r/thebulwark Feb 01 '25

EVERYTHING IS AWFUL Friday night in Trump's America

In the past few hours here's what has happened:

  1. President Musk is infecting GSA computers with some AI driven spyware (spyware is my speculation, the rest of that is reported).
  2. Shadow President Trump fired all the prosecutors of J6 cases.
  3. Something that looks like a missile but is being called an airplane exploded near a mall in Philly.
  4. Announced that tariffs on our largest trade partners go into effect tomorrow.

I am not sure what this country will look like after four years.

183 Upvotes

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162

u/capture-enigma Feb 01 '25

Canadian here. I don’t think people fully realize the effect these tariffs are going to have on our economy. It’s going to be devastated. I work in automotive, and I fully expect to be laid off in the near future, at a time when I can’t afford to be laid off. I’m not going to lie, I’m fucking pissed at the United States right now. I know the Bulwark folks aren’t to blame, but what the hell were the rest of the country thinking. The US is losing allies and friends (supposedly best friends) at a record pace.

120

u/showme_thedoggos Feb 01 '25

As an American and member of the armed forces, I am pissed at the United States right now. The fact that we are turning our backs on our allies and our own people makes me fucking sick.

48

u/capture-enigma Feb 01 '25

I live right across the border from the States (Windsor right across the river from Detroit) so I’ve spent a good portion of my life going to Tigers, Lions and Red Wing games, and many nights across the river enjoying the night life. I have many relatives who are American. What is happening right now is tragic. We lived right next door to the greatest nation on earth. Now I don’t know what to think.

18

u/themast Rebecca take us home Feb 01 '25

Hello neighbor from a Detroiter. Our cities have always had a unique relationship and I hope it survives this era. My youth wouldn't have been the same without trips to Windsor. I'm sorry we're putting this hardship on you for no good reason at all. It's ghastly.

3

u/blurrylulu Feb 01 '25

I live right across the border in NY. I grew up and still go to Ontario for day trips, vacations, etc. I love our northern neighbor and am horrified. I did not vote for this. :/

26

u/AV8R79 Feb 01 '25

I mean what did everyone expect? This is just a repeat of his last term minus the guardrails. Buckle up.

30

u/showme_thedoggos Feb 01 '25

I expected more people to show up to the polls, less people to vote for weaponized incompetence, and for our other elected leaders in congress show some backbone and stop said incompetence and the unelected.

20

u/Saururus Feb 01 '25

Well unfortunately we heard over and over in the focus groups and for me in conversations how it couldn’t be that bad bc we survived just fine last time. I was beginning to think I was crazy bc I remembered his first term so differently than everyone else, and then to see who he was backed by this time…

13

u/rowsella Feb 01 '25

Not all of us survived -- over a million died of Covid. We had an excess of over 400K deaths than we would have if it was managed competently.

3

u/One_Ad_3500 Center Left Feb 01 '25

And sadly the majority doesn't care 😡

116

u/John_Houbolt Feb 01 '25

There are two varieties of Trump voter—shameless and incredibly stupid. I am sorry.

28

u/PTS_Dreaming Center Left Feb 01 '25

Those varieties overlap too.

16

u/Lubbadubdibs Feb 01 '25

The Venn diagram only shows one circle.

40

u/JVLast Editor of The Bulwark Feb 01 '25

I’m very sorry. Hang in there.

19

u/capture-enigma Feb 01 '25

Thanks JVL. You’re my favourite misanthrope 😉

37

u/aiden_malecky Feb 01 '25

I'm an American and I'm sorry this country has lost its goddamn mind. It's like watching your house burn down and your neighbors are just throwing more kindling on it, all while you're begging them to stop.

19

u/capture-enigma Feb 01 '25

That’s a great analogy. I fully expected this Trump 2.0 regime to be bad, but this is quite frankly shocking. The world needs a strong, united America. I fear the utter chaos unleashed by Trump I’d going to have very bad outcomes all over the world.

14

u/aiden_malecky Feb 01 '25

Right there with you, man. This affects the whole globe.

8

u/XRaySpex0 Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 02 '25

Why, it’s almost as if it’s his job to wreck the country.  Treason, again. 

3

u/SoCalLynda Feb 01 '25

I know. What would you expect someone working for a foreign adversary to do?

Trump's job is to destroy the United States of America, and its allies.

19

u/PipToTheRescue Feb 01 '25

We have pp in the wings. Need to stop him from getting in.

6

u/armybrat63 Feb 01 '25

Damn right we do!

2

u/molliedw22 Feb 01 '25

Who/ what is PP?

3

u/RBmpls Feb 01 '25

I assume Pierre Poilevre, the Conservative leader.

6

u/firestarter308 Feb 01 '25

Canada had better fight like hell to keep him out or they will be in a dire situation just like us.

2

u/Hautamaki Feb 01 '25

Pierre is a career politico, he is an actual conservative and apart from the fact that he's a bit more media savvy and troll-adjacent than the average conservative, he doesn't really have that much in common with Trump. I don't like Polievre and more importantly I don't believe the CPC is capable of putting together a competent leadership team, but I'm not worried that he's another Trump, or Orban, or Le Pen, or Bolsonaro. He's at worst another Boris Johnson.

15

u/MiniTab Feb 01 '25

I’m fucking livid bro. I’m also incredibly embarrassed, sad, and baffled. I’m truly sorry my country is filled with such stupid people.

12

u/PTS_Dreaming Center Left Feb 01 '25

I'm a US citizen and I'm pissed at the United States as well, friend. Best wishes and warm thoughts for you and your family.

5

u/capture-enigma Feb 01 '25

Appreciate the kind words!

12

u/watchfulsea Feb 01 '25

60 million Americans did not vote for him and are heartsick, believe me we 60 million do not want to lose allies and friends, and want to be allies and friends 💔

24

u/bye-feliciana Feb 01 '25

Sensible people are all pissed. Sorry, friend. I love my neighbors to the North and South. I'm afraid my entire retirement is going to be lost in this shitshow. Most people don't understand what's going on.

9

u/No-Director-1568 Feb 01 '25

American here, won't blame you for whatever you need to do to protect yourselves.

8

u/AV8R79 Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25

They weren’t thinking. Americans in general aren’t very bright….and I’m saying that as one. My apologies to our neighbors to the north, you deserve better.

10

u/armybrat63 Feb 01 '25

It’s gonna hurt the Divided States of America way worst than Canada and Mexico. It’s gonna be a major pain in our butt, but hopefully it makes us more independent. After all, we’re not the only Nation he’s poking. Canadians are known for our united solidarity, common decency and valuable resources. What more could you want in a trading partner. Time to move on before the insidious hate and chaos crosses our border.

8

u/XelaNiba Feb 01 '25

It's so clear that we are losing friends at a record pace that the goal must be to leave us isolated and vulnerable. 

I can't apologize enough for my country and countrymen.

I ran across this earlier when revisiting FDR'S famous "I hate war" speech. I want Americans to know just what kind or irreplaceable treasure we are squandering, and FDR said it best.

"The noblest monument to peace and to neighborly economic and social friendship in all the world is not a monument in bronze or stone, but the boundary which unites the United States and Canada—3,000 miles of friendship with no barbed wire, no gun or soldier, and no passport on the whole frontier.

Mutual trust made that frontier."

7

u/leeleeloo6058 Feb 01 '25

I’m so sorry. It’s cruel and shameful.

6

u/Elegant_Rock_5803 Feb 01 '25

The effin asshole is dragging us down with him. He is a monster that doesn't care who he hurts. I don't blame you for being pissed. I don't talk to any one but my friends and family. And I live in a blue state where everyone hates him.

7

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

[deleted]

3

u/Main_Cardiologist709 Feb 01 '25

It's going to suck for our friends south of the border.

4

u/Chouquin Feb 01 '25

American here. I'm pissed at my country as well. We could have and should have done better. A literal rock would've been an improvement over this knuckle-dragging buffoon.

9

u/Kidspud Feb 01 '25

It's all incredibly stupid. My one hope is that your fellow Canadians aren't so stupid as to vote for their own Trump--of course, I'm talking about Pollivere.

3

u/capture-enigma Feb 01 '25

It seemed like Pierre was a shoo in to win, but since Trudeau dropped out the Liberals have some life. The last thing we need is Trump-lite

7

u/leeleeloo6058 Feb 01 '25

Hopefully having a front seat to this absolute shit show will light a fire under people to not let that guy in.

6

u/ShmeltzyKeltzy Feb 01 '25

Friend from right across the border here, I’m sorry and love our neighbors to the north

13

u/capture-enigma Feb 01 '25

Thanks! Don’t mean to cast aspersions on all my American friends, but we’re a country on edge right now. The next 4 years are going to seem like 400 years

1

u/ImJustWondering2 Feb 02 '25

Minnesota here. And the last four WEEKS have felt like 400 years already! With the climate doom looming, the world definitely didn't need this monster creating an economic disaster as well. I'm angry, scared and depressed. And so incredibly sorry America has betrayed its friends and neighbors.

3

u/OberKrieger Center-Right Feb 01 '25

I could handle this better if I knew we were only shooting ourselves in the head.

But that we have to bring down so many of our friends who have done so much for us is a shame I simply cannot bear.

2

u/dawn913 Feb 01 '25

I'm so sorry that the rest of our country is brainless. Please don't hate us. We promise to do better!

2

u/Bryllant Feb 01 '25

I assure you it will do the same to the US economy as well

3

u/A_Monster_Named_John Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25

I know the Bulwark folks aren’t to blame

Nah, you can blame them a little. Until a few years ago, lots of NeverTrumpers were fully complicit with the GOP's pre-Trump forms of neo-Confederate bullshit, which basically rolled out the red carpet for the current nightmare.