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I am Reckoning With the Return of Trump: A Reflection on Ideology vs. Reality
America is fascinated with anti-heroes like Trump — race, patriarchy, and democracy in a broken society.
Writing this took me a while because I wanted to keep the peace and harmony I felt from pulling away for a time from the deluge of American politics. Many people I know are spiraling into what can only be described as politics-induced depression. To avoid falling into the abyss myself, I retreated to a silent Vipassana meditation course for twelve days, timed perfectly, starting the morning after the election. In that silence, I dodged the endless post-election wailing, finger-pointing, and gnashing of teeth from friends and family, as well as the media’s analyses. But not everyone has that privilege.
Before I stepped away, I wrote a few pieces about why a round 2 with Trump would be a bad idea for everyone. Now, we must urgently brace ourselves for the onslaught of another Trump presidency. His first term was everything we feared it would be — chaotic, regressive, and destructive to many of the masses. Yet, it was a financial bonanza for a select wealthy few and a comforting delusion for others deceived into whiteness.
