The Trump Era (2015-2025?) was a bad dream until last night. Now that Donald Trump, a conman and reality TV star, has won the 2016 election for US president, the nightmare of “Make America Great Again” has only begun.

Back in the warm, sunny days of August I said on the alt-right thread:

“If Trump, or someone like him, becomes president, their [alt-right] ideas will become more respectable and widespread. But I think the US has already demographically passed that bend in the river where a White nationalist sort could become president.”

Well, clearly, we have not passed that bend in the river. We are there. Now.

Opinion polls last summer showed that Trump’s racism was turning off more White voters than it gained. As it turns out, many of those Whites were only pretending to be turned off. The election showed their true colours.

The Anti-Obama: If you see President Trump as a White backlash against having a Black president, then this is payback, the price Blacks will pay for a largely symbolic Black presidency. What little good President Obama has done will be wiped away.

“What the hell do you have to lose?” Trump asked Blacks during the campaign. Quite a bit. At the very least, racial profiling, police brutality and especially voter suppression will almost certainly increase for people of colour. Most likely bullying and hate crimes will too.

And it could get worse: When Reagan became president I never imagined the Crack Era. Add to that Trump’s lack of government or military experience, a first among US presidents.

Silver linings: Trying to look on the bright side of this:

Tons of racists have just outed themselves. More will continue to do so. Keep notes.

Hopefully Trump’s victory will:

Prove that elections are are not rigged and that voting matters.

Wake up people to how much racism there still is in US society.

Provide clear-cut enemies to bring together Black people, if not people of colour and anti-racists.

End the Clinton infestation of the Democratic Party.

Strengthen the Sanders-Warren wing of the Democratic Party, bringing it back to being a party that cares more about ordinary people than big banks (the Obama-Clinton wing).

2042: If most White people had any sense they would use this period, before they become a minority in 2042, to strengthen minority rights for everyone. But most White people clearly lack sense: they voted for Trump.

The constitution: I will be happy if Trump just sticks to the constitution and does not become a fascist. That will limit the damage he can do to the US: in two years he could lose control of Congress, as Obama did in 2010 (Vote in 2018!!!). And in four years, eight at most, he will be out.

The handmaidens of racism: Long-term, the most unsettling thing about Trump’s win is the 29% of Latinos and Asians who voted for him. If that number grows, White racist policymaking will continue long after non-Hispanic Whites have become a minority.

– Abagond, 2016.

Update (November 20th): Another silver lining of the Trump Era is that maybe the White Liberal press will stop turning a blind eye to stuff like drones, mass deportations and weakening human rights.

Sources: Images from the Washington Times, CNN.

See also:

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