August 5: Free Election, Han Solo, Nazi Regime

Then he swings back into life again, all the way back to an hour after his life was threatened by Lazzaro--in 1945.  He has been told to get out of his hospital bed and dress, that he is well.  He and Lazzaro and poor old Edgar Derby are to join their fellows in the theater.  There they will choose a leader for themselves by secret ballot in a free election.

Choosing a leader by secret ballot.  A free election.  Sounds good to me.  The next time the United States holds one of those, I'll be sure to participate.  In the mean time, it's the Flying Karamazov Brothers in the White House.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.  That little passage from Slaughterhouse set me up for that.  And Vonnegut published that book almost fifty years ago.  In the book, he predicts the breakup of America into little, independent Balkan-like states by 1976.  Now, he may have gotten that time frame wrong, but, given the current political situation in my country, I wouldn't be surprised if Vonnegut's vision of the future becomes less speculative and more prophetic.

Now that Robert Mueller has impaneled grand juries, I will quote Han Solo:  "Here's where the fun begins."  It has taken less time than I thought it would for the federal government to fall into complete disarray.  I just hope that the situation can be straightened out before a narcissistic somebody (I won't name names) starts a nuclear war.

I think what bothers me the most about living in Trumpland is that my kids won't have really strong memories of the United States before all this happened.  They are going to grow up in a post-Nixon-like era, where nobody has faith in the ideals set out in the Constitution.  My sixteen-year-old daughter will remember some of the previous eight years, when there was a decent, moral, reasonable person sitting in the Oval Office.  She will have some idea of what good leadership looks like.

I'm not quite as pessimistic as some people I know.  I don't believe that the United States is going to devolve into a Nazi regime, despite some frightening similarities.  I do believe that a lot of harm has been done/will be done before this circus leaves town.

What gives me hope is listening to my daughter talk about her ideals and beliefs.  We've raised her to be an independent thinker, and she certainly is.  She's kind and accepting.  Really thinks that everyone is created equal, regardless of color, gender, sexual orientation, or religion.  She is the reason that I think the United States is going to be okay.  That may sound naive, but I don't really care.

Saint Marty gives thanks for his daughter this morning.  She gives him hope for the future.