Trump Buyers' Remorse is Just a Miniature Model

You voted for Trump and are being deported, or losing your job, or paying more for eggs. Now you're the subject of so-called journalism about your "buyer's remorse". This is an extremely weak version of the sort of transformation that is needed -- the sort of Saul-to-Paul awakening, forehead-slapping, I've-been-an-idiot, redemption-seeking metamorphosizing needed from millions of people, Trump voters and otherwise. For one thing it's all still selfish and short-sighted. For another thing, you weren't offered a decent alternative. You picked the sociopath who was worse in many ways than the other sociopath. You didn't fail to pick someone good, as that option wasn't offered -- not on many ballots, not in the corporate media that you rely on probably far more than you realize. Plus you were right to pick the person proposing to change things. Unfortunately, he wanted to change most things for the worse. Regretting your Trump vote is like the captain of the Titanic regretting he's put on dirty underwear and socks. It's gross, but it misses the point.

How many years have you spent claiming that the collapse of our ecosystems and climate isn't real, or is real but perfectly fine, or is real but is in the hands of a magical being who lives in the sky, or is real but not as important as "the economy", or is real but not more important than NIMBYism (windmills would be ugly where you might spot them with a telescope, whereas wildfires, hurricanes, desertification, and starvation won't be so bad)?

How long have you spent accepting that organized mass murder, nuclear weapons, mass incarceration, border walls, and surveillance are meant to -- and are likely to -- keep you safe, or that some moderate amount of them will be just right, or that such institutions are necessary evils to fend off the dangers of foreigners and monsters, whereas nuclear apocalypse, environmental destruction, and disease pandemics are more minor worries?

For what portion of your life -- be honest -- have you maintained that some people in the world matter a bit more than others, and that even in that blessed corner of the world certain people matter so much that it's admirable for them to hoard wealth on a scale that would shame medieval lords or ancient emperors -- wealth that could save the lives and ease the suffering of millions of people if partially shared?

And for how long have you noticed some of the troubles in the United States, the record-setting inequality, poverty, homelessness, gun violence, environmental destruction, etc., but believed the system would handle it, or that you'd fix everything in three and three-quarters years when you get to vote for Dracula over Frankenstein? How often have you watched the people of South Korea or Bolivia or Tunisia or Bangladesh or Niger rise up in mass nonviolent action and take power from would-be tyrants, and thought to yourself in a back corner of your brain: "What a shame people in the rest of the world have to do such things"?

We don't need your Trumpremorse. We need your spectatoremorse. We need you to regret and drop the "politics is not my thing" and "I don't do activism and protesting" BS -- and we need it soon. No elected U.S. official should go anywhere in peace. They should be hearing from us day and night in every place they show their faces:

Tax the rich or find another line of work, guys. Move the money back from the war machine -- put it into education and environmental protection... or see how "efficient" your job is in buildings whose doors you cannot open.

We don't need your Trumpremorse. Organize everyone you can to demand change -- in-person, and not leaving -- of your local governments and media outlets. Stop letting things go on. Throw a wrench in it. Stop burning any fuel you don't have to. Stop buying anything you don't have to. Stop eating meat. Stop waving flags. Stop cheering for wars and oligarchs. Free the prisoners. Love your neighbors. Relax about your stupid sexual identity bigotry. Rome is burning. Pick up a firehose. Only then tell me you are remorseful.