So I guess 2016 claimed its biggest victim yet - America

This has been a terrible year for deaths. Along with all the people we’ve lost I see the U.S. losing it’s better image in the world becoming an anathema again, the protections and rights so many have fought for becoming marginalized.

Racist, Taliban America made its will known and they will hurt everyone but their own. Republicans broke Democracy by not following through on Supreme Court appointments. Our cherished Democracy has been anything but that since Obama was elected president and they decided power and obstruction was worth more than the United States itself.

Could it be perhaps, though, that the Democrats did not mobilize enough voters? A little time will pass for the analysis of the results, but I honestly think that lazy millenials and democrat voters who let the perfect be the enemy of the good allowed this election to run away from them.

Trump won by a very narrow margin. This should be a a nasty wakeup call to the new generation of voters (and the older cynical democrats) that they better take their responsibilities seriously.

Hopefully if anything positive comes of this it will be that the whole GOP will have this hanging around their necks come 2018 or 2020. On the other hand, that would mean that things had really gone to hell so that’s not so good either.

From the sounds of it turnout was down overall, so that could be part of it. In some areas though it sounded like they were getting record turnout.

The GOP will find some reason to blame Dems regardless. Let’s not kid ourselves.

I feel for your health care Jeff

The Mexican Peso seems to have been the biggest victim so far?

Was interesting to see the election map last night in the guardian app, and how even in red states, the major cities seemed to be blue. I guess, even with Trump grabbing women by their pussies, Hillary and her “talking points” was too toxic for many.

What was the voter turnout? Isn’t the US around 58% or something?

Look on the bright side; No Nobel Peace Prize this time. But maybe a Miss America pageant in the radiation zone of Iran in a few years time.

https://www.ft.com/content/74c89e06-a63f-11e6-8b69-02899e8bd9d1

I was watching the elections live till 4am here, but didn’t participate because it felt wrong to weight on the horror that belongs to others as it’s happening. Now it’s done.

I am sorry for you guys. I am sorry for us too, since this is going to have repercussions far beyond the US, but I’m mainly sorry for you because the image you had of your country (and honestly, the image I had after living there for 6 years) just got smashed to tiny pieces.

The two political systems perceived as more powerful, efficient and mature in the world (while still democratic) have collapsed with Brexit and Trump. I’m not sure the super controlled EU system (where a crazy in a country has a limited reach) is any more stable, tbh, and that scares the shit out of me.

Anyway, best of luck in the coming months!

For those wondering how to talk to your children about this, I suggest this as a starting point.

Personally, I wimped out. My six year old daughter didn’t ask anything this morning, so I didn’t say anything. But we’re Canadian, so I have that luxury. I do not envy the conversations you folks will be having.

My conversation was easy. People suck. I now have some of the best proof yet.

I hugged my girls, told them that Donald Trump was going to be president without saying negative things about him. Then I told them that they could grow up to be anything they want to be, including president, and explained how we elect a president every 4 years, so it wouldn’t be long before somebody else is in office. Then I told them that I love them very much and and always would do everything in my power to make sure they have the most opportunities and the most positive experiences that I can give. They hugged me back and I felt a lot better about everything. They are positive forces in the world and no amount of Donald Trump is going to change that.

Meanwhile, he can go deal with all of this crap while people continue to applaud his election.

I understand that attitude, especially after last night. My personal preference is to raise my children to believe otherwise. I guess that makes me hopelessly naive.

Did any of you sleep well last night? In ‘04, the reelection of Bush depressed the hell out of me but it didn’t fill me with a sense of dread and anxiety like Trump’s victory last night did. One melatonin tablet is enough to send me to la la land but last night’ it was virtually ineffective.

I’m trying to look on the bright side to this and I’m reminded of what @triggercut said when the R’s retook the House and Senate in the midterms: Pendulums . . . they swing back and forth. I just hope that by the time it swings back left the damage done isn’t too severe. Everyone is going to hurt but I feel especially bad for women and minorities right now. And science and the environment? It was nice knowing you.

America’s not done, folks. America is its people, not its government.

There are a lot of easily fooled folks out there, but this is nothing new.

America will keep going by doing what America is, ultimately, about. Stick up for each other, and defend the rights of others as much as yourself. Be the good guy.

That is what America is. Non Americans will balk at such exceptionalism, but I believe it now as much as I believed it yesterday. We’re still the cowboy with the white hat. That’s what we have to be. If we lose sight of that, or cave to thinking that someone has somehow corrupted our country itself, then there’s no one left to fight for what’s right in this world. We’re the fucking eagles in the battle of the five armies.

Again, such beliefs can be called naive, but the world requires them to be true. The world needs America to be the shining city on the hill. When you look close, maybe there are some cracks, and it’s not as pristine as it may have appeared, but the world needs the promise that America offered. A strong voice for freedom and democracy.

So pull yourselves together, and do your shit.

Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. :D

America, for all it’s blunders, has IMO, been defined for one thing. Meaning well. Which, I guess, means even my low opinion of people is higher than it should be.

Yeah, well that image is completely wrecked abroad, judging by press reactions and my Whatsapp and Twitter feeds.

America might continue to be the cowboy with the white hat (I certainly hope so) at home but it’s ability to impart moral leadership abroad is really wrecked, and it’s not going to be easy to repair. The idea of Trump as the leader of the free world is laughable. At best he’s going to be tolerated like Berlusconi was.

With Europe’s own fears of populism rising, I don’t see any way anything pushed internationally by a Trump administration will gain any foothold here.

And, if Trump goes to war (god, I hope he doesn’t) there will be no international coalition this time.

This, of course, assuming our own far right xenophobic clowns don’t gain power anytime soon. We need to learn from you guys.

Again, America is not its president. He’s our president, we’re not his subjects. He serves us.

Yeah I agree with you, but I lived there for a significant amount of time.

But that’s not what you see from outside. From outside, what America is (that is, what people think America is) is defined if a significant part by it’s president and it’s international policy (which doesn’t look rosy right now).

Movies too. That’s true. Maybe Hollywood will help.

Obama did wonders for the public perception of America (with all the failings) because he represented a lot of positive things (despite some policies that were heavily criticized). What Trump projects is realy different, and that’s your public image in the world now.

A certain amount of wailing and rending of garments is to be expected of course.

But Timex is exactly correct, I choose to believe that capital-A America is stronger than any given administration.