I haven’t written many journal entries this year as I usually do. This is primarily for a couple of reasons: the dog likes to sit on my lap where the laptop goes, a feeling of general bewilderment with the world and lack of motivation.
Bewilderment
Let’s start with the fact that I’m now 48 years old and thus 50 is on the horizon. This is an age that used to seem so far away that it may never come. Well, here it is and I find it shocking. Time certainly moves fast but even more-so as we age and life becomes somewhat routine. When young, there are big changes in life such as changes in school, in relationships, in jobs and for me, in countries. Each was like its own little chapter in my life story and each brought different experiences. Well, after ‘settling down’ with a more permanent job, a house and a family, it seems like I’ve been in pretty much the same chapter for 15 years. Furthermore, ever since COVID life has been a complete blur and I can’t really tell if it is due to COVID’s effects in my brain and/or the fact that I primarily work from home.
I am completely content mind you, but I feel as though I’m on autopilot and life is just passing by.
I’m also bewildered by the state of the world. How did we go from that generally good feeling to one of existential dread now? Just open the newspaper on any given day to find yet another terrible thing said by the President and then realize, yet again, that about half the country supports him. As of today, December 3rd, it feels like the house of cards built on hate and anger might finally be showing a few cracks. Let’s not get too hopeful though because if I’ve learned anything over the Trump era it is that the USA can always go even lower and damage whatever its left of its reputation even more.
The news today is if Hesgeth committed war crimes and Trump calling Somalis garbage. As I pointed out many times in this blog over the years it is not in any minorities interest to help the USA in times of war these days, you’ll get abandoned. I’ve read so many stories of the US turning its back on the Kurds, Iraqis and Afghans that helped the USA only to be left to their fate when it was no longer in the US interest to remain or want the help. The USA has been active militarily in Somolia for the past 30 years and due to this we now have many refugees, many of which helped the USA living here in the states. Now the President calls them ‘garbage,’ and would like to deport them all if he could. It seems to me that helping the USA in any war since the 1990’s has eventually become a very bad idea.
This is such a shame! I’m very aware the USA has many stains in its history but growing up I felt the USA was generally a force for good. That idea started to crumble with the Iraq war – have the WMDs been found yet?? There was some home (and change!) during the Obama years but the Republicans put a stop to that. Even today, the Democrats continue trying to play by the rules whilst the Republicans have no moral, ethical or legal compass what-so-ever.
What this has lead me to is the hardening of my belief that America is more of a business than it is a country. I’ve come to realize that PROFIT is the driving force, the engine which makes this country run. Everything else is just for show, a superficial facade. A perfect example is sports where we sing the National Anthem, and purchase $15 hot dogs and other concessions for a bill rarely less than $50 so the athletes can make multi-million dollar salaries. Welcome to the free market. The people pay so continue to up the price and throw in sports betting in the mix! But why stop at pro sports when money is now infecting sports at the high school level. In the newspaper today there is discussion about NIL (name, image, likeness) which puts money in high school athletes pockets.
Sports is just one example to show that the soul of America is no longer a “land of the free” or whatever other patriotic platitudes I used to think defined this country. It is now PROFIT above everything else and nothing exemplifies this more than what President Trump is doing today. He is grifting the entire nation! Many are being hit very hard by his policies and yet his support only lessens slightly.
One area these people are being hit very hard by is healthcare where their premiums just shot up by thousands of dollars. The Democrats are trying to help these people but they’re so brainwashed that they still support Trump anyway. Nothing makes sense anymore.
Therefore, it is safe to say I’m even more disillusioned with the world than I was before – and it can ALWAYS get worse. Just when you think the idiocy cannot be topped, the USA will find a way under the Trump regime.
Thank Allah there is Southpark to call out this idiocy.
Boobs, Jesus, crosses and liposuction is what defines the Republican woman these days. Southpark nailed it. Just take a look at Noem, Leavitt, Habba or any of the Fox news anchors and you’ll see a look similar to the above. I remember when Christianity used to be ‘conservative’ but that seems to have gone out the window. As for the men, just be an angry brute and you’ll fit the bill.
As you can tell I remain in a state of bewilderment and it gives me a headache to think about. Unfortunately I’m reminded of it every morning reading the papers. Just when I think things couldn’t get more outlandish they do! As an example, I think I once said that Trump could crap on Americans and half would cheer. Well, he did in an AI meme where he dropped poop from a fighter plane onto “No Kings” protestors. There is no bottom for this administration and thinking about it too much leads to depression.
Artificial Intelligence
This is an existential threat that could lead to mass unemployment. Remember when you thought you were smart when you got higher grades than everyone else in your class? Looking for jobs, you had to be better in your skills than many other Americans to land the position. In the 2000s that competition increased with the proliferation of H1 visas and the rise of tech. Now you have to be smarter/have better skills than not only other Americans but Chinese, Indians and basically the entire world. Now with AI you can’t win at all, you’re an insignificant spec compared to an artificial intelligence that will soon be smarter than every human that ever lived, combined.
This threat is right in front of us all and I happen to live in the epicenter here in the Bay. And what does the USA do to prepare for this impending disaster, this creation that has the potential to ruin a large swath of the population through unemployment? They think of tremendous PROFITS! I mean it is America, what else would leaders think of? In my old image of America, you’d have FDR laying out plans to help American citizens cope with this immediate threat. I’d think there would be plans in the works for universal income, of social safety nets etc. But no, of course not. There is only the thought of profit and the lie that AI will help make life easier.
“It can book your plane tickets for you!”
“It is like your digital assistant and can help with the shopping!”
How the hell is it going to ‘help with the shopping’ when everyone got laid off and has no money to buy things??
To add to the absurdity, people are getting laid off, the economy is going down and the impending doom of AI taking your job is outside your door. What would people do? They’ll re-elect Trump and blame the Democrats or Hillary’s e-mail server, or whatever Fox tells them is to blame.
Science has shown that the IQ of the USA (and world?) was dramatically lowered with the introduction of lead in gasoline. I wonder if there is some other substance all around us that has lowered our IQs even further? I think it is time for a national IQ test so we can get some metrics around this idiocy.
Anyway, I remain bewildered and have given myself a headache. I really should tighten up my posts instead of a ranting style but this is my own journal, not the New York Times.
And that is what is on my mind today.
As a side note, the holidays are going too quickly. We always travel back to Ohio for Thanksgiving and it seems that as soon as we stepped off the plane we were getting back on again. Now the trip feels just like a dream. I am glad it is still the holiday season however but, like always in midlife, I need to work at it to get into the mood and bring back the magic.
