Our recent US elections have left me shocked and stunned. But delaying this post any further, searching for a silver lining, isn't going to change anything, so here goes.
NPR, Why Trump won — 9 takeaways from the 2024 election
President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for higher tariffs, lower taxes and more curbs on immigration are expected to reignite inflation but economic forecasters are divided over whether they’ll weaken or boost the U.S. economy in the near term.
Eventually, the higher levies on imports and immigration constraints are likely to more than offset the benefits of lower taxes on consumer and business spending, weakening growth overall but stopping short of triggering a recession, economists say.
CNN's exit poll showed around a 10-point gender gap between US men and women voters, with 42 % of men and 53 % of women voting for Harris, and with 55 percent of men and 45 percent of women voting for Trump. Apparently more men than women voted this time. In this most recent election, Trump actually won support from a majority of voters, unlike in the previous election against Hillary Clinton when he fell short by almost 3 million votes, but still was declared victorious in the Electoral College. His margin in the vital "Blue wall" states this time around was slim but enough to provide him with a clear victory. I admit that I actually had a (male) family member who voted for Trump.
It was a clean sweep for Republicans, taking not only the presidency, but the US Senate and the House as well. Let's see what Republicans will do with all that, as many of them have been caught by surprise.
What's ahead for Kamala? She's now probably trying to figure that out for herself.
Weekend Update: Trump Wins 2024 Election, Becomes First Felon Elected President
Wife Melania Trump, an immigrant herself, has been coy about how much time she plans to spend at the White House, as when her husband was in office before, she seemed to have avoided being there with him as much as possible. Nor did she join Donald on the campaign trail. She also chose not to accept Jill Biden's invitation to visit the White House. Her son has been her main focus ever since his birth. Young Barron Trump is now a college student at New York University, making it likely that Melania will be spending considerable time in that city.
Voters, be careful what you wished for! Trump's economic plans, such as increasing tariffs, are likely to increase, not reduce, inflation and also increase prices.
Though Trump plans to pull back from most international obligations, he is still vocal about his 100% support for Israel and Mr. Netanyahu.
(My own prediction: a substantial number of Trump voters--probably even a majority--will come to regret their choice by the end of his term.)
Bitcoin's value soared in the wake of Trump's election victory. Dogecoin, Musk's particular favorite, has been doing even better.
Wash. Post, the New Administration, Trump prepares immigration crackdown with Miller, Homan posts
An immigration crackdown is the exact opposite of what the US needs now, given our current population shortfall and a growing demand for labor.
UPI, Trump's new pick for 'border czar' says workplace immigration raids planned
Is this really what voters wanted?
Wash. Post, As Trump prepares for mass deportations, Mexico is not ready
Mexico now says, "woah, not so fast!"
Yahoo News:
During the campaign, JD Vance, now vice-president-elect, said that the new Trump administration would look to deport roughly 1 million annually. According to an estimate by the American Immigration Council,.. that effort would cost $88 billion each year... Economists have also warned that Trump’s deportation plan could cost the U.S. economy trillions in GDP. (FYI, Vance's wife is herself the daughter of immigrants.)
We will actually be needing most of those workers slated for deportation by Trump and Vance due to the current US baby bust, as mentioned here last time.
| Here's a message now about our recent election from my friend Stephen in Nigeria, who once |
stayed at my home here in Washington, DC.
Good day, Madam Barbs.
Hope you're doing well with your family.
I was surprised to see Trump win the election, clean and clear, despite all the court convictions.
For us here, we feel that, perhaps, Americans are tired of the immorality that the Democrats have promoted over these years, and are ready to embrace God now. Is that part of the reasons or are we wrong?
Stephen
Hello Stephen,
For me, as I am definitely not a Trump supporter, his recent election has come as quite a shock and a big disappointment. He is certainly not a religious or morally upright man. He constantly lies and cheats.
I voted this time for Kamala Harris, hoping she would become the first female US president. Now Trump's convictions and criminal cases are being swept aside and we must endure 4 more years of his unpredictable and self-serving governance. At the end of his 4-year term, I suspect the American people will then be pretty tired of him. I did have a (male) family member who actually voted for him. There was a definite gender divide in the vote, with most men voting for Trump and a majority of women for Harris, but in the end, Donald Trump won. Now at age 86, I hope to survive the end of his presidency.
In hindsight, the Democratic Party should have pressed Biden to get out of the race sooner, as at age 81, his memory was already failing and he would have been 82 by the time he would have run for reelection. I had Covid myself earlier this year, which definitely affected my memory, which was already becoming unreliable.
I made a solo farewell trip to Honduras during most of June, traveling there without a cell phone, unable to tell folks where I would be arriving next, but I don't plan on going back as my passport is expiring soon. You can read about my trip on my blog, honduraspeacecorps2@blogspot.com [July 23, 31 trip report]
Although I hadn't spoken Spanish for more than 2 years, I was still completely fluent, told I don't have a "gringo" accent.
Hope you and your family are well and that the world survives Trump's 2nd presidency without too much damage.
Best always, Barbara
His reply was problematic, making it unwise to try to pursue this topic any further;
Yes, Madam Barbs.
I feel Kamala Harris would have won that election clean and clear, considering Trump's charges, if she had
condemned the evil and immoral agenda of the Democrats. But, unfortunately she embraced the ungodly,
evil and immoral agenda. And that cost her the opportunity to be the first female American president.
After Trump’s win, some women are considering the 4B movement
In the hours and days since it became clear that Donald Trump would be re-elected president of the United States, there’s been
a surge of interest in the US for 4B. Young liberal women across TikTok and Instagram are discussing and sharing information
about the South Korean feminist movement, in which straight women refuse to marry, have children, date or have sex with men.
The political gender gap is even wider in South Korea than in the US.
"In Korea, there is still a prevalent culture that believes bearing children and all aspects of childcare are solely the
responsibility of women.
Abortion advocates, whether in the US or South Korea, seem to forget that without babies, there are no more people.
Israel’s Netanyahu acknowledges pager attack, says he, Netanyahu, sees ‘eye-to-eye’ with Trump on Iran
Wash. Post, In Gaza, ‘an entire society now a graveyard’
Israel has mounted a vindictive genocide against Palestinians, a straight forward ethnic cleansing effort, aimed at obliterating that entire population, including many thousands of unarmed men, women, and children and taking over their land. Donald Trump is likely to double down on that cruel effort and on US support of Netanyahu.
A family friend stopped by to commiserate with my visiting daughter and me about the US election outcome. 
After leaving DC, Steph called from Detroit, near Lake Erie and the Canadian border, where she was staying overnight after her flight had deviated to the east after first stopping in Chicago. She went outside there, still wearing her Hawaii attire, not appropriate for the local weather. She is now home at last.
Anti-Semitism is on the rise again largely because of Israel's war actions.
I am a mother who prioritizes her relationship with her kids. The loss of my son and Cuban foster son have made me fiercely protective, although my kids and even grandkids are now mostly adults.
This year, if I actually had the means, I could legally give my kids/grandkids each $18,000, completely tax-free for them. I've given them all something this year, but hardly in that range.
As the saying goes, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."
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