OMG

I know, I haven't had anything to say in a long while. Although so much has happened, everyone else has said so much that there doesn't seem room to opine. We are living at an adrenaline level that can't be good for anyone; thus, the worst flu season in years. I'm going to posit that a lot of this Ohmygodding is unwarranted, because as bad as things are, it's not like it's a shock.

Omg, Trump!  Sorry, but this is like Ohmygodding over that teenage boyfriend who told you up front he wasn't looking for something serious. Donald J. Trump has told you who he was since he played the short-fingered vulgarian playboy and wrote The Art of the Deal. He has been that same guy for at least 35 years.  "Controversy, in short, sells," he told you.  "A little hyperbole never hurts." "I play to people's fantasies." "Sometimes, part of making a deal is denigrating your competition."

Omg, the Republicans in Congress!  When were they last NOT craven? Certainly not since before Newt Gingrich, and before him, you have to go back another 40 years to find a Republican Speaker. Did you think Paul Ryan would be a good guy? The guy who said, "We don't want to turn the safety net into a hammock that lulls able-bodied people into complacency and dependence"? That guy?

Omg, the Trump voters!  Are you surprised that a hate-filled message works in America? The America of the Klan, the Know-Nothings, the John Birch Society, the Chinese Exclusion Act, Executive Order 9066, the White League, Joe McCarthy, and the Patriot Act? Are you really surprised that Americans would cast a vote out of fear and racism? The Americans who elected Millard Fillmore, James Polk, Calvin Coolidge, Andrew Jackson, and FDR?

Omg, the Russians!  Look, the Russians were better than we were at the satellite launching thing, too, for a while. They have been masters of disinformation since Stalin. If you want a good analogy in the US, try Fox News. On the other hand, if you want to see some serious election interference, study the history of the CIA in Iran, Guatemala, Congo, the Dominican Republic, South Vietnam, Brazil, or Chile. I'm not saying such interference isn't serious. I'm just saying it's unsurprising. 

Omg, Facebook!  What did you really imagine was happening when you responded to online quizzes or compared your face to a famous artwork? Did you notice how the minute you ordered shoes from Payless, ads for shoes started popping up on your Facebook feed? Now, why would that be true?

Omg, the Democrats!  Well, it's painful to say, but while we're busy arguing over the use and meaning of the word progressive, the world is going down the tubes. But really, did you expect the Democrats to save you? Which Democrats? The Democrats of Nancy Pelosi or Claire McCaskill? The Democrats of Amy Klobuchar or Kamala Harris? Do you want to follow Democrats who are over 70 or Democrats who are under 45? The Democrats who ousted Franken or the ones who welcomed Jones? I would love to believe that we can rally and fight as one, but I have seen no evidence of it thus far. We're pretty good at fighting among ourselves, though. I guess that's easier.

Being in a constant state of angst is exhausting. Waking up each morning to some new horrific or stupid or humiliating or potentially life-threatening event is debilitating. Maybe we can take a few deep breaths and count at least some of what's happening as the inevitable culmination of a lot of bad decisions, unheeded signs, and blithe miscalculations. Take a little responsibility. Don't assume that our current situation was and continues to be someone else's fault. Change the things you can. Reach out to the people most likely to be harmed. Fix some stuff. March. Read history. Support the vulnerable. Vote. Educate. Don't panic. Repeat.