10 things that terrify me about Trump’s America.

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I realize my last couple of posts have been dark and depressing, but there’s no sugarcoating the fact that what Trump is doing to Americans is abuse.

I began this blog three years ago as a way to talk about the narcissistic abuse I was forced to undergo at the hands of my parents (mostly my mother) and my ex-husband, after I finally found the wherewithal to leave him for good.

Starting this blog gave me an outlet to write about my abuse, and doing so proved extremely therapeutic for me.  In time, I was able to purge all the anger and rage, and the person I was meant to be was slowly revealed to me.  I also found out that I was not such a loser and a bad person after all, and that what happened to me was not my fault.    I realize that I had been lied to for years.   I grieved those wasted years, but at the same time felt grateful that I still had some left to grow into the person God meant for me to be.

With a boost in self esteem, I gained the courage to look inside myself — at the ways I was holding myself back because I was so afraid of everything.   I entered therapy.  I became much more spiritual and developed a real faith in God for the first time.   I began to take small risks and make better choices.   I can honestly say that had I not been able to start this blog, I doubt I would have come as far as I have.  God gave me the ability to write so that I could tell my story, and in the process, heal not only myself, but also help others who had suffered similar experiences.

Until Trump became president, I shied away from writing about politics or religion, because they are such divisive topics and I didn’t want to run off anyone who might have different politics or religious beliefs than I do.   But Trump’s presidency has infected my peace of mind and threatened my recovery, because he is so triggering and toxic, especially to those of us who are already familiar with the destructive effects malignant narcissists and sociopaths have on our souls.

So just like I did with the abusers in my personal life, I also need to write about Trump and the insidious and dangerous ways he threatens my (and many others’) mental and spiritual health.

The truth is, the man absolutely terrifies me. His vision for America terrifies me even more, since in his dystopian vision, I’m an expendable “loser”:  a financially challenged (I don’t want to say poor) older woman without a husband, who is also an intellectual and a dissenter (he hates both), morally and in every other way opposed to everything he and the powerful people who surround him stand for.

So here are ten ways Trump’s policies and his vision for America shake me to my core with terror and dread.

factorykids

Child labor during the Gilded Age.

 

1. Repealing the ACA.  This is #1 for me because it directly affects me and could cause me to die early and suffer horribly.    I have been unable to obtain healthcare through a job, and certainly can’t afford to buy it on my own, so I am dependent upon the ACA in order to have health insurance.  And at my age — closing in on 60 — the prospect of losing my only access to healthcare is absolutely terrifying, especially if I should develop a chronic illness that an emergency room can’t treat, such a cancer.

2. Losing my savings.   I have a very small nest egg that if I should become seriously ill and need hospitalization, I will lose (and it still won’t even make a dent in the astronomical medical bills I no doubt will receive).   Unless I publish a book and it becomes a bestseller, or win the lottery (which I don’t play), I have very little chance at my age of ever being able to earn enough to invest in any meaningful way.

3. No Social Security and Medicare.   I am getting close to retirement age, but it’s still some years away, and by the way things are going, I don’t expect that either social security or Medicare will still be around in my old age.    Being a fairly low wage earner (I’m not at poverty level but I don’t qualify as middle class either),  I have not been able to save for retirement (except for the small nest egg I mentioned above).  I don’t work for an employer who offers a 401K or any retirement benefits.  And forget about a pension.  Hardly anyone gets those anymore.   Since I am a single woman, it looks like my only option when I can no longer work is to move in with one of my children, and with all the financial struggles they have been having (Millennials have inherited an economy that forces many of them to live at home until well into their 20s and 30s), I’m not at all sure they will be able to support me in my old age (and it would kill me to place that burden on them anyway).  As for medical care, if the ACA is gone,  it looks like I will have to go without healthcare altogether if Medicare is gone too.    Since more states are legalizing pot though, maybe it will be legal in my state by then and I can just smoke weed all day to ward off any physical pain.

4. A dystopian future for my children.  Much progress has been made in the past fifty years — civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights, New Deal policies, the EPA and other environmental protections, and many other things that make life bearable and have made America the lively and vibrant place that so many people from other countries (until recently) have wanted to make their permanent home in.   Trump is trying to roll back all these things, and the hardliners in Congress are making progress in removing laws and protections that have made life in America the envy of most of the civilized world.

coalmining

 A coal miner and his son.

5. Corporate tyranny and authoritarianism.   Trump’s America promises a scary future of corporate tyranny or modern-day feudalism, in which insanely wealthy corporate rulers (freed of having to pay any taxes at all) dictate to the hordes of impoverished, sick, beaten down and broken people enslaved to the “system” and forced to work for almost nothing (the hardliners want to eliminate the minimum wage too) until death takes them, usually at an early age.   I see a future much like the Gilded Age, in which people were treated as disposable chattel by rich robber barons until they finally died of some preventable disease or work injury,  a time when there was no middle class or any hope of escaping a life of poverty and endless toil, when there was no social safety net, no public education, and poor children (which were most of them) were forced to work as soon as they reached the age of 6 or 7 (what we call school age today.

6. The rollback of women’s health. While women’s reproductive rights may not affect me anymore, they do affect my daughter.  I’m afraid she will not have access to healthcare, and given that she has medical problems that might affect her ability to bear children safely or at all (Crohn’s Disease and back problems stemming from an accident she had at 16), that is a problem.   She may need surgery before she can safely have a child, but if she loses her healthcare, she will not be able to have that surgery.  Should she become pregnant, she could die.   If she loses access to healthcare and isn’t married to someone who can provide it for her, she could also go bankrupt from constant uncovered trips to the emergency room to treat the intermittent Crohn’s attacks that plague her periodically.  In addition, she suffers from mental health issues (caused by her father’s abuse) and she takes medication to control bouts of almost suicidal depression.   Should she lose her access to mental health care, who knows what could happen?     If the Christian dominionists have their way, most forms of birth control or medical abortion could be outlawed or made almost impossible to obtain.

7. Increased intolerance toward the “different.”   My son came out as gay at age 17, and in this climate of growing hatred and intolerance toward people that don’t fit the “white, straight, Christian” ideal, coupled with Trump’s empowerment of hate groups and the rise of The Christian Taliban,  I’m afraid he could be attacked by members of a hate group for just being who he is, forced to undergo some sort of traumatic “conversion therapy” that Mike Pence is proposing for gay people, shunned from employment opportunities, or just made to feel like he is “less” for being the person he is.

charlottesville

White supremacists and neo-Nazis march in Charlottesville.

8. An unhealthy and ugly environment.   In Trump’s dystopia, all public lands and national parks would be sold off to huge corporate entities, where they would be destroyed  and pillaged through oil drilling, fracking, coal mining, and built up with even more gated communities for the wealthy ruling class.   The rivers and air would be polluted, and people would die early of preventable illnesses caused by contamination, without even access to healthcare that could treat their symptoms.    The very wealthy have built underground bunkers where they could escape the worst of the environmental ravages.  Roads too would be privatized.  Imagine living in a country where most people are hobbled from free road travel because all roads have become inefficient and expensive toll roads. And I don’t even want to think about the horrors of privatizing air traffic control.

9. Ignorance.  Besides the abolishment of public schools, in Trump’s America there would not be any public libraries or museums either, because all those things are “socialism.”   Everything would be privatized and cost the people money.   The intent is not only to get rid of anything that allows everyone to take part in public life and educate and enrich themselves, it’s also to keep people stupid and ignorant, so they can no longer ask questions or think for themselves.

10. Nuclear war.  All of the above dystopian scenarios may be a moot point should we get into nuclear war with North Korea.  I read one statistic that said there is a 20% probability the entire west coast may be nuked.  Trump probably would love that too, since the states that line the Pacific Ocean are also the bluest of states and we all know how he feels about liberals.

I can only keep hoping and praying none of this happens, and we don’t have to suffer Trumpism too much longer — because it won’t be long before it’s too late to turn back.

44 thoughts on “10 things that terrify me about Trump’s America.”

    • That’s all I can hope for, and it’s a big reason I keep writing! I’d be overjoyed if I found out even one person had the scales fall from their eyes because of something I wrote.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Pingback: Things that terrify me about Trump’s America. – The Militant Negro™

        • A very poignant and accurate list of grievances, yes we all have to pick up the slack and fix this mess. As far as moving abroad, many do just that, retire to South America where the environment is less toxic politically and otherwise. Also the value of dollar goes a long way.

          Liked by 3 people

          • You have to be careful about which country in South America though, because some are authoritarian third world countries. I know Costa Rica is beautiful and cheap. A little research could point you to places in South America that would be acceptable. Of course, for me, moving to another country is not an option unless I should come into some sort of unexpected windfall. I’m going to get my passport ready anyway. Why not?

            Canada’s usually the first place people think of to go, but they already have a problem with too many Americans emigrating there and it’s expensive and cold.

            Mexico’s actually not looking too bad either, if you’re not dependent on employment to live well. I recently found out a retired relative of mine now lives in Mexico and loves it. Maybe that wall he wants to build is really to keep us from escaping there, lol.

            Liked by 2 people

            • Lol, there’s an ongoing joke in Mexico about the wall keeping “deplorable” Americans from coming in!

              Costa Rica is very expat friendly and nature is pristine, cheap it is not! It was the best kept secret in the 80s & 90s but now everything is overpriced including food, housing etc, and has become an international tourist trap.

              Columbia is quite interesting, ever since the gov’t cleaned up the drug cartels and built up the infrastructure, it is actually quite modern and hip with a Eurocentric vibe!

              I’ve been to Chile and Ecuador, a bit of that 3rd world charm and very livable, still relatively cheap cost of living.

              I could no longer recommend Mexico as crime overall is on the rise and local gangs are once again targeting “rich” gringos.

              Blogger Lada Ray has a comprehensive post about relocating overseas, where the best places for relocation. Her recent webinar is quite an eye opener for me.

              She has a free Q&A webinar this upcoming Saturday, i can forward you the link if you like.

              Cheers!

              Liked by 1 person

            • As a Canadian, I can confirm that we do have colder weather and we pay way more taxes than our American friends can imagine, BUT we have universal healthcare and a culture that is more like American culture than any other country in the world. Oh yes, I almost forgot, we don’t have Trump – we have Trudeau.

              Liked by 1 person

            • He and Obama had a real bromance happening. Justin is not the perfect PM but he cares about the people and that’s good enough for me. Be aware that we Canadians are upset and sympathetic to your plight.

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  5. Pingback: 10 things that terrify me about Trump’s America. | cornfedcontessa

  7. I am joining The Church of Hopeful Uncertainty… What do you think? I’m 76: so here are my only concerns: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9… About #10? I can no long fit under my desk, so I am just going to have to grab my ankles and kiss it all good-bye. Or move to Cost Rica? Norway? We’ve decided that moving is no longer an option. Nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide…

    Liked by 4 people

    • Mueller’s closing in on Trump and many others in his administration, so there’s that. I sure wish he’d hurry up though, but I guess he wants an airtight case. At this point though, I’d almost rather take the cheap Mazda than the Cadillac case.

      Liked by 3 people

  8. I do not know where you got these ideas from, but the only thing I would agree with is #4 when you refer to the world millennials have inherited… and that is mostly a result of the eight years of the last administration. Sleep well tonight as your fears are baseless and unfounded.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Well said Sir, I could not agree more. I would rather have President Trump in the White House than any other past recent President. One thing that does shock me, as a follower of American Politics going back to the 1960s, is the disrespect that is shown by Americans to their President. As an English person, I have to say our Parliament and opposition are as equally rude to President Trump. All the best.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. I’m sitting back here in Geelong, Australia, and watching the American political scene in utter amazement, and i feel embarrassed for the people of America. The only thing I can say about Trump is that he’s a devastating disaster area, worse than any hurricane or tornado !!

    Liked by 2 people

  10. That’s one scary vision!! I’d add to it the stupid withdrawal from global initiatives on the environment, the shutting of global warming monitoring, removal of aid for contraception, the threat to abortion. Not for nice reading.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Opher, you do realize that Piers Corbyn, Jeremy Corbyn’s Brother is an esteemed Meteorologist, who has serious doubts about the reality of Climate Change. Thats not to say I am a denier, but does demonstrate that so called experts have doubts.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Reblogged this on Opher's World and commented:
    That’s one scary vision!! I’d add to it the stupid withdrawal from global initiatives on the environment, the shutting of global warming monitoring, removal of aid for contraception, the threat to abortion. Not for nice reading. Then there’s transgender …. the list goes on.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Been there, done it. But forgave others in my life who hurt me & I know at least one never changed. That’s his problem & I tell you he’s suffered for it. Always in denial of everything. I don’t keep track
    of him but family members chance across him every so often. He’s not doing well at all they tell me. I just pray for his soul, feel sorry that he (+ others in this world) let his life slide down into such a hell hole.
    But yes Trump is a frightening person. I’m trying to get myself to remember that God is in control & is far greater than POTUS is. That at least provides me with a little peace of mind. But he’s stupid & so’s that numb-nuts that’s so-called Leader of N. Korea. Because every missile test they do there is causing more quakes & could set off a disaster – no, catastrophic event is more like it. They won’t be able to contain it once it starts. China is very worried about it since this volatile area is right on the border between them & N.K. Or within both, I forgot exactly. But the info can easily be found by googling U.S. Geological Survey, N. American Oceanic administration & there’s others as well. Googling North Korea recent earthquakes will most likely bring up a “beehive” full of info about this.
    So these individuals are just bringing down wrath upon their own heads.
    I pray every day that Trump can be gotten out of the White House & proper order & common sense restored. I keep almost waiting for the day when someone who’s fed up enough over there, will use force to get his big butt out of there. And I HATE the way he treats his wife. No matter who or what she may be she deserves better than that.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I think you have listed some worst-case scenarios that likely won’t come to fruition. I say this not because I admire Trump or his goals, but because in 9 months in office and a majority in both houses he has not passed a single major piece of legislation.

    Liked by 1 person

    • True, but he is turning us against each other and creating a culture of hate. Police departments really are becoming militarized, and it looks like this version of Trumpcare might actually pass. America doesn’t feel like America anymore but like it’s been taken over by some foreign government (which it has).

      Liked by 1 person

      • I see the same things and it is scary. I’m hopeful that the vast majority of Americans who, I believe, are good people, will see the danger and put on the brakes.

        Liked by 1 person

        • We are trying. They are doing all this in secret, behind closed doors, in the darkness, because they know their ideas would never go over with the people. There is no transparency anymore. Our votes do not matter. We live in an oligarchy, not a democracy. They don’t care what the people want or need.

          Liked by 1 person

          • We certainly seem headed in that direction. The oligarchy has been in place for a long while. We’ve never had a “leader” like Trump before. Hang in there!

            Liked by 1 person

            • The oligarchy has been there, but now they are on steroids and no longer even trying to hide it. In a way that’s good, since now it’s more obvious to more people what we’re up against, but it also means they’re emboldened and have even more power than they ever did, and no longer feel like it’s necessary to hide what they are doing. These are dark and scary times.

              Liked by 1 person

  16. Great post. You nailed it! Dark and scary, but these are dark and scary times… and we can’t keep looking away and deluding ourselves that it will all work out in the end. Thank you for speaking out and making us look, and be angry. Having just embarked on my path to healing as a narcissistic abuse survivor, I am at the stage of not looking away, avoiding the dark truth of what happened to me at the hands of my mother. I have just learned that not feeling the anger is spiritual by-pass, and I cannot heal my soul by avoiding my anger. Since learning of spiritual by-pass, I see how it is a major coping mechanism of our society. That is why Trump is still in office, and why I fear the ship of ‘too late to turn back’ is about to sail.

    Liked by 1 person

    • It’s my hope to make people angry! We need our anger, because if we succumb or becoming apathetic, they win. Here’s the problem: they are trying to wear us down. They are trying to make us feel so hopeless and overpowered we give up fighting. It’s exhausting having to fight this scourge every day, and there are days I am tempted to just give up, stop watching the news, and just go about my own little business. I’ve seen more comments from people that sound like they’re losing hope and giving up and that is scary, because that’s what they want from us. We can’t give them what they want, but staying angry enough to do what needs to be done is so damn exhausting. I’m constantly fighting depression, sadness and fear. It’s terrible. And

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  17. Reblogged this on Scotties Toy Box and commented:
    This is a heartfelt and needed post. As I read the ten items listed I can relate each one to my own life. I wish all the best. We must keep fighting no matter how tired and how worried we are. Best wishes to all, only together can we get through this. Hugs

    Liked by 1 person

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