Category: Donald Trump

The Pending Implosion

On By PhotomotomanIn Donald Trump, Hate, Ignorance, Motorcycling, PoliticsLeave a comment

Implosions are events that occur without warning, yet with respect to America’s future, anyone who isn’t blind can see what’s coming. We are now on the verge of watching history repeat itself. When a dictator comes to power with an agenda for scapegoating, hatred and retribution, we are on the road to recreating the 1930’s again.

November 5th, 2024 may well signal the end of America as we know it. Back in September of 2020, Maclean’s magazine, a decidedly Canadian publication, published an article, entitled; “The Great American Implosion”. In it, the author stated the following,

“Nonetheless, nothing that happens south of our border is inconsequential north of it. As November approaches, Canadians will be watching what happens in the US with the kind of trepidation a neighbour might have when a biker gang moves in next door.”

As a motorcyclist, I’m well aware of biker gangs and their aims.

And nothing has changed.

Here we are again, watching America on the verge of self-immolation. Two sides, not just opposed, but viscerally repulsed by the ‘other side’. I don’t even want to live next door to the dumpster fire that is going to take place, irrespective of which side wins. Truth and facts have no home in the Disunited States, so regardless of the actual vote, Republicans will lie about what transpires. And there is no equivocal voice on the other side. Republicans have become self-absorbed, hateful, vengeful and ugly in their messaging of retribution for a perceived loss that never existed.

Democrats, appealing to their better angels, more-so the fallen angels of those so aggrieved, are confronted with insolence, arrogance and ignorance as the masses who vote Republican only listen to 15 second sound bites from media designed to confirm their paranoia. As a Canadian, one thing is obvious. I want nothing to do with ‘that’ America and will do everything in my power to ensure that the radical right in Canada finds no home and no quarter in this country.

November 5th, 2024 will either be a starting point, or an end point. An end for democracy, for reason, for intelligence and education. Like Iran, Russia or Venezuela, America will become unstable, dangerous and indifferent to the plight of the poor, the educated and the reasoned. America, in short order, will come to resemble the fictional ‘Gilead’ of the Handmaiden’s Tale, with Evangelical Right-Wing religious zealots destroying women’s rights and enshrining a misogynistic patriarchal society with laws so confining as to ignore all and any existing human rights. And they will do so with the backing of the judiciary.

It would seem that armed conflict may well be the only outcome, as the Disunited States of America dissolves into sectarianism and civil war. Those who stand up to the coming autocracy will be targeted, just as Jews were targeted in the 1930’s in Germany. Most of trump’s beliefs are extreme, founded on Nazism, so that will come as no surprise.

What does surprise me is how American women on the right, politically have allowed themselves to be cowed by Republican men. Their future will be nearly as tragic as those who they will go to war with, for after the conflict is over, should the extreme right survive, women will have no say in their own affairs, from reproductive health, to civil rights, educational opportunities or freedoms. These will include an inability to vote, possibly even to attend higher educational institutions. America will come to resemble Iran, or more likely Afghanistan.

This isn’t fantasy. This is America’s MAGA right-wing Republican reality and agenda today. Led by a man devoid of humanity, honour, truth, intelligence or compassion. The world should worry about an unhinged and untethered America. Democracy globally will be severely tested and new alliances will be formed outside of those that exist today by necessity in order to protect its freedoms from a kleptocratic America.

America’s need for control through isolation will lead to a dramatic decrease in the standard of living in the US as tariffs, boycotts and an ‘America First’ policy comes to haunt Americans seeking education, affiliation, travel, human rights and freedom of opportunity.

Goodbye America, we obviously hardly knew you.

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A New Beginning or the Beginning of the End?

On By PhotomotomanIn Donald Trump, Ignorance, Political Discourse, Politics, SurvivalLeave a comment

If America elects trump and turns its back on ‘leadership’ in relation to democratic states, thereby seeking isolationism, America will bring about the next World War. How it occurs, and which spark initiates it is not central to its occurrence, isolationism, is. Just as Eisenhower ensured a stable democratic alliance against the Soviet Union, by supporting American involvement and leadership in NATO, so will it be the case if NATO is reaffirmed by America in this election.

However, if America turns its back on NATO, America’s leadership will have effectively ended, and trust in America will also end. Isolationism will not serve American interests, just as it didn’t pre-December 7th, 1941. War will be visited upon an isolationist America, either in the east with China, or with Russia. The only difference being how badly democracy will be damaged by its unwillingness to lead. Trump will disassemble democratic institutions and introduce both an autocracy and kleptocracy, increasing his personal wealth at the expense of Americans, albeit not the rich.

The likelihood of a major war involving most European nations after the departure of America, will almost ensure that American interests and trade will be severely curtailed. An inward-looking America will wither, rather than grow as tariffs and trade wars will limit globalization, destroy existing supply chains and create chaos on international markets. Contractions in the economy will mean mass unemployment, particularly within manufacturing and production. Consumers will see major increases in costs for the vast majority of products produced, and America’s trade deficits will grow exponentially.

The costs associated with isolationism for consumers will be critical. Americans will spend substantively more for almost all products as material costs increase, taxes rise and tariffs strangle trade. American influence will decrease substantively as nations once allied with America, will turn to the creation of new international organizations for trade and defence without American involvement. American sales of weapon systems and technology will diminish as nations require relationships that act to guarantee arms and access to both munitions and technology. A global rise in arms production and domestic arms sales and a notable increase in protectionism by other nations will further diminish America’s production.

Economists warn of a major recession, even an economic depression if isolationism and an America First policy is enacted. International trade will suffer a calamitous downturn and conflicts over scarce resources will increase more rapidly and involve more nations. When combined with the effects of climate change, which affect the southern United States disproportionately, America’s internal divisions and dischord will reach uncontrollable levels. Violence will become the norm, beyond any level of violence America has experienced internally since the Civil War.

The future can be either consistent, forward-looking and filled with possibility or it can be thrown into chaos, strife and violence. All of this rests with the upcoming election.

Either America will seek truth, honour and empathy for a world already in a heightened level of strife and right-wing autocratic growth and competition, or will seek to build on its strengths and support a democratic and free future.

November 5th, is a scant 15 days away. You will either vote for a future or a dark and dangerous past.

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Why “Weirdo” Unnerves the Right.

On By PhotomotomanIn Donald Trump, Hate, Ignorance, Motorcycling, Political Discourse, Political Discourse, PoliticsLeave a comment

It’s interesting that the extreme right are not offended by words like traitors, thieves, kleptocrats, sociopaths, pathological liars and perverts, but call them weirdos, and suddenly they’re deeply offended.

It speaks to the fact that the right have no concept for what is abnormal, unfit, antisocial and unacceptable. But call them weird? Well they know what that clearly means, and the reasons for this are obvious. They themselves know they are different from the mainstream. Abnormal in their ability to learn, acquire friends, be trusted, or accepted by others, they have heard “weird” any number of times.

Social misfits are normally driven to seek those of like mindedness. “Truth Social” offers the means for this to occur. Now, a whole community of weirdo’s have congregated in one place. This is a place where weirdness is to be celebrated. Conspiracy theorists, anti-government, anti-institution, anti-social, evangelical, anti-scientific and uneducated now form the extreme right, and increasingly attempt to have their far flung idiocies placed into public policy, educational institutions and the law.

It is likely that if the far right should succeed in their aim to dismantle democracy, there will be the conditions by which hate, self-service and anti-democratic action becomes the norm within the United States. By dismantling democracy, trump and his minions aim to ‘clean house’ in terms of immigration, forcefully ejecting those who don’t believe in their ridiculous assertions.

Trump’s aim is to dismantle social institutions and to create a society where greed and Capitalism rule the Republic. Trump wants nothing more than to turn back the clock to 1870, where the disadvantaged are kept down within what would be nothing more than a caste system. A misogynist and autocrat, trump loves power and its abuse. His intention is to control the courts, dismantle social services and force emigration of those who love democracy and its liberal policies.

This election is not just another election. It may well be the last opportunity to dismantle the far-right’s dream of a country of autocrats, beholding kleptocrats, where women are to be seen but not heard. A place where women’s rights, essentially fail to exist. Trump is both a racist and a convicted sexual deviant whose only value of women reflects his freedom to both use and abuse women at will.

It’s time to show the pathological liar, thief, pervert, racist and sexual deviant, the door. A one way door…

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Trepidation

On By PhotomotomanIn Donald Trump, Hate, Ignorance, Political Discourse, Political Editorial, PoliticsLeave a comment

The End of Reason

This morning I awoke at 4:30 am, which of itself isn’t entirely unusual. I have a few physical issues that affect my sleep, but this was different. In the back of my mind was, and is, this amorphous, soft, but deliberate and intrusive voice. It is never explicit. Subtle, yet consistent in its message of unease, of trepidation.

It isn’t anything to do with me per se, rather the angst is caused by the unknown. The unknown, yet knowing of the subconscious suggests that all is not right with the world. A fact that is almost laughable in its obviousness. But this isn’t about the physical world, climate change, or the loss of biodiversity, etc., as science is rational and usually somewhat predictable. Instead, it’s as though my sixth sense, that part of my brain that measures all things for consistency, that uses logic, reason and comparative analysis, doesn’t like something, as though there exists a substance in the atmosphere that one can sense but not see, feel, but not touch.

It’s more about intention than knowledge, as though a force one cannot define is creeping across the earth and into the psyche of people containing a message and some form of malevolence, of intention to do harm.

When one looks around this little blue orb and attempts to measure the level of maliciousness, hate, anger, and desire, even need for retribution amongst people, it isn’t an easily quantifiable measurement. People are deliberately obtuse and unwilling to state their true intent. Often this is as a result of some internal conflict with their state of emotions. I should not hate, or promote hatred, but I just can’t help myself. People are agrieved. They aren’t able to articulate specifically why they feel the way they do, – they just do.

Whether discussing politics, religion, the law, ethics, or morality, people fail to analyze their personal level of knowledge, their reasoning or even whether their thoughts have rationality. And today, the media, group-think and an affinity for not testing one’s assumptions and assertions has led entire masses of people, each with an umbrella of singular and often very simple thought processes to take exception with the mainstream, or what I would have deemed to be, mainstream thought.

Insular thought, protective of the core of its message is now becoming so entrenched amoung groups that there is no ability to break through into what should be individual intelligence and reason. People, not all, but certainly enough to create movements of entrenched and unreasonable ideas, now avoid any instrument, device or person who may well throw their ‘belief’, their position, their assertion into question or doubt. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, they are headed towards an objective that will only illustrate its full intent when the worst situation becomes reality.

Close-minded, narrow viewpoints, insular thought and untested and irrational suppositions lead these groups towards action that will further entrench each ‘side’ of a position or argument. It leads to escalation, distrust of the ‘other’, demonizing of ‘those’ who would disagree, and eventually hate that illustrates itself as prejudice, followed by discrimination, and ultimately, violence, even warfare.

Today, all of this is evident. One need only listen to the hate speech dripping from actors, often politicians, in almost every country and its political elites to experience fear and revulsion at where we as human beings are headed. Tolerance, hopefulness, reason, empathy, kindness and love are all in short supply and the shelves are bare.

I have historically been optimistic and forward-looking, but the future is ill-defined and filled with minefields to navigate. This leaves one disquieted. While not anywhere near full blown fight or flight, trepidation exists and I feel it whispering each day.

I don’t plan on going anywhere existentially challenging in the immediate future, but I do worry about what is over the horizon for my children and their children.

Be well, be present.

Ciao…

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The Republican Party is Dead

On By PhotomotomanIn Donald Trump, Hate, Ignorance, Political Discourse, PoliticsLeave a comment

All Hail the Authoritarian Neofascists

If I hadn’t lived it, I would have said it wasn’t possible. American Republicans have become Anthoritarian Neofascists (ANists from here on). Gone are the days of a balanced two party system capable of governing. As Robert Reich wrote in the Guardian on April 19th of this year, “America…needs two parties capable of governing. It needs two parties with a sense of the common good, even if their interpretations of it differ. It needs principled people in government. Even if politics is sometimes dirty and often frustrating, a functional democracy depends on it.”

To the outsider, with no stake in America’s political process, other than being blindsided in the future by the effects of economic, trade and military policy actions, it seems as though Republicans, real Republicans have all died, or given up caring about democracy. Power is the only thing they are interested in, even if it means that a felon, leads the Republican Party. Where are the real Republicans? Have those who once believed in the rule of law and a democracy now been infected with a virus that makes their ability to reason, to think cogently, or even to be honest, – dead from the neck up? Republican Zombies is what they’ve become, incapable of independent thought, intelligent discourse, rationality and reason.

America’s democracy is rotting in front of our eyes. The Republican Party has no respect for the law, for the political process, or for science or education. America will cease to be a leader of anyone other than criminals, thieves, kleptocrats, despots, fools and Christian Zealots, filled with hate, avarice and greed. It is obvious, even to the blind, that if Republicans prevail in the coming election, led by a criminal felon, adjudicated rapist and kleptocrat, Donald Trump, that the United States will become an authoritarian kleptocracy run by neofascists.

In my 71 years of life I have never been happier about not being American as I am at this very moment. America as I knew it, is lost. The voices of reason and those of law abiding, intelligent and educated Americans is quickly being silenced by a right-wing lunatic fringe, aided by the silence of those within the Republican Party who are either afraid, cowardly or simply willing to seek political power at any cost.

Not just as a Canadian, but as a rational human being who can see what is obviously the willful destruction of democracy in America occurring, it’s time to stand with those in America who will fight for democracy, the law and for the election of ethical, honest men and women.

If not, those of us in the western world who believe in democracy will have to learn to create and support a new group of allied nations with citizens committed and willing to maintain a democratic future for all those who seek truth, honor, and reason within secular societies, who are now willing to stand against a criminally led American Kleptocracy.

Failure is not an option. As Robert Reich in the Guardian on April 19th stated in his article, “The Death of the Republican Party is not a Tragedy to be Celebrated… Nixon infected the modern Republican party with a sickness that would ultimately kill it. Donald Trump has finished the job.”

He goes on to say the following,

“Republicans willingness to destroy American democracy so that the Republican Party can stay in power is shared by most Republican office holders today. It is a rejection of American democracy – an abrogation of the self-government that generations of Americans have fought for and died for.”

I could not agree more. Americans have lost sight of their history, or they have become so cynical and hopeless that they are indeed willing to chuck it all in favor of an atrocious, and I might add, evil human being who claims to be on their side.

If the convicted felon is elected by Americans, then America is lost, as is its influence and respect around the world.

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Republicans: The Most Shameful Response Possible

On By PhotomotomanIn Donald Trump, Ignorance, Mental Health, Political Discourse, The Future, WisdomLeave a comment

Today American Law triumphed. A man, willing to do anything to maintain power finally faced justice. No more excuses, no more pretense, and no more lies. Now a convicted felon, Donald J. Trump was proven beyond any doubt to be a man devoid of character, honor, truth, or trust. A man so damaged he is willing to lie, steal, cheat, and likely much worse to maintain power.

Americans can no longer say, “It’s a witchhunt.” Facts, finally, do matter. Again, let that sink in, Trump is a convicted felon, sexual abuser, deviant, pathological liar, and convicted criminal. A criminal who has had five bankruptcies, cheated and swindled others his entire life, fled from responsibility, and a man so cowardly he sought deferment from military service, not once but five times. Trump, is a failure, not just as an entrepreneur, but as a human being. And he is now nothing more than another convicted felon.

If America still elects a man so flawed, evil, ignorant and arrogant, then America deserves what comes from it. Only in America, of all the western democracies, would the public support a convicted felon running for the highest office in the land and find support with almost half of its voting population. More importantly, what message does Trump being able to do so say about America and his supporters?

Can America be trusted to make rational decisions? Why should any nation trust an America devoid of logic, intelligence and rational thought? How is it even possible that within minutes the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson could jump to protect a criminal and convicted felon? What does that say about the Republican Party? I know what it says to me. It says that the Republican Party is as devoid of decency as trump himself.

Would the average American family want trump as a family member? And why have Evangelicals not eschewed Trump? Instead they flock to his immorality, his unethical, illegal and sociopathic behaviour that includes his pathological lies, his marital infidelity, his thievery and his sexual deviancy.

Almost half of America will then have proven themselves to be as sick as Donald Trump himself. And if that happens, America needs an enema, and it should start with the Supreme Court and Congress.

Any decent man would be embarassed, ashamed and contrite. Not Donald. He’s been cheating, lying, dishonest and dishonorable his entire life, so what’s the difference? The difference is that this time, it isn’t just Donald who will be dishonest, and untrustworthy. It will be America and the majority of the American people, if he’s elected.

One thing is for sure. If America elects trump, I for one will never again set foot in the country. I would have no confidence that Americans would protect my rights or anyone who isn’t as obviously flawed as America has become since 2015.

This is the litmus test for America. It is the point where Americans who believe in democracy, facts and truth will actually stand up, or if not, become servants to a traitor, kleptocrat and convicted felon.

The ball is in your court…

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The Politics of Failure

On By PhotomotomanIn Donald Trump, Motorcycling, Political Discourse, PoliticsLeave a comment

The Vote Versus Action

As a one-time student of politics, particularly of identity politics and strategy, it strikes me that Ian Bremmer’s comments of Jan. 2024 in Eurasiagroup ring true. He states,

“Public trust in core institutions—such as Congress, the judiciary, and the media—is at historic lows; polarization and partisanship are at historic highs. Add algorithmically amplified disinformation to the mix, and Americans no longer believe in a common set of settled facts about the nation and the world.”

The political divisions within the U.S. are possibly already irreconcilable. Worse, the political candidates are uniquely unfit for office. Former President Donald Trump still faces dozens of felony criminal charges. Now that the Supreme Court has been stacked and co-opted by Trump, the institution designed to hold power accountable, no longer exists.

His attempt to overturn a free and fair election clearly illustrate what is to come if he fails to win the vote for re-election. We live in a surreal world where truth is only a concept, where laws are meant to be ‘interpreted’ or ignored.

On the other side, a man who would be 86 years old at the end of his term, is constantly questioned as to his mental faculties. Oddly enough the same question is not being applied to a man who he opposes, only four years younger, even though his behaviour begs for medical analysis.

American governance institutions only work in a functional democracy, not where policy extremism, division and gridlock exist. If Trump is elected there will be a full-court press on, designed to delegitimize the system that is prosecuting him. Trump’s ability to manipulate the media and continually flog the victim narrative continually reinforces his preemptive claims of fraud, should he again lose. Chaos, lies and disruption sow doubt in the institutions of governance and reinforce again the polarization that already exists.

Trump’s agenda is clear and the ramifications of that reality extend far beyond the United States. America will, in the eyes of its allies, become untrustworthy. Trump’s lack of support for NATO will strain the transatlantic alliance, sending a message to Moscow that America will not get in the way of further transgressions into Ukraine or other non-NATO states. Escalation will be the result. Trump’s support for Israel will embolden Israel, leading to a probable war with Iran. Trump’s foreign policies of isolationism will see China emboldened, with the fate of Taiwan hanging in the balance. Xi may pull the trigger on Taiwan immediately if Trump is elected, leading to disastrous import tariffs and the potential for war, in all its dimensions with China. Trade protectionism would not end with China. Canada, Mexico and NAFTA will all be imperilled.

Domestically, Trump will simply break the rule of law. He has made it clear that he will weaponize the organs of power. The FBI, the Justice Department, and the IRS will all act to persecute his political enemies and work to block any legal proceedings against himself. A new era of McCarthyism would return, quelling dissent and targeting the voices of reason.

The U.S. system will see further devolvement over time as democratic states would fight to retain political and economic control against Federal powers. Business and investment would move to align with their political interests further fracturing the existing economic environment. The regulatory environment will become a nightmare.

Ultimately, investment would flee offshore as foundational questions about America’s long-term stability and actual viability comes into question. Without credibility or trustworthiness foreign partners will seek refuge elsewhere. Trump’s populism, authoritarianism, and mercurial personality will lead to significant damage in America.

Democracy itself may hang in the balance, and naive wishful-thinking will not overcome the creation of a kleptocratic state.

America is now approaching a fork in the road. One that will not lead to the same destination, but to a road more travelled by autocrats and dictators than politicians and democracies.

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The Results of Trumps Manic-Depressive Attitude Towards Harley Davidson

On By PhotomotomanIn Donald Trump, Tariffs, Trade WarLeave a comment

Donald Trump’s policies concerning trade have been a disaster for some sectors of the US economy. But worse, Trump’s apparent willingness to escalate a trade war with China will be disastrous for Americans and American business interests.

Trump has endorsed downgrading China’s trade status with the US, which will lead tariffs between China and the US to skyrocket. Trump’s plan to revoke China’s “most favored nation” status could lead to tariffs of more than 40%, according to one analyst. According to the Tax Foundation, a right-wing think tank, “this threatens to upend and fragment global trade to an extent we haven’t seen in centuries.”

Trump’s last term saw America’s national debt increase by 8 trillion dollars as well as having paid for a $30 billion bailout to American farmers hurt by retaliatory tariffs imposed by China.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/01/27/trump-china-trade-war/

Donald Trump has not done American motorcycling manufacturing any favors with his bipolar attitude toward trade. His protective trade actions with almost every foreign country and his ideas about how American companies should only produce motorcycles in North America has led to reciprocal arrangements targeted at Harley Davidson in Europe, and now in India.

Without using any logic, as usual, it would seem that Trump continues to shoot first and ask questions later. American manufacturers are trying to determine the impacts of almost being forced to only manufacture in America, yet Americans continue to consistently buy fewer and fewer Harley-Davidsons, (down another 16% in the first three quarters of 2023).

If Trump decides to throw tariffs at Hero Motorcycle and TVS, it will only hurt American consumers, since there isn’t any American competition for the bikes that these Indian Manufacturers produce. Meanwhile, Trump’s myopic tirades will create further impediments to the sale of Harley-Davidson products, both domestically and abroad.

Tariff wars do not help make American-made motorcycles less expensive. With Harley’s CVO line now at $45,000, almost none of America’s younger motorcyclists can afford one, even if they wanted one, and that’s a big if in itself. Additionally, older buyers, many retiring or simply aging out of riding motorcycles, are buying used Harleys, which sell for half the price of the new models, or less.

With Trump likely coming back to power, Harley Davidson is between a rock and a hard place. It can’t manufacture overseas without incurring the wrath of Trump, for not supporting his trade policy, and with the prices it’s charging for its motorcycles it can’t compete in foreign markets. This leaves Harley Davidson needing to either completely reinvent itself, or it will continue to shrink until either insolvency or a sale of Harley Davidson occurs, most likely to an overseas buyer willing to purchase Harley at fire sale prices, while completely revamping the company from the ground up.

If Trump is re-elected U.S. consumers and firms will probably bear the brunt of a new trade war with China. If Trump ends normal trade relations Oxford Economics states that the cost to the U.S. economy would amount to $1.6 trillion annually and 700,000 lost jobs. Think about that. The U.S. only does $550 billion of trade with China, yet the effects of a trade war will cost American taxpayers twice that amount.

The following chart illustrates how much debt every American faces with the present level of national debt, as of 2023;

As for Harley Davidson, its financial results for all of 2023 will be released in two days. If they haven’t markedly improved, the slide will not only persist but increase in speed. Investors have waited and waited for Harley to figure out its issues. They won’t wait forever. Combined with a new isolationist, America First policy by Trump, it may put the last nail in the coffin of Harley Davidson.

Again, at $45,000 for its CVO line, there won’t be lines outside of Harley dealerships anytime soon.