Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Wake up!

     I was really hoping that the electoral college would come through and vote for someone, anyone, but Trump. Am I surprised that they didn't? No. Am I disappointed. Of course I am. As the end of the year approaches, and the inauguration looms like a tsunami warning, it's difficult not to become desperate and depressed and to grasp at straws that there is someway to rid ourselves of the Trump plague. 
     I don't  think however, that  the undermining of our election process that took place should be taken lightly.
 U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help President-elect Donald Trump win the White House. (1)
     Think about that for a minute. It's not just my or anyone else's  hard feelings over the election bringing light to this matter.  U.S. intelligence analysts made this conclusion. But why? Why would Russia care about our election?
     The answer is easy; who is going to be easier to bend to their will than a guy who is 100% not qualified for the position? Who is going to be friendlier with Russia? Who will be more willing to do their bidding than someone who already has a vested interest in Russia? 
The Russians appear to have concluded that Trump had a shot at winning and that he would be much friendlier to Russia than Clinton would be, especially on issues such as maintaining economic sanctions and imposing additional ones, (2)
     Of course Trump will be friendlier to Russia, he is already in their pocket. And what happened to Trump's accusations that the polls were rigged? That the election was rigged? Suddenly, he's back peddling because it serves his purpose. 
“I think it’s ridiculous,” Trump said in an interview with “Fox News Sunday,” his first Sunday show appearance since the election last month. “I think it’s just another excuse. I don’t believe it . . . No, I don’t believe it at all.” (3)
     This is the response from the guy who was adamant during the elections that things were rigged...but ONLY if he didn't win. Can we say classic narcissist? 

     So what happens now? Do we as a country let this stand? How is our election process valid if it is proven that there was interference, no matter who was behind it? President Obama, Democrats, and Republicans alike are insisting that an investigation be conducted. But then what? Do we as the public just say, "Oh well, things were rigged, let's move on." or do we demand that something be done? If this isn't enough to scare the public, what is?

     Don't think that letting this stand means nothing. If Russia is allowed to get away with this, what's to stop them from rigging other elections? Nothing. It's already happening. 
Moscow is launching a similar effort to influence the next German election, following an escalating campaign to promote far-right and nationalist political parties and individuals in Europe that began more than a decade ago. 
In both cases, said the [Intelligence] official, Putin's campaigns in both Europe and the United States are intended to disrupt and discredit the Western concept of democracy by promoting extremist candidates, parties, and political figures. (4).
     So here we are, stuck with a certifiable megalomaniac  president-elect, one with no qualifications to be POTUS and it's due to some democracy undermining Russian plot? It seems like something out of a movie, but this is real life. This is terrifying real life. Just looking in to this miscarriage of our voting system is not enough. Something must be done to stop it from continuing to happen. Some kind of corrective action must be taken to show that we aren't okay with it.  We need to wake up and do something, before it's too late.   


1 & 2.  Walcott, John. "Russia intervened to help Trump win election: intelligence officials." Reuters. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.

3. Viebeck, Elise. "Trump denies CIA report that Russia intervened to help him win election." The Washington Post. N.p., 11 Dec. 2016. Web. 20 Dec. 2016.

4. Walcott, John. "Russia intervened to help Trump win election: intelligence officials." Reuters. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.

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