Greetings and salutations! It’s a new year and change is rolling in like a [insert climate catastrophe we’re about to see more of here]. The richest man alive was put in charge, possibly illegally, of a new department ostensibly created to reduce government waste.
His idea of waste? Programs like Social Security and Medicare, which help millions of people every day. What’s not wasteful? Stuff he happens to like, such as sending people to Mars and his enormous income not being taxed. In fact he got so excited that when Donald Trump talked about going to Mars he just couldn’t stop himself from doing two successive Nazi salutes. But isn’t it quirky and cute he named the agency after a decade-old meme of Shiba Inu? This is not your grandpa’s fascism!
While Elon Musk’s brain was focused on the Martian Reich, things weren’t much better back here on Earth. With a swampful of billionaires standing behind Trump salivating over the enormous tax breaks they were about to receive, the not-so-new and very old President didn’t utter a single word about lowering grocery or energy costs, but gave a lot of airtime to his plans to send jackboots to rip families apart, take away healthcare coverage, and order public school teachers to recite a whites-only version of history.
As POTUS pivoted to pardoning his terrorist fanboys, little doubt was left about whether he was the primary instigator behind the January 6 insurrection. Last year, an unelected cohort of federalists and confederates on judicial benches declared that he’s above the law. Who knew this would go to the head of the world’s biggest narcissist?
It’s no longer America. We officially live in Crazyville. It’s a giant bamboozle and the looting has already begun. Half the country is scared to death and the other half either couldn’t care less or are taking Cenobite-style delight in the misfortune and suffering of their fellow citizens. Maybe the trail of wanton destruction will catch up to someone they do care about eventually, but given the trail of divorce filings and grandchildren no longer returning calls that follows many of them, don’t count on it.
Now is the time to join up with civic organizations, political organizations, nonprofits, and other groups who are helping to mitigate the harm. With any hope, Connecticut can form a shield from the worst of the authoritarian cruelty.
But where it cannot, the local acolytes will be waiting in the wings with their tiki torches, ready to burn some books and chase all the rainbows and Semites away. We’re going to need everyone’s kindness, talent, courage, and boundless will to help to get us out of the dark, uncaring period to come.
Help is not coming from above. Run for office, show up to a town meeting, host a food drive, attend a protest or just comfort those in need. We will need extra shoulders to cry on as many of our clavicles deteriorate from too much tear-soaked wear and tear and are no longer covered by our HMOs.
The only way we’re going to make it through this is together. Solidarity is our superpower. We shall overcome, of course, but only if we have the guts to accept nothing less.
Timothy Gabriele lives in North Haven.