Am I the only one feeling absolutely disgusted for ever voting for Trump?

[IHaveRespawned]

I voted for Trump all three past election cycles. I will not sugarcoat this the slightest: this is an absolute abhorrent clusterfuck and I feel ashamed, outraged, scared, and duped beyond belief.

I am a right-leaning conservative, but this goes well beyond issues based on partisan lines. Fuel over $4.29 a gallon? Partnerships with mass surveillance companies and deployment of AI mass surveillance technologies on citizens? Trump posting with an AI depiction of him as Jesus with a 3-horned, bulky, shadow figure in the background? The walls closing in on the job market? Mass layoffs and an existential crisis among young Americans and the middle class? Talks of a draft? A fertilizer shortage in the midst of a severe drought with talks of famine on the horizon? Our fire and emergency services throughout the nation on the verge of collapse during this major drought we are in? The willful dismissal of the Epstein scandal? The passiveness when everyday Americans are on the brink of losing everything with just one unexpected emergency?

What are we? China? North Korea? The middle east? Are we under authoritarian rule transitioning into totalitarianism?

This guy is not just insane and delusional. This man is pure evil.

The left's aggressive identity politics, sociopolitical agenda, and social engineering practices were awful and destructive. What this man and his administration is doing is egregious and beyond disgusting. I don't even know what words to use to describe my sheer embarrassment, disgust, and betrayal I am feeling right now. I never imagined our nation would reach a point like this. I never saw it coming.

Yes

No

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[MrOracle]

Trump is FAR from perfect. There are a number of positions he has taken that I disagree with, and sometimes he is too fast to take a position on something and has to backtrack. Those are very valid criticisms.

That said, I'd vote for him again if I could.

Why? Because no one else would have addressed a whole range of HUGE, long-term problems that might well have completely ended this country.

Look at NATO for an example. The US has nearly been alone in providing protection to half the world for the last 60 years, paid for by the US taxpayers so that other countries could have free healthcare by paying next to nothing for their own militaries. And now look: the UK needed weeks to deploy a SINGLE SHIP to a crisis region. France and Germany have infantry and a few planes but are no where close to being able to defend their own borders, much less help out in a major crisis. And, hell, they have made themselves dependent on oil and gas from Russia and manufacturing from China. Without Trump, the US would continue paying Europe's way as they continued to divert money away from their militaries towards more socialism and "green energy."

Trump has been working to make the US energy independent - which SHOULD be the FIRST foreign policy goal of ANY country. Without energy, any country is helpless, and effectively depends on the charity of others just to survive. That's exactly where Biden had us, where Obama had us, and even the Bush's had us.

Then let's talk about "globalization" (i. e., the outsourcing of manufacturing to other countries). The US can barely manufacture anything anymore, and most of Europe is worse. Germany, which for decades has been a manufacturing giant, completely fucked itself by ditching nuclear power and trying to replace that with massively inconsistent "green energy." If the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing, you can't manufacture things, because machinery can't run on inconsistent power, or no power at all. And so how did they compensate for this problem? By buying oil and gas from Russia and by building COAL plants! They went from extremely clean, consistent, reliable, high-output nuclear plants to COAL and Russian gas! Dirty and dependent on their adversaries. Essentially, they shot themselves in the foot.

But Germany isn't alone - much of the same happened right here in the US over the last 60 years, all engineered in Davos by elites who have never even seen a manufacturing plant, because they don't allow them within site of their mansions and ski chalets. Trump has been working to reverse this trend - but the work he's doing will take a decade to start paying off. You can't build manufacturing overnight - it takes years. It will eventually give us lots of jobs and much more independence, both major strengths that we used to have but were pissed away.

Then let's mention illegal immigration. The major countries of Europe are absolutely F'd because they've allowed mass immigration of people who don't share their values. Again, the US was in the same situation - another Davos idea - but Trump has turned things around (though there's still plenty of work left to do). No one else would have.

Most of the things Trump is doing will take many years to pay off - unlike most politicians who only care about THIS quarter and will completely destroy the long-term future to improve THIS quarter's numbers 0.1%. So, yeah, in the short term, it's painful. The world is undergoing a HUGE shift - the kind that typically only happens every 100 years or so, the last time being the end of WWII. Trump is setting the US up to be VERY strong in the new future, and to hopefully set the example for Europe, who will have to make a lot of painful decisions in the near future. And that is WAY more important than temporary high gas prices.

[IHaveRespawned]

I am most certainly not the only one turning sour here. You have Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson, among other staunch Trump supporters. Bottom line, it comes down to these things:
1. Affordability (ability to reasonably afford homownership... not lifelong rent scenarios, basic essentials like groceries and utilities, affordable healthcare, etc...)
2. Public safety (that includes our fire and emergency services, and while handled at the local level, they are still choking right now as an effect of poor economy, expenses, and a lack of volunteers because who wants to volunteer when they have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, right?)
3. Good job market health and job stability
4. Ridding corruption, scandles, fraud, waste, and abuse
5. Lifting of red tape and restrictions

When our firefighters are hurting, our farmers strained, and our broken healthcare system spiraling down the drain... THESE THINGS ARE BAD

[MrOracle]

Take a look at the situation in Canada for all of those things - each one is much worse than in the US, but the US was on exactly the same path - starting from GHW Bush and every president since until Trump. For decades, people in the government have been talking about "managed decline" when talking about the western world, and they found that acceptable. The reason I and so many people support Trump is because he doesn't find that AT ALL acceptable.

But previous administrations (it's never just one person of course) had sold out the US for decades, and kept putting it all on the tab of the US taxpayers. Just look at the complete fraud that US AID was. Look at Obama delivering billion dollar pallets of cash to Iran if they would pinky swear to stop refining uranium - which of course, they promised to do knowing full well they had zero intention of stopping.

Russia and China, while respecting the danger the US could be to them, also considers us all (all western countries) to be utter fools, because we keep putting ourselves in the position where we are dependent on them (Russia and China). We destroy our own energy businesses to instead become dependent on them AND end up using dirtier and more expensive means for energy - utter insanity!

[MrOracle]

These are the huge, structural problems that must be addressed in order to have a solid foundation. Most presidents are happy to build a pretty little statue on shifting sand and tell us that everything is fine. Trump is trying to properly clear the land and build a strong foundation on bedrock, but foundations are expensive, time-consuming, and boring - they aren't pretty - and people want their pretty statue right now, and they're upset that Trump hasn't delivered. But Trump's foundation is what is gong to protect our next 100 years, and most people won't even realize it until he's been gone for 20 years. And that assumes they don't vote someone in who takes a jack-hammer to the whole foundation and convinces us that what we really need are pretty statues built on the sand.

[msc545]

Thank you for your honesty in this matter. I appreciate your recognition that you might have made some bad decisions like millions of other Americans who voted for this guy more than once. I am not one of those people but I have many friends who did the same things that you did. All I can say is that we all make mistakes and like you I've made my share of them just not in the political arena. I think it was easy to be duped by Trump if you listen to his rhetoric and we're not familiar with his actions before he became president. I spent a little bit of time researching him when he first appeared on the public scene and I was horrified what I realized about him. Luckily for me that was early on but for most people it wasn't. Please forgive yourself.

[msc545]

Let's be kind to this gentleman. He made a mistake, and he admitted it, which takes a lot more courage than most people have. I would implore you all to be kind to him.

[IHaveRespawned]

Don't think for a minute I am siding with the Democraps or the leftists. Both sides are absolute shit. We are being ruled by jaded elitists intentionally fucking the average, everyday American. It is not longer "MAGA". It is Americans first.

[msc545]

I know that you're not citing these Democrats or Leftists, and I am both a Democrat and a Leftist, and that's okay. You are absolutely entitled to your political opinions, even if I don't agree with them. As I said, your honesty speaks well for you, and the fact that you were able to see and recognize what Trump is and isn't doing is a very good sign, considering most MAGA people can't.

[goaded]

Wait until he sees who creates recessions, and who fixes them.

[IHaveRespawned]

@goaded It is really a bizarre and unsettling dynamic either way.

The left thrives on identity politics, weaponizing the race card to their advantage, rolling out the red carpet for border-hoppers, shoving sociopolicial propaganda into the faces of families, blurring the lines on traditions and norms, and criminalizing those who defend themselves. All this while they try to remove or restrict firearms for law-abiding citizens, decriminalize or grant leniency to repeat offenders, and calling us "bigots" or "racists" for objecting to their ideologies and motives.

Then you have the Trump train that was lied to about "No Wars", being spied on while the president himself was spied on during his campaign (you would think he would strongly object to this), committing heresy and blasphemy towards Jesus by depicting himself as Jesus, and contradicting everything the right stands for.

Either way, the middle class still dies, the Average everyday American is used as a political pawn, and everything remains unstable and bleak.

[goaded]

"The left thrives on identity politics, weaponizing the race card to their advantage"
Uh, who is it jumping on a SCOTUS decision that the Voting Rights Act doesn't count any more to redraw election maps between censuses in one case *while an election is ongoing* to disenfranchise black voters?

What you call "rolling out the red carpet for border-hoppers", we call complying with international law.

If we're "criminalizing those who defend themselves", do you think the people who shoot anyone who drives into the wrong driveway (or even the right one, trying to deliver a package) should be praised? www.npr.org/.../why-are-americans-getting-shot-after-mixing-up-addresses-or-cars

And as for granting leniency, what about like the convicted Jan 6 attackers and seditionists? Pardoning people who commit crimes on behalf of Trump? Six of them have gone on to be charged of child sex crimes, and they're not drag queens or gay or trans.
www.citizensforethics.org/.../

What do you think our "motives" are for accepting the reality of gay and trans people, exactly? You know that it's not to turn people gay or anything, right?

Everything the right is saying about trans people they were saying about gay people 50 years ago. They're using them as scapegoats because fascists need an enemy to point to. Preferably a powerless one.

[Anonymous]

Are we supposed to feel bad for you? He doesn't care about anyone other than himself and never did. If you somehow didn't figure that our before, then there is no helping you now either.

[Agape93]

We did warn you for the last decade. Maybe now you'll stfu and listen

[strateguy632]

I see $4.51 made you mad so democrat $5.04 EVEN WITHOUT WAR would be better for you?

[IHaveRespawned]

In both cases it is shit. That is the point. I am not taking specific sides on these matters. I outlined the issues above. The main issues are economy, the open job market (I am talking about a good, stable, middle-class job market and economy), and affordability (not just fuel/energy, but other utilities, food, and rent/homeownership.. you know
... the necessities). The very things that have continued to deteriorate, especially kickstarting during the Xiden regime but sadly continuing course during the Trump administration.

[goaded]

Lots of people told you. He led an insurrection to attempt to stay in power in 2021. What did you expect?

[Agape93]

He couldn't help guzzle trumps jizz for 10 years

[IHaveRespawned]

Pre-COVID era, things were actually beginning to look up. Fuel prices were lower, the job market was thriving well, the techie and developer "renaissance" took a strong hold, people were saving, and there was optimism. Then COVID hit during the end of Trump's term, yet he was given the benefit of the doubt because our entire world was unprepared for it. Biden came into office and wrecked everything with high inflation, rolling the red carpet out for illegal aliens, and implementing extreme woke policies and social engineering. I voted for Trump for his second term hoping he could revive the optimism and positive outcomes achieved during most of his first term. I don't even know this Trump during his second term. It was a complete bait and switch.

[Agape93]

What you're seeing. now, is what he was like on hid first. term. except this time he didn't have anyone to stop him, and now it affects you too. Good Job

[goaded]

Oh, good grief.

Unemployment. See that drop from 10% to 5%? That was Obama's economy. Trump's just carried it on.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE

"The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), Pub. L. 117–169 (text) (PDF), is a United States federal law which aimed to reduce the federal government budget deficit, lower prescription drug prices, and invest in domestic energy production while promoting renewable energy. It was passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on August 16, 2022. "

Most of the money went to red states, because they needed it more.

[IHaveRespawned]

The way I look at it, which leftists, the straight, white, American male gets fucked royally. With the right, especially as it stands today, everyone gets fucked.

[IHaveRespawned]

Actually, let me rephrase that. Either side, the average everyday American is fucked. With the left, the hostility and blame is shunted onto the straight, white, American male, all while neither protected class of people truly benefit. With the right, the average everyday American is still fucked while there is a dismissive and passive reaction towards any everyday American regardless of protected class. Either way, the middle class and lower class Americans are unheard and screwed while the jaded elite call the shots that impact us all.

[goaded]

Can you point to a right-wing politician who says something like “They assume my ambition is a title — my ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country. Presidents come and go, single payer is forever. A living wage is forever.”, and mean it?

"Only I can save you" is *the* classic fascist lie.

Yes, the Democratic party has to get rid of some bad actors who are beholden to Israel and their donors above their constituents (and they do appear to play "rotating bad guys" to undermine the party's stated position), but the stated position is better than anything the Republicans say, and *all* Republicans are beholden to Israel and their donors above their constituents.

[Cidknee]

Yes!

And I think you found plenty of words. Maybe you should label yourself left of right leaning and do like they tell you and "stfu and listen".

[IHaveRespawned]

I don't opt to side with parties, especially not anymore. I am for the everyday American citizen who seeks to thrive, prosper, and be able to have the same opportunities as our parents, grandparents, and other generations did.

I absolutely despised the woke, PC crap. I am against mass surveillance of citizens, especially when our government is partnering with Plantir and companies of the like (flock cameras and crotch cameras are everywhere). I am sick of jaded elites calling the shots. I am sick of being squeezed thin on everyday essentials. I am beyond tired of the instability, the hostility, and the engineering of our suburbs and small towns.

[loveslongnails]

Three times, huh? You're an incredibly slow learner.

[Dargil]

If you did not choose strategic ignorance, you would know better.

[888theGreat]

I voted for him 3 times and he screwed me this time. I wish I would have voted Harris now.

[IHaveRespawned]

Harris would have been a piss poor choice too. The point is, we are screwed either way.

[msc545]

We don't know that Harris would have been a bad choice or not because we didn't have enough experience with her to make that judgment. However, we knew damn well before the election that Trump was a terrible choice based on his behavior prior to the election and during it. Majority of us apparently elected him anyway. Unless the election was rigged. I still can't make up my mind. What I think about that. I would not have put he had passed him and his backers to do exactly that.

[IHaveRespawned]

@msc545 Um... she was installed by the Democratic party after they tried to conceal the cognitive decline of a sitting president, Xiden. And notice they waited until after the primaries were over until they made that decision.

[888theGreat]

No war with Iran. No Tariffs costing me 50% more on everything. Harris would have been better

[888theGreat]

And the Republicans try to hide Trump's dementia. Amazing how if it is your retarded Presient ok, but man any other person with Dementia must leave office

[IHaveRespawned]

In case you didn't get the memo, I am not happy with either side. Bottom line, I am ultimately hoping for a prosperous nation for the average, everyday American. Not illegals, not other nations, not the elite... for everyday American CITIZENS.

[Anonymous]

No, I'm sure there's a few other idiots like you out there.

[Abbycado]

Lol @Agape93 he didn’t know. XD

[DonaldDarko]

Sure, we believe you.

[beefcakebradybatson]

No, but not nearly enough.

[SmokinAces2000]

Lmao