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This is for people outside of the US, to explain some of the content of what is going on right now.
In the US, Trump was a doofus celebrity and tabloid fodder for a long time. Then a reality TV show host. The entire thing was a joke, and no one took it seriously. And during his first term, even as he said scarier and scarier stuff, it was hard for people to not view it as another zany, slightly entertaining tabloid story. Personally, during his first term, even as I saw things get weirder and weirder, it was hard for me to ever take it seriously.
He got angrier (probably fueled by dementia) during his time out of office. This term, he is doing things that should scare everyone in the world. Including talking about attacking an allied nation.
But for a lot of people in the US, there is honestly a very deeply buried idea that this is...a television show.
And you see it in things like Trump dopily accepting a trophy for FIFAs "Peace Prize". Even while he is talking about attacking allies, he still wants the show to go on. And Americans kind of believe it can: somehow we can go to war with Europe but there will be no consequences, even to entertainment?
So one of the things that can be done immediately, that will have a bigger impact than most people could guess, is just start talking about boycotting and cancelling that type of stuff. Do we really think that we are going to have World War III, and also have a fun summer time World Cup? A World Cup that involves Canada, the US and Mexico all in harmony? Are the Nordic counties going to laugh this all off when it is time for the Winter Olympics? All of these things will make a gigantic impact to begin with, because Trump is obsessed with ratings and being a star. The idea that "The show must go on" doesn't apply for ever will burst a gigantic bubble.
In the US, Trump was a doofus celebrity and tabloid fodder for a long time. Then a reality TV show host. The entire thing was a joke, and no one took it seriously. And during his first term, even as he said scarier and scarier stuff, it was hard for people to not view it as another zany, slightly entertaining tabloid story. Personally, during his first term, even as I saw things get weirder and weirder, it was hard for me to ever take it seriously.
He got angrier (probably fueled by dementia) during his time out of office. This term, he is doing things that should scare everyone in the world. Including talking about attacking an allied nation.
But for a lot of people in the US, there is honestly a very deeply buried idea that this is...a television show.
And you see it in things like Trump dopily accepting a trophy for FIFAs "Peace Prize". Even while he is talking about attacking allies, he still wants the show to go on. And Americans kind of believe it can: somehow we can go to war with Europe but there will be no consequences, even to entertainment?
So one of the things that can be done immediately, that will have a bigger impact than most people could guess, is just start talking about boycotting and cancelling that type of stuff. Do we really think that we are going to have World War III, and also have a fun summer time World Cup? A World Cup that involves Canada, the US and Mexico all in harmony? Are the Nordic counties going to laugh this all off when it is time for the Winter Olympics? All of these things will make a gigantic impact to begin with, because Trump is obsessed with ratings and being a star. The idea that "The show must go on" doesn't apply for ever will burst a gigantic bubble.
