects us in ways sometimes I think people take for granted,” Obama told Jay Shetty on his podcast “On Purpose.”
“The fact that people think that government — ‘eh, does it really even do anything?’ — and I’m like ‘Oh my God, does government do everything for us, and we cannot take this democracy for granted.’ And I worry sometimes that we do. Those are the things that keep me up,” she said.
“The bars are different for people in life. That I’ve learned,” she said.
Without naming Trump, she continued: “Other people can be indicted a bunch of times and still run for office. Black men can’t. You just learn to be good. And in the end, you benefit from that extra resilience.”
I’m not American but what’s happening in the US and what will happen when/if Trump gets re-elected definitely worries me. It’s difficult not to sound overly dramatic or hyperbolic about the situation but it really does feel like the US is uncomfortably close right now to a christofascist state. And if you just rolled your eyes at that word, take a look at who’s currently second in line to the US presidency.
If Trump does win, I really fear for American democracy. Do you really think a man who encouraged an armed insurrection to support a subversion of an election will pause to think twice about removing the few rights large sections of America currently have? And if the process prevents him, do you think he’d think twice about dismantling the process? At gun point if necessary?
Hi, American here.
American domestic politics is absolutely fucked right now.
The Republican Party does not really even have any policy proposals for serious issues at the Federal level.
They spent years saying ‘Obamacare bad’, saying they could do healthcare better. Basically it isna decade later and they have no plan, not even a proposal.
Taxes? We still have morons like DeSantis basically saying ‘I dunno, maybe a flat tax?’ to applause during stump speeches and debates. The flat tax proposal is absolutely insane for a large number of reasons, but the Republican base eats it up.
Look, there are something like 50 million + Americans that believe in all or most of the QAnon conspiracy theories, that believe God himself appointed Trump as President.
Trump stacked the Supreme Court.
The Republicans have functionally made abortion illegal in about half the country.
Meanwhile the economy is /apparently/ recovering, though the prices of basically everything you need to routinely pay for have risen fairly dramatically while wages have remained basically stagnant. Wealth inequality has spiralled to obscene levels, rent has basically doubled in about half a decade.
As I write this, I believe that polls of Biden v Trump are still showing Trump ahead.
Even if Trump does not win, and even if the MAGA QAnon types do not do a bunch of terrorism (again), they still exist, and are hopelessly living in basically an alternate reality where anything that goes against their worldview is fake, a conspiracy, of the Devil.
It was about 3 years ago now that I told my friend group that the QAnon problem was so serious that we would need some kind of analogous concept to the de-Nazification program as was implemented after WW2 in West Germany to deal with it. They either laughed at or ignored me. None of those people are my friends any more.
We are fucked.
The only thing that motivates most Republican voters is hatred. Any politician who says Trans people bad, Critical Race Theory bad, Immigrants bad, Homeless People bad, anything like that receives applause from the audience.
And I write this /as a homeless person/ who will almost certainly not be able to vote in the upcoming election. I will be /lucky/ if I can even find and qualify for an actual apartment after basically a bunch of crimes that happened to me in the course of last year caused me serious physical injury and the loss of all of my possessions, ruined my credit score, placed my in incredible debt, lost me my job and my ability to do any other job until my physical injuries are healed, which I simply have to handle myself, while homeless, because the cost of engaging with American healthcare system to handle my problems now would be sufficient to outright purchase a modest home (outright) less than a decade ago.
Meanwhile, Trump has outright stated he would like to implement basically concentration camps for the homeless. He has stated he wants to eliminate the vermin leftists. He is very concerned with the purity of the blood of the nation, and has outright stated he will be a dictator.
And he is currently leading in the polls.
Again, this country is fucked. So, sorry Europeans, I would love to be able to assuage your fears, and become an activist or something.
Maybe send me some of your healthcare and I’ll get right on it.
I wish I could, I really do.
I appreciate the kind words.
Even if Trump dies tomorrow, the problem still exists. Trump is the worm in the apple, but half the apple is rotten.
That is true, no disagreement here. That’s the truly scary thing about the man - he clearly does represent a lot of people.
But right now, he is the immediate danger.
I’m not sure anymore. He got so elevated by some people but they hate so much. Idk if anyone could just slide into his place. I think they could be lost enough with the infighting that would try to fill in that hole. As in, that confusion could give us the gap to secure our processes and/or elect reasonable people.
The problem wit this reasoning is that it does not understand what Trump actually did.
It is /worse/ than being a charismatic maniac.
It is that by being a charismatic maniac… he revealed the entirety of the American society and political system to be a cruel joke.
He essentially normalized extreme hatred and bigotry to the point that nearly every single other Republican had to either emulate him, or at least shift heavily toward his positions and rhetoric.
Infighting is and will continue to happen, yes. But Trump transformed the Republican party into what is essentially fascist in all but name only now.
And the problem with this is that electoralism alone cannot defeat a rising fascist movement which shows no signs of slowing down.
We, with history as a guide, /cannot/ defeat this only via voting.
As much as it pains me to agree with Tim Pool on anything, to any degree: A civil war of sorts, or at least massive social unrest something akin to the Pre-Bellum American society is already happening.
The core voters of the Republican Party are now driven by QAnon style insano-anti-thinking. There is no known cure for this, and it is very easy for any random dumbass that wants to be a politician to appeal to these kinds of people, /so there will be more and more of them/.
I live in Japan and I’m sure Kim literally considered nuking my country during that dick measurement contest Trump held.
It’s difficult not to sound overly dramatic or hyperbolic about the situation but it really does feel like the US is uncomfortably close right now to a christofascist state.
To add to this: while it may sound hyperbolic to some folks, for plenty of us we’ve seen this brewing for decades. White evangelicals and right-wing politics unified in the 1980s in a way that was a clear danger to democracy, and they’ve only solidified their power since, given how mainstream their views are now.
IMHO Frank Zappa said it best in 1986: he got called out as being hyperbolic, but he clearly saw the writing on the wall. He’s of course not the most scholarly source, but damn it Jim I’m a biologist, not a historian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlePLLlfH4Q
Another American here, currently stuck living in the great state of Ohio. I keep a bag under my bed with a change of clothes, a few cans of food, a wad of cash, a pistol, and a passport. I may be fucked, but I’ve got some friends in Quebec that might be able to save my ass.
I’m fucking convinced you guys are going to vote that chud in again. Or let him be voted in again. There is nuance but it’s the same outcome.
The people who want to spite Biden’s genocidal support by not voting for him don’t realize that the alternative is a fascist dictator who actively relishes in the prospect of killing brown people. If you think Biden’s treatment of the Gazan war is bad, wait til you see Trump.
Same with the Ukrainian war. If Biden is milquetoast, Trump will guarantee your toast is forever burnt and inedible.
Why don’t democrats just play it safe and run just about anyone who isn’t Biden?
Why would they feel disenfranchised by Biden? Who are these hypothetical people that would piss away their vote on a 3rd party because Biden did all of the things he said he would do. Supporting Israel is literally part of being POTUS. Every single POTUS has been an Israel supporter.
I’m gonna ask my parents, both lifelong Republicans, if they’ll vote Trump again. I’m pretty sure after Jan 6 they won’t. Prior to that I would have agreed with you but I’m not sure now
They won’t, because they have an entire presidential term in two vice presidential terms worth of relationship with him. They’ve got a lot invested in him and they’re not about to just walk away from that.
People like you want to have your cake and eat it too. During the primaries you swear up and down we should be okay with Biden winning the primaries because we can push him to the left. Then when that turns out not to be true you say we need to vote for him anyway.
You can’t keep doing this. You’re liars. You’re gaslighters. You are the bad guys.
By the time the election comes we might already be in WW3 😒
I hate all these articles, it’s like people want that asshole again.
“Man, wouldn’t it be CRAZY if this criminal won in 2024? He might ACTUALLY do it! It could happen! The courts might let it!”
Like bro, stop. Stop jinxing us. You are going to will it to happen. Stop giving him airtime. Don’t give him mindshare. Treat him like any other criminal and then drop interest. Focus on corruption or feeding the poor, anything else.
Blame everyone who thinks the democrats should run Biden again.
No. How about you tell us why not voting for Biden (effectively a vote for Trump) is the way to go.
As much as I share the same concern with Michelle, I would selfishly respond to her that if she just fucking ran for president she would win in a landslide and put an end to fucking Trump. Barack can spend the entire 4 years ridiculing the orange bezoar as first man.
Unfortunately to Trump supporters this is a grandiose endorsement and exactly what they want.
I’d be concerned whatever the outcome.
You reckon Jan 6th was a one off?
yes, if the next leader doesn’t sell conspiracy as hard as maga.
It seems like most Americans are gonna vote for trump and he might win. Democrat voters have to blame their side if trump wins. They’ve run such a dog shit pr campaign. Biden has done good on the policy front but you’d never know because the media doesn’t cover it and the right-wing media only covers his mistakes.
I don’t understand why you think that. The last election wasn’t even close and Trump had the post office in shambles.
I’m terrified of the outcome no matter who wins… Our system is seriously broken if these are the best candidates we, the supposed bastion of freedom and democracy, can come up with.
We all are. There is no good outcome, only one that is less bad than the other.
Me too and I’m not even American, dissolution of NATO, serving Ukaine on a platter to Russia, possibility of more war in Europe with Putin getting bolder.
No pressure Americans but your elections are kind of important for the future of the world.
Yeah but a bunch of white college kids who don’t even know what Mer7aba means have decided that the way to serve the Palestinian cause is to let the guy who handed Jerusalem and the Golan Heights to Netenyahu back into office to teach the establishment a lesson so we’re fucked.
I’m starting to think they’re actually just right wingers who know that saying what they ACTUALLY want will get them dumped by all their cool allies club friends. Probably why they keep insisting on dumb fuck takes like “bErNiE wOuLd Be A cEnTrIsT iN pOlAnD!” and “AmErIcA hAs No LeFt!!!”
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Ok but really objectively consider that statement though.
Policy by policy the Dems flank left of most of Europe’s old guard of social democratic and socialist parties. Dems tend to be more in favor of new and expanded welfare programs compared to their European counterparts, they’re less likely than said counterparts to adopt right wing policy and talking points to try and appease alt-rightified voters, and on social issues there is no contest, just say the word “Roma” and watch Europeans range from saying that pulling that card isn’t fair because “that’s different” to saying that what the fascists did wrong was lose before they finished the job on the Roma.
The metric by which America has no left is one by which the western world at large has no left, and at that point what value is gained at all by insisting on it?
Policy by policy the Dems flank left of most of Europe’s old guard of social democratic and socialist parties.
In what bizzaro world!!? We don’t have basic singles payer health care like all other major western nations. Not to mention millions of other things.
Dems tend to be more in favor of new and expanded welfare programs compared to their European counterparts,
Not even. They’ve passed maybe one thing in nearly the last century that approached it. As flawed as it was. And on top of that. Large amounts of Dems have happily voted for eligibility exclusion on even pre existing social welfare programs. Making them more and more useless.
they’re less likely than said counterparts to adopt right wing policy and talking points to try and appease alt-rightified voters,
Hello, last 40 years? Hello, third way Democrats? Hello, bipartisanship over principles. Even to this day Biden still waxes poetically about how we need Republicans and how they are good.
and on social issues there is no contest, just say the word “Roma” and watch Europeans range from saying that pulling that card isn’t fair because “that’s different” to saying that what the fascists did wrong was lose before they finished the job on the Roma.
There are multiple groups who would elicit similar reactions throughout the United States. Including black, Muslims, trans, gays, and even Democrats. Oh and by the way those fascists and Nazis you were talking about. They got their start by checks notes oh, they literally got their start by emulating the United States. Not only that, around topics of which the United States still hasn’t resolved properly yet to this day. You’re batting 0 here.
You seem to have mastered the art of using many words to not say a thing, except maybe for how little you understand European politics compared to American other than “but their actual fascist parties that have elected seats have healthcare.”
In terrified that these people support Genocide.
Which people?
Better question, which not?
Answer the damn question and don’t waste our time playing childish games trying to turn shit around on others.
Genocide Joe and Orange Man both support Genocide. Read my statement again.
So in other words, you don’t have an answer. Figured as much
Fuck off with that shit. Every single US president, including Trump and Obama, has been vocal in their support for Israel.
Im gonna be real with y’all. Fascism in the US is already here and it’s only getting worse. Whether you vote Democrat or Republican you are voting to maintain a system that actively harms and kills millions. These days voting Democrat only means minorities in the US get a little more rights if they’re nice while everything else stays the same or gets worse and honestly I can’t tell if it was ever any better. It makes me genuinely sick that I have choose between two of the worst people I’ve ever had the displeasure of observing and any consideration of an alternative is met with active hostility or dismissal. I cannot fathom how people can accept being forced to choose between two genuine evils
I cannot fathom how people can accept being forced to choose between two genuine evils
The word forced is right there in your sentence, what’s hard to fathom? A third party vote is effectively a vote for Trump. I’m not going to argue with you if you still feel morally compelled to vote third party - but let’s not pretend otherwise.
What makes this time in America’s history so terrifying is that the difference between Democrat and Republican has only been greater one other time and it resulted in a civil war. You can’t say “both sides are evil” because it’s not even close. Democrats haven’t really changed and that’s not the progress they claim to represent. However Republicans have abandoned the concept of the US as a whole and are actively attempting to corrupt our voting and end democracy state by state. Republicans are so close to crossing a line that cannot be uncrossed and it will result, at best, in states operating as independent nations. In other words, a fucking disaster.
There is only one “evil” side right now.
In this case, people accepting being force to choose between two genuine evils is because one of the two evils plans to make it so there is no chance at change and would likely turn to slaughtering people who don’t fall in line with the regime
in that case you have to vote to at least make sure that you get a dog instead of a wolf
I shouldn’t have to choose between evil and slightly less evil. My vote is already useless in the state I live in because it’s been gerrymandered into dysfunction so it’s hard to even find a reason to bother
Gerrymandering does not affect Senate and Presidential elections.
Gerrymandered districts elect state governments, and state governments get to make their own election laws.
I am aware of this and probably shouldn’t have mentioned it considering the topic is primarily the presidential election. The electoral college is more of a factor in this case. Regardless I live in the most red state possible
I understand that. Neither option is ‘good’. But one of the options will (in my opinion) have a bloody good go at removing your ability to have the option at all in the future.
You are correct of course. As has played out historically, the liberals have been utterly ineffective at combating the rise of fascism.
It was not until what, about 12 to 6 ish months ago that finally, you could actually tell a liberal that Trump and the Republicans /are fascists/ without a bunch of hoity toity himming and hawing about tone policing and catastrophizing accusations.
A sad, sad joke.
We are a historically ignorant country, still high on our own supply of American Exceptionalism, unable to grasp that It Can In Fact Happen Here.
We ruled by geriatric politicians who have not been able to connect with the actual politics or material concerns of anyone under the age of 40 in a way that would effectively improve their lives. The mechanics of our political system are ossified and incapable of being changed to even /allow/ for changing into a system that would allow for more effective representation of the many, many poor. We will never have ranked choice voting on a large scale, nor reform to the electoral college, nothing like that. Not that those things would even work in a society where over 50% of possible voters have the literacy level of 7th graders.
We are ruled by corporate overlords who do not give a functional damn about any social justice issues and only feign it as a brand and marketing strategy to lull those who might otherwise actually do something useful to address those issues in society into inaction, as they can pay for the conspicuous consumption of media and more animal friendly foods or eco friendly cars or whatever to allow them to /feel/ like they are helping to solve the problem, when in reality they are just continuing to fund it.
I hope I am wrong and some actual good change will happen. But I do not think it likely at this point.
I think voting, while important, is ineffective for fixing a political system. One man having the correct idea can’t change anything by one vote.
I’m climbing my career ladder and starting to control good portion of company resources. At least, it has more potential than a single stupid vote. How to make use of that power I need to figure out, but as nobody knows the solution, the only route is to think while trying.
Michelle, if you’re reading this, relax. You have enough money to easily move to any country on the planet. You’ll be fine.
Have you considered she may be empathetic to those who don’t have the money to easily move to any country on the planet? It’s a good thing to be concerned for the welfare of others IMHO.
I’m sure she’s concerned about people until it fucks with her money.
Like most establishment democrats and their supporters.
Yes, I did and I think she absolutely can be “concerned” or “worried”. I just doubt she’s “terrified”. If she’s that empathetic to those in need what is she actually doing to help them? Her wikipage says that “In 2021, the former first lady announced that she has been “moving toward retirement”.[90] Though she continues to be active in political campaigns, the former first lady has said she is reducing the amount of work to spend more time with her husband.” It doesn’t mention any actual work she did since 2007. I don’t know them but for me she and Obama just look like another rich couple enjoying their lives and not engaging at all with common people. But now she’s terrified for them? I don’t buy it. Just my opinion though.
When I say I’m dying to see the new Godzilla movie again (it was excellent, by the way), I’m not literally dying.
That said, I honestly don’t know what the Obamas are doing, and they certainly don’t need me defending them. I wouldn’t rely on what makes it to wikipedia as a source of how much they’re trying to improve the world, though. Given the backlash she received for trying to reduce childhood obesity, and the backlash Barack received just for existing, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re trying to donate/contribute with as little fanfare as possible to avoid further backlash. Just my opinion, though.
