So…did anything interesting happen during the week? Well, the All Blacks defeated Ireland 23-13 in Dublin, the Wellington Phoenix smashed Central Coast Mariners 3-0, Ireland’s parliament passed a motion declaring that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and Heretic was released.

Oh, I forgot. Everybody’s favourite ex-McDonalds worker and star of Home Alone 2 was elected President of the United States of America. Again. The way I understand it, the Republican Party will control the White House and the US Senate in 2025, and is currently very close to taking control of the US House of Representatives as well.

I heard that during the election, someone had posted that waiting for the election results was like the country was waiting on the results of an STI test. It doesn’t matter now though, because they have hooked up their with ex for another four years.

The pointless aim of this blog post is not to analyse and reflect on Donald Trump’s victory or Kamala Harris’ defeat. It’s not about explaining the rejection of the Democrats’ policies from the majority of the United States, or the new embrace of the MAGA movement. If you want that, there are already hundreds of articles, opinion pieces, and panels discussing those issues.

Compared to those professionals, I’m a nobody, with a rugby obsession and a Sour Cream and Chives-hating disorder.

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.The point is that it happened, and we need to accept these awkward and brutal truths:

• Donald Trump won the election and will become the 47th President of the United States of America, and the potential leader of the free world.

• The Republican Party will control the Senate, and with all likelihood, the House as well.

• Elon Musk, the richest person on the planet, will probably be involved in Trump’s administration, in some capacity.

For some people, this is great news, it’s what they wanted. For others, it’s not. They are working their way through the five stages of grief, and sadly, it can’t be stopped. You need to understand that nothing you do or say, can alter these facts. It’s inevitable as the Joker escaping from Arkham Asylum, or as Appa saving Team Avatar.

I’m sure any Vulcan would agree with me on this, but I find it fascinating that the Republican Party, which is all about personal freedoms and keeping the government out of people’s personal lives, will be the party that will be stripping and removing freedoms from people, because of this election result.

You can yell and scream at the insanity of it all, but this is democracy at work. I should know, because we elected Trump Lite, in the form of Prime Minister Luxon last year. Seriously, I get it. New Zealand is already fighting culture wars that the United States had started, which our government is actively promoting and fuelling.

No, the point of this blog post is to lament about what happens next, because my geeky arse is worried.

Before I go on, I feel I need to bring up a very important question:

I’m not a US citizen, so why should I care about what happens?

It’s easy because there are two answers. The first is that, and I’ve said this before, the United States exports ideas, whether they are positive and constructive or negative and destructive.

Secondly, I’m a member of the Homo sapiens species, so I care. Even though I’m at the bottom of the South Pacific, their decisions are going to affect me and my family, but also millions of families around the planet.

I’m not an expert on US politics, Project 2025, or culture wars, because if I was, I would be a lot smarter and have a cooler job. However, as I understand it, and I could be wrong here, if Republicans and conservatives control the White House, the Senate, and the House, along with the majority of Governors and members of the Supreme Court, it seems to me that Trump will be unrestrained when he is unleased upon the country and the world, with no adult supervision, because it’s all been removed.

I worry about the damage Trump and the Republicans are going to do to the United States and the world, regardless of the amount of support they have. My concerns are and not limited to:

United States of America:

• The deportation of millions of people will cripple families, the immigration and justice systems, and the economy.
• The cost of new tariffs will be passed onto the public.
• The unlawful prosecution of political opponents and rivals.
• The rise of science scepticism and the fall of science literacy.
• The Supreme Court has given Trump the green light to do whatever he wants as President.
• Reporters and journalists will be arrested for writing and publishing real facts or anti-government information.
• Far-right and hate groups like Neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, and Proud Boys will be empowered.
• Hate crimes towards the LGBTQIA+ community, immigrants, non-whites, Muslims, and Jews will only increase.
• The unemployment rate will increase.
• New local, state, and federal laws will target minorities.
• Book banning and censorship will continue to increase.
• Average American temperatures will only increase.
• Gay and lesbian marriages could be banned.
• Violent conservatives and MAGA supporters could be immune from prosecution, or pardoned.
• Sexist, racist and bigoted views will become more mainstream and acceptable.
• Unqualified and unsuited people will be placed in government departments.
• Government oversight will decrease, as will government corruption increase.
• US history could be reinterpreted to reflect a more conservative perspective.
• Legal and illegal immigrants will be deemed eternal pariahs, as they will be promoted as the root cause of the country’s problems.
• More pro-gun legislation will be passed, along with school and town shootings increasing.
• More anti-birth control and anti-abortion legislation will be passed.
• Suicide rates among youth will increase, while funding for support and outreach groups will decrease.
• More tax cuts to the elite and mega-wealthy.
• IVF treatment will be banned at the state and federal levels.
• Government agencies will be given more power to micro-manage people’s lives.
• Voter suppression will continue across the country.
• The levels of misinformation and disinformation will blanket the country.
• People will be encouraged to be loyal to Trump and the party and not the country.
• All forms of gender affirmation will be heavily under threat if not completely banned.
• The US Constitution will be amended to reflect a more conservative perspective.
• The rise of evangelical Christianity, by treating Trump as the Lord’s one true voice in America.
• The demonisation of followers of Islam, Judaism, and other non-Christian religions will increase.
• Vaccines for childhood illnesses like polio and measles will be discouraged.
• Production and use of fossil fuels will increase, while green and renewal energy funding will be slashed.
• Emergency funding and relief aid for disaster victims will only be administered to counties and states, that voted for the federal government.
• The military will start a new nuclear arms race.
• More civil rights will be removed, to promote the “us vs them” mentality.
• Equality and diversity will be seen as un-American.

The World:

• The United States will leave NATO.
• The United States will withdraw from any international treaty or contract, about reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• The United States will reduce funding to the United Nations.
• American weapons exports will increase to authoritarian countries and governments.
• Aid, resources and money sent to Ukraine will be cut, allowing Russia to annex and eventually conquer Ukraine.
• Weapons sales to Israel will increase, ensuring Gaza and the West Bank will be annexed, along with the Palestinian people being annihilated.
• Immigration rates around the world will be reduced.
• The prosecution of the LGBTQIA+ community will increase worldwide.
• American airstrikes against poor and vulnerable communities and countries will increase.
• The United States will reduce international aid to developing and third-world countries.
• The United States will leave WHO.
• The International Court of Justice may not be recognised by the United States.
• Stock markets and international currencies are going to jump around.
• International trade deals will heavily favour the United States.
• Tensions between the United States, North Korea, China, and Iran will only increase.

There’s plenty more I could list in these two groups, but I want to discuss something positive with you before I go.

Like I said before, Trump’s return to the White House could be a wet dream for millions of people around the world, but for others, it’s a nightmare. This can look and sound quite bleak, and to be honest, it’ll probably get a lot worse before it ever gets better.

But this is the point; you’re not alone. The fear and anxiety that you’re feeling, is shared with millions of people across the United States and around the world. You’re really not alone, I promise you.

When Trump takes the Oath of Office as the 47th President, the Earth will continue to rotate, the Moon will keep travelling around the Earth, and the Earth will keep orbiting the Sun. The universe will continue to function, regardless of whether a convicted felony is governing a country or not. The universe won’t care, and that’s ok.

But do you know what is ok? Your ability to feel hope and anger. Hope gets us out of bed in the morning. Hope allows us to love our families and accept love ourselves. Hope can transform us, and empower us to become better people.

But your anger…your anger is a gift. Your anger can move mountains and change the world. Anger allows you to see the lines in the sand that companies and governments cross. Whether it’s at your local level, national, or international, your anger is a gift that you can use to bring about positive change and social reforms. Depending on where you live, the next four years are going to be tough; some more than others.

Get angry at the problems facing your region, country and the world. Get angry at the corruption and injustices, because they’ve been here for some time, and there’s more to come. Talk to your mayor, your council, your local politician and religious leaders, and get them to act.

Don’t sit down and dismiss problems because they’re not your concern or they’re too massive; you need to fight. Non-violent civil disobedience to be precise. I mean, ask the British Empire or Mahatma Gandhi if that works.

The world can’t fix itself, so use your rage and anger to help. You’re not alone, I promise.

Just one more thing to remember is that any law is temporary. It’s not forever, because governments rise and fall, and depending on who is holding the pen, they get to write the laws or rewrite them. Oppressive policies and laws are not forever, they are just temporary. And we win, by surviving and demanding better from all of our leaders.

Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, wear socks to bed, and I’ll see you next week because the worst tour in the Solar System is back! Take care and look after yourselves.

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