It's a Small [Worse] World After All
The GOP's isolation tactics aren't gonna hurt the world, they're just gonna hurt us.
Between tariffing everyone to f*ck and back for no apparent reason besides, “doesn’t understand how anything works” and picking fights with our allies, it’s clear that Trump and the GOP see American strength in isolationism. But why? I think simply calling them stupid would be too easy/accurate, so let’s just say it’s misguided.
The GOP’s recent (re: last decade) fascination with Russia and emulating their worst policies—attacking journalists, disappearing protesters, attacking neighboring countries??? is wild. Am I the only one who noticed that Russia highkey sucks? Why would we want to be like them? The GOP’s obsession with Russia is like an incel teenage boy’s obsession with Andrew Tate. Oh, you don’t get that he sucks and we all hate him.
This Trump era of failsons pulling ideas out of their ass and thinking they have some special insight (RFK Jr. claiming no one had narcolepsy —a disorder Winston Churchill had—when he was a kid cause he hadn’t heard of it comes to mind) is too exhausting. I’m sick of moronic “hunches” being treated as facts. Can any of these motherfuckers even read??? Unclear given that their latest hunch has brought them to “punching ourselves in the dick as economic policy.”
Isolationism is bad because when our world is smaller, it means our potential is too. Using Kentucky as an example, Governor Andy Beshear made the point recently that because of Trump’s unprovoked verbal attacks on Canada, Kentucky bourbon is no longer a hot commodity up there. Canada has hella winter, there’s a reason they drink bourbon. The US likes bourbon, sure, but are we really gonna make mint juleps (yuck) the national beverage to bolster that economy? Or, more likely, are those distillers gonna lose their businesses?
If Russia is so cool, how come half of 90-Day Fiancé’s cast members are hot Russian women fleeing to marry certified US uggos just for citizenship? Do you know how many spin-offs that show has? More than 20! Trump says he wants to sell US citizenship for $5 million, but he’s making it so shitty here no one in their right mind would pay that to live in a country like this. Ugh.
Something has to give. I can’t take anymore of this stupidity.
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+ Speaking of stupidity: Bluesky kind of sucks, and I had to create a whole new account because the people who run it don’t respond to help requests. If you used to follow me there, I promise you don’t anymore. But if you want to, you can do so, here.
+ One way I have found to stay sane in the hellishness of 2025 is to not really be online as much as I used to be. It helps. Longer form work has given me some space, and I don’t get overwhelmed by the news until much later in the day. Progress? Anyway, one thing I made recently was a personal website.
+ I also made this video about scaring Stephen King, IRL. If you like writers, are a fan of cinematic storytelling, miss seeing the inside of video stores, or simply were traumatized by Wes Craven’s Scream at a tender age, this video is for you.
+ ALSO a HUGE THANK YOU IS IN ORDER Because REBEL SPIRIT WON A WEBBY AWARD! We did it! And that was in no small part due to this awesome community of readers’ choice to click a link, sign up (I know) and vote for us. I’m so over-the-moon (one day I’ll tell you about the anxiety dreams I had about losing. One involved Hillary Clinton talking me down on FaceTime) If you have suggestions for our 5-word speech for the event, let me know in the comment below.
Thanks for being you, and again, hopefully something good happens soon.
A
5 words: Now change the damn mascot.
Re 5 Words: progress requires
confronting the past