43 percent of Americans voted for somebody. Which means, it shouldn't be that "ridiculous" to say you "get the Trump Thing."
But I do. I feel ridiculous saying that.
Because it is ridiculous. It's embarrassing that we got to a point self-esteem wise, as a country, where we voted that into office.
But I get it. If I were 53 right now, and I had the same life I have right now -- I'd probably have voted for him.
I'd have voted for him, because I know that he would see me as a white male, and so if he was going to start cutting off resources, he was going to make sure that other people would start suffering before me.
He'd make life worse for everyone else, before he made it worse for me.
I see Trump as a really selfish guy. A guy who wants to make things better not just for himself, but for anyone who even looks like him. If I'm an unemployed guy in Ohio that used to work in a factory, then I'm looking at Trump and seeing myself.
That's not confusing, right?
When Obama got voted in, there were a lot of people that didn't know him at all. But they were inspired because for the first time, a President reminded them of themselves.
Same thing for a lot of white Americans, in 2016. They saw someone who looked like them, and hated like them, and they got inspired. "If my thoughts got to be President, we'd really get some stuff done!"
They realized things would get worse for a lot of people in America -- people who didn't deserve it at all -- but they didn't care. Trump voters got excited watching Trump's campaign like it was a car chase in a movie. Sure, swerving through traffic like that caused a 100-car pile-up and 25 deaths...
but the camera followed the hero! That's the only result that matters: do we get the ending we want?
_____
That's how reasonable self-interest became bigotry.
But it's important we are allowed to have discussions about this stuff. I feel like no one talks to each other anymore. And I don't think it helps our society. I think it holds it back.
But I do. I feel ridiculous saying that.
Because it is ridiculous. It's embarrassing that we got to a point self-esteem wise, as a country, where we voted that into office.
But I get it. If I were 53 right now, and I had the same life I have right now -- I'd probably have voted for him.
I'd have voted for him, because I know that he would see me as a white male, and so if he was going to start cutting off resources, he was going to make sure that other people would start suffering before me.
He'd make life worse for everyone else, before he made it worse for me.
I see Trump as a really selfish guy. A guy who wants to make things better not just for himself, but for anyone who even looks like him. If I'm an unemployed guy in Ohio that used to work in a factory, then I'm looking at Trump and seeing myself.
That's not confusing, right?
When Obama got voted in, there were a lot of people that didn't know him at all. But they were inspired because for the first time, a President reminded them of themselves.
Same thing for a lot of white Americans, in 2016. They saw someone who looked like them, and hated like them, and they got inspired. "If my thoughts got to be President, we'd really get some stuff done!"
They realized things would get worse for a lot of people in America -- people who didn't deserve it at all -- but they didn't care. Trump voters got excited watching Trump's campaign like it was a car chase in a movie. Sure, swerving through traffic like that caused a 100-car pile-up and 25 deaths...
but the camera followed the hero! That's the only result that matters: do we get the ending we want?
_____
That's how reasonable self-interest became bigotry.
But it's important we are allowed to have discussions about this stuff. I feel like no one talks to each other anymore. And I don't think it helps our society. I think it holds it back.
No comments:
Post a Comment