Did I Go Too Far?

I lost some “friends” with my post yesterday. I meant every word I wrote, but I normally filter my thoughts through a colander, yesterday I poured them all in, boiling water and all.

I admit, I had been overtaken by rage because, although I expected it to happen, when I saw the news that the GOP tax scam had passed the senate, I felt all the phases of grief to the degree I’ve only experienced once before… election Day 2016.

Since Trump became the GOP presidential nominee I listened as people at work, and out in real life, discussed how his political ignorance and business acumen would be an asset. When he won the general election these same people felt vindicated and empowered, gloating in their euphoria. They let their racism and homophobia show, just like the White Nationals who came out of the shadows and took to the streets, these coworkers, neighbors and friends came out of their cubicles and their vinyl sided boxes with pitched roofs and spoke their ugly thoughts out loud, thoughts I had previously been unaware they possessed. I quietly listened, not wanting to engage in political arguments at work, and not wanting all the neighborhood leaves blown onto my lawn.

If any of those people wondered at my thoughts or loyalties they could have read my little blog, because it’s no secret that I write. But these kinds of people don’t care what others think, they just want an audience and validation for their thoughts.

Yes, I know the same could be said about me. I write because I want to express my thoughts, and even when I know only a handful of people are reading on any given day, it is an outlet. It’s easier to articulate a point by writing and editing rather than speaking off the cuff.

Regardless, there is a difference between them and me. I listen to people when they speak. I try to understand how these despicable ideas became so ingrained that they refuse to consider others, and what childhood experiences might have left them without empathy.

As I said, I quietly listened. But when one woman with whom I work, who particularly likes the sound of her own voice, assumed I had voted for Trump, I had to engage. This woman, who never lets an argument go, fled to the comfort of a group of like minded individuals to discuss me. Good riddance.

Since then, I have been surprised to learn of the secret racist homophobia of several others. I was confided in because I am a straight white woman, and that led them to believe I shared their views.

In truth, I thought the views that they had died with the generation of my parents and grandparents. I was shocked at them, and at my own naivety. I had worked alongside these people for years and years, and suddenly I had nothing in common with them. The jokes we shared about daily minutia stopped.

I suppose for me, the most unforgivable aspect of the election, aside from the Russian hijacking of it, was the number of women who were willing to vote for someone so blatantly misogynistic, a self admitted sexual predator. The breakdown of voter statistics showed Trump won because of the white female vote. 53% of the white female voters chose Trump, a pig with no political experience, a failed businessman with a history of 6 bankruptcies, who was named in 3500 lawsuits for crimes ranging from fraud to non-payment for goods and services, to rape. They picked him over a woman ffs.

My post yesterday surprised those who voted for Trump on a lark, but don’t read the news, and it deflated the Trump voters who believed the lies about the “Tax Cut Jobs Act.”

They had been applauding the victory—

• The same corporations that use bankruptcy as a business strategy in order to gut union contracts, the same corporations with a history of CEO’s rewarding themselves with billions in bonuses, then bailing out on golden parachutes made of stocks and cash— this rewards them again. They have trillions of dollars in assets that they haven’t reinvested in jobs, but they’re getting tax cuts.
• 13million Americans will lose healthcare.
• The rug is pulled out from under the entire healthcare system, which will result in every American paying much more for much less coverage.
• Drilling for oil in a pristine Alaskan wildlife preserves has been given the go ahead.
• The President’s 200 companies got a tax cut.

These Trump voters who I know had been happy about it all…I made them feel bad with my post yesterday.

The news is now reporting information they’ve been fed by certain corporations who are offering a one time bonus in response to their windfall profits…a publicity stunt.

In truth:

Wells Fargo, just one such corporation, says raising minimum to $15 an hour was the reason for this tax reform bill. They currently pay 25,000 people between $13.50-$17.00. A company with $1.75 trillion in assets paying poverty level wages just had their taxes cut in half. Trump de-regulated banks, including Wells Fargo, so they may resume their predatory lending practices which led to the financial collapse of 2007, the Great Recession.

… The disaster deduction …

Losses sustained due to a fire, earth quakes, hurricanes, storms, shipwrecks or theft, are only now tax deductible if they exceeded 10% of adjusted gross income and are deemed a “national disaster.”

If your house was destroyed by a California wildfire, you are potentially eligible for some tax relief, while the victims of random house fires… sorry.

Let’s review, what happened yesterday.

• Tax increase for millions of working Americans
• Reinforced income inequality
• Medicare & Social Security cuts
• Increased premiums
• Millions left uninsured
• Trump family tax cut
• Carried interest loophole
• Profits for big banks & CEOs

What happened to the good guys? There must be some members of the GOP senate who remember why they are in office. If there had only been three, who voted with conscionable thought, the bill would have failed.

They were bribed. Orrin Hatch admitted he crafted the key tax provision that will enrich Bob Corker and the rest of the GOP, and Lisa Murkowski gets to drain Alaskan oil. You might call that bribing Senate Republicans to vote yes. Orrin Hatch would sell his mother for $50.

Congressional votes are sold to the highest bidder. Is that legal? Um, no it is not.

Bribery Law- US. 18 U.S.C. § 201 – Bribery of Public Officials and Witnesses. Bribery – Definition— “The offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of something of value for the purpose of influencing the action of an official in the discharge of his or her public or legal duties.”

So, I am off some Christmas card lists now because I verbalized the thought, the one thought I’ve contained for over a year: Trump voters are misinformed morons, and the GOP will all burn in Hell.

But miracle of miracles the story isn’t over. We still have Bob Mueller, and we must protect him from the Trump Klan.

The GOP is calling for an end to the investigation with claims Mueller isn’t making progress. He has already indicted Papadapoulos, Manafort, and Flynn, and two of the three are cooperating with the FBI. Mueller has also legally obtained thousands of damning Trump transition team emails, and he has subpoenaed financial documents from Deutsche bank. In January of 2016 Deutsche Bank sustained $630 million in penalties for a $10 billion Russian money laundering scheme involving the bank’s Moscow, New York, and London branches.

According to Bloomberg, Trump owes Deutsche around $300 million, which comes due in 2024, and Kushner owes them $285 million- I don’t know when that comes due, and frankly I’m bored.

GOP house members are engaged in a fierce campaign to end the investigation by firing Mueller. I’d wager Orrin Hatch’s mother it is because they’re involved and will stand to be indicted.

One more thought for today, Alabama Pedophile Roy Moore has still not conceded loss 8 days after the senate election he lost by 2%.

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<a href=”https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/miraculous/”>Miraculous</a&gt;