If you think things are bad now, then, brace yourself: it is about to get a whole lot worse. If you are alarmed at the speed with which the Trump administration has set about dismantling every institution of American government and every pillar of the international order, you must understand that this is not just the initial burst of activity, the “shock and awe” phase after which things will settle down: if anything, the pace will continue to accelerate.
The world has never before been faced with such a threat. The United States has handed the nuclear codes to a madman, a criminal, a would-be dictator and a moron, all in the same person. Whatever the purpose to which he directs these powers – to impress his dictator friends, to further enrich himself and his cronies, to seize absolute power or just to watch the world burn – we must hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
I’ll be the one to say it. We have been living in good times. The internet has the vocal crowd of naysayers. I believe they are signal boosted by “the algorithms” sowing the discontent bubble. That’s why there hasn’t been much counter-movement. Enough people are still too comfortable.
And you all can spare me the belligerent replies about how this or that sucks for whoever or whatever. That doesn’t strike the fact that things are good for enough people such that there isn’t mass breakdowns of social order.
It’s actually kind of crazy how the system keeps bending yet nothing has completely snapped. We’re not even at Occupy Wall Street level.