I have been battling a feeling of deep sadness and anger for the last week or so, and at first I didn’t understand why. But I have taken the time to look inward, and I think I know what is going on.
It’s a sadness on behalf of the millions of my fellow citizens who were taken in by a con man turned TV personality turned con man. My sadness is for the economic suffering that those people are about to endure.
I understand why people were taken in, and I am not angry at the voters. There was indeed an enormous economic dip and consequent inflation in the wake of the pandemic — this was a worldwide phenomenon.
The explanation that was easiest to sell to an angry and scared citizenry was that it was all caused by the current administration. The creep ran on that false explanation and won. Admittedly, Biden did not help things by hiding his diminished condition until very late in the game.
The problem is that we now have rule by Mafia. A very complex economy will soon be in the hands of inexperienced and incompetent con artists.
In the next four years we can be sure that Elon Musk will get richer, but at what cost? How many people will see their savings dwindle, will lose their homes to foreclosure, will lose that chance to send their kids to college, or will be wiped out by an unexpected health emergency if the ACA is repealed?
Will the pendulum swing back soon enough to avoid immense suffering for all of those well meaning people who were sold a bill of goods? We can only hope.