Oh That Will Never Happen

Elections have consequences...

When I have written a post about gun policy, my reaction to the January 2020 events or the state of American freedom people unsubscribe. And while I prefer to watch the number of subscribers grow…I’ve had it. So if you are a conservative, think the US is the only great country in the world, or a devoted Republican be prepared. You likely aren’t going to like today’s post.

Keeping up with America

I used to consume 3-4 hours of news (commentary) each day when I lived in the States. And while I definitely consume less news now than I used to, I have consumed more since the January 6th Committee reports and the recent Supreme Court rulings¹. And while the hearings and other judicial and legislative events don’t make the nightly Portuguese news, many Portuguese are still aware of what is happening in the States.

One recent example: Denise couldn’t stop herself from accosting a young couple we passed on the square. They had the most adorable baby. (Denise stops for babies, I stop for puppies). They both spoke excellent English so we struck up an easy conversation. They live up north, near Braga, and were visiting for a week to enjoy the warm weather. They asked why we moved here and Denise said, “How much time do you have?”

“Yes, there are many troubles in the United States,” they responded. They mentioned January 6th, Uvalde², and the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion.

Got me Thinking

I immediately flashed back to the many people I spoke to after the 2016 election that had voted for Donald Trump. Frankly, I just couldn’t understand why anyone would vote for him after the famous “grab her by the p——” tape emerged. But I really did want to understand their thought process. Some said they didn’t like Hillary. But wasn’t she the lesser of the two evils?³

Some were tired of the “usual politics”. Yes, Trump had been a crook in business…but all politicians were crooks. Perhaps he could disrupt the status quo in Washington.

Others were certain he would be good for business…less regulation, new highs for the stock market, IRA growth, and lower taxes. When I asked about gun safety, a woman’s right to choose, or my own gay marriage the response was always the same. “A majority of the American people want sensible gun safety laws…it can’t get worse.” or “I’m quite certain Donald has paid for a few abortions…he really isn’t pro-life.” or “The GOP doesn’t care that you are married…only that we all pay less in taxes.”

When I asked how we would fund government programs, I was given the trickle-down/economic growth theory that has never been proven:

Reagan took the deficit from $70 billion to $175 billion. Bush 41 took it to $300 billion. Clinton got it to zero. Bush 43 took it from zero to $1.2 trillion. Obama halved it to $600 billion. Trump’s got it back to a trillion. - PolitiFace.com

If they had better weather, we would have moved to Canada.

Choices

Yes, in every election we have choices…and these choices have consequences. Let me suggest three: don’t vote, work to change it, or flee.

• You can choose not to vote. Of course, you have that right. And if you get all your news from dark internet sites or YouTube-only news outlets…frankly, I would prefer you not vote.

• If you are a fiscal conservative and believe in small government and less regulation … I certainly understand where you are coming from. Yes, there is a lot of waste in government. Yes, there are some regulations that do not make sense. But the devil is in the details. Governing is hard work. If you think you can do it better, perhaps you should run for office. (But let me hasten to add that if you believe the 2020 election was fair and safe, save your time and money unless you are in Colorado you will never get through the Republican primary.) And if you are progressive, and are staying to fight…my hat is off to you! You are a better person than me.

• Finally, you could flee. I realize the term “flee” caused a bit of response some time back. But somehow it seems even more appropriate now than when I first wrote about it in January. We continue to see articles about the growing number of Americans immigrating to Portugal. And we speak to people every week who are accelerating their plans given current events.

Of course, not everyone that decides to live outside of the US is fleeing the current situation in the United States. We talk with folks that mention needing to make their dollar stretch further or want to explore other parts of the world. We certainly understand these desires. But as the primary season heats up, and the future of a great nation hangs in the balance⁴it has perhaps never been more clear…that choices and elections have consequences.

I apologize that today I haven’t written about our adventures in Portugal. Sometimes it seems that my writing practice is a form of low-cost therapy. And while I definitely needed to share my feelings, unfortunately, it didn’t brighten my mood.

Final Note: While I am always disappointed when someone unsubscribes, I get it. We all get more emails each week than we can read. But if you want to unsubscribe, you received this post via email. Simply scroll to the bottom of the email and choose the “unsubscribe” link.

1. Can someone explain to me why a state has the right to regulate reproductive services but not their own gun carry laws?

2. What does it say that a Portuguese person knows the name of a small town in Texas where children were gunned down in their classroom?

3. Sorry, a poor figure of speech. I voted for Secretary Clinton and don’t believe she is evil.

4. Because the former President really didn’t care who was put on the Court…the current court was determined by decades of religious zealots that elected Senators that will sell their souls for another 6 years in office.