Over the weekend, the bad news just sort of snowballed into a delirious mess of awfulness. Everything was about Donald Trump, Russian hacking, the CIA versus the FBI, and stupidity. The basic gist – and it’s pissing me off that everyone is now acting like this is BRAND NEW INFORMATION – is that Russia hacked the sh-t out John Podesta and the DNC and then shuffled all of the info to Wikileaks in an attempt to sway the American election. The actual brand new information was that the CIA claims Russia also hacked the sh-t out of the RNC, but they’re holding onto that info so they can use it in their long-running schemes to control and influence American politicians. There’s infighting between the FBI – the “see no evil” organization when it comes to Russia – and the CIA. PEOTUS Trump claims that everybody is just lying because he won so hard and no one ever said anything about Russia to him (ORLY?). Vox had a good primer on everything that’s been happening – go here and here to read. If you want to go even deeper, I would suggest reading this entire tweet-thread too.
Why bring this up? Because Patton Oswalt wrote some words about it. The news might make me sick to my stomach, but at least I know Patton Oswalt is just as disgusted as me. He posted this on Facebook over the weekend:
This f–king election. F–king Trump. These newest revelations, that Russia hacked the election. Piles of evidence, teetering up to the sky. That Russia ALSO hacked the RNC and are holding them over a barrel because of what they know. Which would be hilarious if it wasn’t so frightening.
And the boiling chaos that’s resulting from it. I’ve got conservative friends actually DEFENDING Russia on this. I’ve got progressive friends gloating that we’ve finally had done to us what we’ve done to other countries. That Hillary somehow deserves this. That WE somehow deserve this. That infuriating cliche about, “It’s actually GOOD if Trump destroys everything it’ll start a revolution BLAH BLAH BLAH F-CKING BLAH…”
And in the middle of it all is Trump — bloated, grinning, oblivious, wearing his cheap baseball cap and ruining people’s lives with his Twitter. While all around him — smarter, better, exhausted people scramble around, trying to sweep up a china shop he keeps stumbling through, laughing the whole time at these stupid nerds picking up the broken pieces on the ground. Losers. Weak.
Trump doesn’t spread evil. He doesn’t even spread chaos. Evil and chaos are beyond his abilities. He spreads MEDIOCRITY. And anyone who gets near him gets dragged into the same sloppy, tossed-off, first-draft sh-tscape he lives in.
Except this time, it’s the entire country who got too close to him. We’re about to become, as a nation, as garish and pathetic as one of his hotel suites. Balsa wood under gold spray paint. A chandelier over a toilet. Knock-off Haviland and Parlon china on which to serve a Big Mac. And the people MAKING the Big Macs getting screwed, stripped and exploited while the predators high-five on their private jets.
In nine days the electors make their choice. Let’s hope they choose to save us from our grope-y, racist uncle who just won $50,000 playing scratch-offs.
[From Patton Oswalt’s Facebook]
Here’s the thing – I think Donald Trump is tacky, mediocre, stupid, reckless, assault-y and disgusting too. And I totally understand how people can get stuck on that aspect of him, that Jesus Christ this buffoon is our president and it’s just so awful. But, like, it’s so much worse than that. It’s sooooooo much worse. I mean, China is flying nuclear-armed bombers over the South China Sea because Trump is a sniveling child. Trump is stocking his cabinet with Kremlin-approved charlatans. The minute Trump steps into the White House, the America we know is over. Democracy is over. The Republic is fundamentally broken.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Excellent post. But he is still spreading evil – mediocrity, dumbed down, to sell it to the masses, but still evil!
I am terrified.
His Secretary of State was given the “Order of Friendship” from Russia/Putin in 2013! Trump is seriously giving our country over to Putin’s control, all for the personal gain of billionaires. It is so troubling.
My friends and I are organizing. This can’t be allowed to happen.
Mediocrity? That’d be a step up. Stupidity is what we’re getting.
Stupidity is too mild a word. While he is not the poster child for intelligence the sad fact is that he and his team are incredibly manipulative, smart and meticulous. Throughout the campaign I was waiting for those supporting him, which includes anyone that has been passive/quiet about him, to stand up and say something. But no, it’s all about excuses and deflection. Slightly revised based on current circumstances….
First they came for the Mexicans, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Mexican;
Then they came for the Muslims, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Muslim;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the press, and I did not speak out – because I was not part of the press;
Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak out for me.
They are already coming for the elderly, the disabled, and the sick with legislation filed to destroy Social Security *filed in House Committee last Thursday) and the ACA and with plans to file to destroy Medicare and Medicaid in development.
Putin’s puppet.
McConnell probably committed treason, at the very least, he committed some very serious ethical violations in order to enrich himself at the expense of our country’s security. Which is why he claims he wants an investigation but wants a Trump crony to conduct it instead of McCain.
McCain is working the media very hard to ensure he gets to run this show. Let’s hope he casts a very wide net with the investigation and nabs McConnell as well.
God what a sketchy-ass bastard McConnell is.
I really appreciated Patton’s essay. I also happen to love the guy so maybe I’m giving him a little more leeway than I would somebody else. I think his point was really about how basic Trump is, how unqualified and utterly out-of-depth he is in this position.
That being said, I do think Trump is intentionally malevolent and sure, “evil” is applicable as well.
I liked what Patton said about some liberals getting excited that Trump’s presidency will start a revolution. My BF was just saying last night that in his most optimistic moments he thinks that there will be such a strong backlash against Trump, that people will revolt. Ok, except the people who voted for Trump seem perfectly happy with everything that’s happening thus far with his administration. Revolt? Please these people are licking Trump’s nuts.
You know, there was a time (not so long ago) when I thought the specter of repealing/gutting/privatizing Medicare and Social Security would incite a revolt of some magnitude – considering that a huge swath of Trumpsters depend of those programs for survival. I no longer think that. They will swallow whatever spin is fed to them and smile as their benefits as eviscerated. When their government checks dwindle and fade away, I am confident that they will find a way to blame Obama.
@Kitten, like your BF, I’m a little optimistic. Unlike your BF, I am optimistic about people recommitting to their progressive causes — not about revolt.
Re: Patton Oswalt: “sloppy, tossed-off, first-draft sh-tscape” THIS. You guys, more and more, the world is driving home the point that things DON’T HAVE TO BE GOOD OR WELL DONE TO BE POPULAR. More and more, actually, I think people prefer the bush-league amateur hour material of someone who is creating with only their cell phone and a half-hour deadline.
They will cut future Medicare and social security benefits. People receiving benefits now will be fine, but the next generation will be completely screwed.
McConnell KNEW Russia hacked before the election, but since they also hacked the RNC and could have dirt on him, he kept quite. Ah well, at least his wife got a cabinet position.
I can’t believe how many GOP congressional members are willing to sell our country to Russia. It’s so insane.
I blame Trump for the rise in the number of people who feel safe in expressing (by words or actions) their neo-nazi beliefs. I think that’s evil.
Also, I’m not optimistic that people whose medicare and social security payments get cut will revolt in favor of progressive politics. They seem like they will end up favoring authoritarians.
Mediocrity? Yes? But that mediocrity is allowing evil to flourish and I am beginning to fear that there is no turning back.
Trump and most of the Republican Party members should all be charged with treason.
People who voted for him are just plain stupid and don’t even deserve to be mentioned.
The fact that Trump thinks he can bully China and India just shows how much he cares about USA. Two of the most powerful nations in the world and Trump thinks he can handle them the way he wants to?
China please just give a statement saying that Trump had to pay back his debt within 1 day and that America has to pay back its debt if they elect Trump as president.
Let’s see how that goes?
Spot-on Maya. I always believed the current crop of Republican leaders were nutcases but I did not think they would go so low.
Is it sad to want China to hack the heck out of Trump and the RNC? We know they can/have so let’s see the goods. The reality is that Trump, cabinet and foreign governments will all make deals at the expense of the working class and environment. The writing has been on the wall for the last 12 months.
+1,000,000
Its also hilarious that he thinks he son in law can ‘sort out the middle east’. I would laugh it i wasn’t scared about that.
This man will start another WW, if he doesn’t completely empt the US coffers first into his own ‘businesses’.
“Trump and most of the Republican Party members should all be charged with treason.”
I agree. If you know about foreign powers interfering in our election system and they don’t try to stop it, they are enabling it.
I just…I can’t even think about it. As terrible as 2016 was, I fear 2017 will be so much worse. Trump is a nightmare and both Republicans and Democrats are too spineless to do anything about it. We’re on our own here, people.
And all we have to look forward to is the Earth becoming a climate disaster. Sea levels rising, crops not growing, extinction, refugees. The future is so very bleak.
I agree that he is not spreading evil; it was already there just waiting in the shadows to be repackaged as something brand damn new. Like racist white people not wanting to be known as white supremacists but white nationalists, as if somehow there is an actual difference between the two.
The only difference now is that everyone is aware of it and not just some people. He is just the person who made it ok for the racists and racist enablers to finally say what they were thinking out loud.
Sadly, I second that.
No, Trump actually DOES spread evil while making it seem like mediocrity. That’s why people must be vigilant which is hard to do because we are so busy with day to day, basically lazy and tired and have such short attention spans. This election was corrupted by Russia and that is just one reason why we must not normalize this pussygrabbing conman and put him into the WH.
+1,000
Yes, robyn, exactly. I love what Oswald wrote — especially the part about how smart, exhausted people scramble to undo the damage he continually wreaks — but my only quibble is that I think he underestimates the evil part of the vile and nasty Trump equation.
Can’t stand trump but I don’t believe russia funneled anything to wikileaks. I mean, if it had you would think the info would have been more selective rather than a huge data dump that had to be searched through.
@giulia Will you also question the CIA when they say a terrorist attack is imminent?
? Actually we have gotten warning but the reality is there is so much info coming in real threats get lost in the mix and not followed up on. Remember it was russia that warned us of th e tsarnev bros
But what if that huge dump was a way to cover up what Russia was doing? Just another perspective on it.
I guess but if the idea was to.throw the election why risk reporters etc not.finding the relevant emails in time? I came of age during the.cold war and still give the side eye to hysteria. Another thing that makes me wonder is why no serious call to dismantle the electoral college and end superdelegates too.
As for patton he is great.love him
The emails that were released were highly curated and deliberately edited to be misleading. This was and continues to be well covered in the media.
They were selective!!! They hacked the RNC, but didn’t distribute any of that information. You can bet they are blackmailing the GOP right now.
Besides, they didn’t need to be selective. Something as harmless as ordering pizza for campaign staff was turned into Pizzagate (aka child sex trafficking), so why not give them plenty of documents from which to invent scandals?
if it was just mediocrity it would all be alright, nothing would happen.
also “I’ve got progressive friends gloating that we’ve finally had done to us what we’ve done to other countries”
thats why there isnt much outrage around the world about possible russian involvement. people will care less when a country that has installed countless dictators all around the world gets the same thing done to them.
“The issues are much too important for the Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves.” – Henry Kissinger
It is true than in France, the new info are barely covered by the media. Mind you, we have our own problems and our own upcoming presidential election. Plus, ust like our Americans allies, we are very familiar with “influencing” foreign elections so…
I love Patton Oswald and he’s one of my favorites on Twitter.
Me too Mia girl!!! He’s very succinct and on point with so many of his links, thoughts, outrage I am so impressed.
I’m also sort of embarrassed to say that I first became aware of him on the tv show Dollhouse in about part, so imagine my surprise a few years later to find out he’s a world renowned comic.
He’s been outstanding on Twitter pre and post election. LOVE.
He was also great on Justified.
If this isn’t treason I don’t know what is. Russia was grooming Trump for years through business and money ventures and even deeper ties that I suspect are yet to be unraveled. Trump had his hat slogan patented and ready go way before he announced. This has been in the works for years and possibly why Trump refused to show his taxes. (And why is NOT showing your taxes even legal when you’re running for president for heaven’s sake!!!!)
Media and the law have to stop asking if Russia wanted Trump to win or just wanted to mess with America. OF COURSE RUSSIA WANTED TRUMP TO WIN!!!!! Isn’t it completely obvious even to the most thick headed person and/or Republican??? If Hillary loses, Trump and Russia win. And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there was also fiddling with the ballots themselves just enough to nudge him over the top … not only in the presidential election but also with the primaries where he seemed to win over seventeen people while being a racist jerk. I find it hard to believe that conservatives were so horrible as to overlook his complete unfitness to lead. Oh, and then there is Brexit … Russia wants to unravel the European Union. Were the polls really so wrong or was there fiddling from Russia throughout all this. Russia has no problem cheating in the Olympics and lying about it so why not this too.
Russia tampering with both the general and primary elections would explain a lot that has seemed so unfathomable.
A British MP said in the UK Parliament today that he believed the Brexit vote had been hacked by Russia. I don’t know on what evidence. But a Trump-led USA, and a weakened EU without the UK and with fascist heads of state, would suit Vlad just fine.
what can we do?!
seriously…we’re talking about it, bracing ourselves via the internet…
what more can we do…there has to be something?
do we walk out of our jobs and march somewhere?
do we get our money out of the banks and stuff it in the mattress?
I’m not being sassy here, I’m seriously wondering what people think we should do about it…
this is the beginning of something…like that slow-motion moment you get stuck in when you’re about to rear-end another car. There is nothing you feel you can do. It’s already too late…if only we could go back and DO SOMETHING…
Peaceful marches are good. Also, glad to see a joint effort to finally look into Russian involvement and corruption. It’s way past time but never too late and hopefully will lead to more and more insight as time goes on. I’m hoping for impeachment and eventual jail for Trump.
I wonder also about Russian connections to the Anthony Weiner scandal and how they might have conned the FBI into helping Trump unknowingly in an environment that wasn’t condusive to having a woman boss to begin with. The timing of the email investigation in regards to Anthony Weiner makes me think there is more to that story than meets the eye. Wasn’t there a Trump supporter involved in that sexting fiasco? It all seems like such a setup.
There’s a ton you can do. If you have the time, there’s this: http://directelection.org/
I’ve joined a few groups on social media that are amazing in terms of activism. Simple things like calling local reps or asking Google not to post ads on hateful sites like Breitbart.
None of this will make Trump go away but it’s a way to feel empowered, a way to have a voice in all of this.
A few of my friends are starting groups. There is Rise Up LA. We are going to local democratic meetings in 2017.
I think the best plan is to be specific. If you are concerned about Trump’s environmental policies/EPA pick, for example. I think it is less helpful to be just generically “pro-environment”. A better plan is to look at areas that Obama held off drilling, expect that Trump will want to open up drilling there. Look at related legislation or policies related to that. Organize to make calls/write ins to specific people who work on those issues in Congress.
I think the best defense is to have people being “goalie” for specific causes, while we all generally support one another in case a ball goes off in an unexpected direction.
Never underestimate the shrewdness of the Russians. By hacking into the DNC (and RNC) and distributing their “findings” through Wikileaks, they have undermined American democracy. They have installed a puppet leader as POTUS and want to further destabilize the US.
As a relative of a White Russian, I heard all the grim stories of the Soviets growing up. Ukrainians who sided with the Nazis in WW2 (which they did in large numbers) were sent to the gulag. Hundreds of thousands fled Soviet rule to expanding enclaves in Shanghai and the US.
It’s been chaos since 1917 and it will be chaos in 2017. An appropriate centennial celebration.
Agreed with you entirely.
Me too. One of my best friends is a Russian immigrant and MAN the stories he tells. It’s some gnarly, threatening stuff and he’s like, I left Russia and now I have to deal with THIS GUY?!
So depressing…so true but so damn depressing. Sigh.
When even Joe Walsh is on the mark!!?? JFC!!
http://twitter.com/walshfreedom/status/808551094964121602
Wow yeah he has a series of pretty anti-Trump tweets there….or maybe not anti-Trump but anti-Russia meddling in the election.
Good for you, Joe Walsh. A refreshing bit of sanity.
What can you do? Start here:
99 Ways to Fight Trump
https://99waystofighttrump.com/99-ways-to-fight-trump/
I’m still hoping the electoral college has enough people with brains to vote as faithless electors come the day. All Trumplethinskin has done since the election is act like a petulant child, refusing to do what’s required of him, and instead preferring to cause trouble. To put it far too mildly. What’s Russian for Manchurian candidate?
+all the points forever to Patton Oswalt. Our birthday is the same day 😊 Werewolves and Lollipops would be a great distraction now. Now, more than ever, let’s all have a kid and name it “twelve hours of sleep every night.”
The fact that the United States is now so polarized that those on the right are willing to allow/minimize Russian interference as long as the result benefits their party…WTF. WTF?!? I pray that the few Republicans that are still Americans first will continue to push the issue. What will it take for our country to come together again?
Yes, WTF indeed.
Sometimes I think I am too jaded to be amazed anymore…but yeah. The GOP being cool with Russia messing with our elections AND hacking their party is pretty shocking.
Unbelievable. They should be bloody furious.
It’s amazing that Orange Apocalypse is just as messy as we all thought he’d be but dude hasn’t even been sworn in yet. He’s that big of a mess. He’s arrogant and ignorant, a lethal combo. And he’s being exploited to the high heavens by the opportunistic leeches who’ve attached themselves to him. All they have to do is tell him, “Baby you’re the best.” The same way Melania got her gig, I hear. LOL and Oh noes.
ITA. His cabinet is beyond frightening. There’s no mediocrity here, just plain undisguised greed, evil, and treason.
Idk a lot about the actual voting process in the US. Is it possible that Russia actually hacked the voting process? As in giving trump enough votes to win the EC? I ask because I remember seeing an R strategist saying (only days before the election) that the Dems were going to win the WH and Senate, maybe even the House. How could he be that wrong?
It’s possible. I do remember seeing an HBO documentary where voting machines were hacked on camera and the hacker got in, added votes and got out undetected. I told myself the technology had probably improved since the doc was made (I think the documentary is around 10 years old now). But who am I kidding? It probably hasn’t. And even if it has, there’s people dedicated to the science of hacking. So there’s no guarantee they haven’t caught up with or exceeded the current technology. Potentially, this could be a very deep rabbit hole.
No, it’s not possible. Most voting machines are not linked to the internet, so they would have to be hacked in person, one-by-one.
Love Patton, love this. So much truth. Spinning his own recent grief and pain into gold for us through all of this. I get more nervous every day with each insane appointment and announcement.
I’m looking forward best I can and wondering how we can overcome the Republican deathgrip on the House and Senate in 2018. They’ve successfully managed to gerrymander and re-draw so many key state districts it will be tough to do. The Dems NEED to wake up and develop a cohesive strategy to counter this or straight-forward efforts I fear will come to naught.
Instead of calling Trump POTUS can we refer to him as PO(TU)S. The letters in brackets being silent.
If you’re looking for a Christmas gift, look here:
http://smile.amazon.com/MTS-Trump-Toilet-Paper/dp/B01KGFW01U/ref=pd_cp_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JQZE0SP3CQEQNFC1DRB4
I am literally terrified of what we are heading into. I kept telling my friends we should do more about Trump but they kept saying “he won’t make it past the primaries…oh no one will really vote for him”. And here we are.
I feel like I’m on a train that’s derailing and I can’t do f@ck all about it. I do know that my MA in Modern European History may have done f@ck all in my career, but it sure ha armed me for what we may face.
I sincerely fear we are going to end up going to war with Russia against Chine and Europe.
And I hope to hell that I end up being proven a conspiracy theory nut.
Honestly. I worry about our collective future.
I am literally terrified of what we are heading into. I kept telling my friends we should do more about Trump but they kept saying “he won’t make it past the primaries…oh no one will really vote for him”. And here we are.
I feel like I’m on a train that’s derailing and I can do f@ck all about it. I do know that my MA in Modern European History may have done f@ck all for my career, but it sure has armed me for what we may face.
I sincerely fear we are going to end up going to war with Russia against Chine and Europe.
And I hope to hell that I end up being proven a conspiracy theory nut.
Honestly. I worry about our collective future.