House of Eratosthenes

So, we did it. We elected Donald Trump to a second term. A second, non-consecutive term, which makes him the first President since 1892, and only the second one in our nation’s entire history, to be re-elected in such a way. I saw someone somewhere talk it up as “The Greatest Political Comeback in All of Human History” or some such thing…it probably is that, without exaggeration. Matter of opinion, I suppose.

Descriptions of the first week have settled into a comfort-zone of most frequently used adjectives, nouns and metaphors, like “whirlwind,” “sweeping,” “pushing the envelope,” et al. Killing off Diversity Equity and Inclusion, or DEI; launching the opening salvo in what is sure to be a protracted legal battle over “birthright citizenship”; declassification of the JFK, RFK and Martin Luther King assassination files; many others.

From his detractors, surprisingly — total silence. Maybe I should call that “near total,” since there is no such thing as total silence in our national discourse. Starting sometime in the weekend just past, during which this incoming administration was around five or six days old, there began to emerge a leitmotif of steadying complaint which consisted of:

1. If you’re a man, women aren’t going to have sex with you because you supported Trump;
2. Elon Musk made a gesture during the inaugural festivities that resemble(s/d) a Nazi salute;
3. Okay so now he’s President, and these egg prices you were complaining about, haven’t gone down.

That’s listed in roughly the order of frequency in which I’ve been hearing these. I don’t know if I’m “hooked in” in my reading sources, or in my contact with social media, to glean a perfect reading of it. Is there such a thing? Probably not. I can only assume my reading of it is satisfactory, and to be that, it has to compare with the typical reading of others who’ve tried to similarly assess. It probably fulfills at least that much. All I can do is assume.

I see the word “incel” has emerged as a synonym, and not entirely appropriately or accurately, for one who supports President Trump and his reforms. It’s supposed to mean involuntarily celibate, as in, a heterosexual man who can’t get any action with the women. Conflating this with Trump support, to those who can think through such matters with discipline, would suggest Trump opposition is on balance insincere, merely a first step toward “success” with dipping the wick. That strikes me as rather sexist; women are just Trump-hating whores, ready to provide the wetness and the 98.6°F for the lads who sound off or vote the right way?

When a woman uses this word to describe Trump supporters, she presupposes all other women are going to apply the same filter. And, one must anticipate, provide the same conditional reward. I’ve noticed, since my first wife’s final round of good-byes, that this presumption of “All women are going to behave and prefer the way I behave and prefer” is the signature of the woman who allows her mouth to out-perform her brain: “No woman will ever blah blah blah.” Women should be the first to understand women are unique. They decide on an individual level. We think, anyway (occasionally we men have our doubts).

Now. When a man conflates “incel” with Trump support…it’s even worse!

1. I forbid any woman from having relations with you, ’cause you’re orange
2. They’re all going to do as I say!
3. That makes you incel

Not only is such a man stupid, but sexist as well. Stupid and sexist in such a way, as to suggest his lifetime contact with the opposite sex is sparse and unedifying. He acts like what he calls others.

The “I” word, over time up to now, but especially now — has been worn out to the point of uselessness, and rather thoroughly.

Regarding the Musk thing, what strikes me about it is that the comparison is far more convincing in still photos, than in motion pictures, in which Elon’s gesture can be clearly seen as one of “From my heart, to all of yours” or something. Moving film footage exists of Der Fuhrer making his own Nazi salute, and…it’s not close. Not even convincing. Still photos are another matter, but we’re not living in the age of still photos, are we?

As far as the egg prices, well…I guess we’re all going to have to hunker down and see how this plays out over time. If opposition to Trump has centered itself around “Egg Whataboutism,” it has done so only with limited enthusiasm for this new rhetorical tactic, and with limited credibility and limited success. As of this writing, the administration is early into its eighth day. Any shopper who’s sufficiently savvy to see what’s happened to egg prices during the Biden regime, will probably figure out it takes longer than that to bring the prices back down to sane levels again.

Bottom line to all of it though, is this: The first week of Trump 2.0 is arguably history-making, in terms of the wave-making and the frenzy of activity. If I were in the business of conjuring up opposition to Trump just for the sake of conjuring up opposition to Trump, and it’s clear many are engaged in just such an endeavor, for exactly that purpose, nothing more — and I managed to come up with these three arguments? I’d hang my head in shame. Back to the drawing board. An obvious decision.

Find some other complaints that might resonate. Come on, there have to be some. There’s been so much activity, this is the best I can do? Looks like Nazi salute in still photos, eggs still cost, and won’t-screw-you? And then the barrel is empty and we’re scraping the bottom. That’s just stunning.

This End-DEI thing alone, all by itself; that’s thousands of jobs. Dumb stupid jobs, and maybe if the stupidity of the job surpasses the stupidity of the person holding it, bushels of wasted talent. But with all those jobs coming to a certain end, you’d think the resulting resentment would give rise to something better than Nazis, eggs and friend-zone.

But it’s clear that at this point, that’s all they have.

Whatever happened to life on Earth being in danger because of our gas-powered cars?

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Our National ConversationTuesday, January 28th, 2025

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Tuesday, January 28th, 2025