You died of dysintery

[Dark Jaguar]

Here lies the U.S.A., this country got rid of all it's smart people and crapped itself to death.

[Geno]

2016: "Stop overreacting. It's not like there are going to be concentration camps or anything like that!"

2017: "Okay, first of all, it's not fair to call them 'concentration camps.'"

2021: "Don't those people raiding the Capitol realize there's a plague going on right now?"

2024: "I miss Trump. Life was good when he was president."

2025: "Make America Healthy Again!"

2026: "Don't eat the lettuce. You'll get explosive diarrhea and die."

[Dark Jaguar]

If I described the things literally going on right now to someone back in the 1980's, they'd assume I was describing a fictional hellscape, but stupid.  "Let me get this straight, Donald Trump, THAT guy, saying THOSE things, in public, became president?  Nobody's that stupid.  You're describing a fantasy here, and honestly if I was yer editor I'd burn the manuscript!  It's not believable is what I'm saying.  People don't act like this.  America doesn't act like this, and nobody, but NOBODY is THAT gullible!"  And then the detective would put out his cigar, throw on a full coat, and look up on his Rolodex the number of a good shrink.  I mean I could bring back recordings on my phone, that'd probably help, but it'd be like I was describing a whole other SPECIES to people back then.

So, we get Trump, Musk, and RFK Jr. dismantling the system that would have caught this outbreak. (Jr. issomeone no one should ever have supported, because we absolutely NEED TO STOP CARING ABOUT THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF POLITICIANS.  Death to dynasties.  Someone being related to someone you like doesn't make that other person someone you should also like.  Ever.  It's not even an indicator, of anything.  The reverse is also true.  I'm rather sick of "scandals" involving politician's siblings doing or saying something stupid.  They're their own people.  All that matters is how the politician INTERACTS with that relative.  Are they promoting them to positions of power?  Are they actively covering for crimes?

There's a number of people in this country who desperately want the reliability of a royal family, but claim to be in favor of democracy.  You can't have it both ways.

[Geno]

I remember during Trump's first term (I still hate having to say that phrase; if my 2021 self heard those words, he'd be very disheartened, as I am right now), there was a headline about a Twitter feud between Eminem and President Donald Trump, and someone responded by saying, "Imagine having to explain this headline to a time traveler from 2006." Yeah, the future is stupid, dude. Just don't even come. Stay where you are. That's not how the linear progression of time works, you say? Well then enjoy the relative (emphasis on relative) sanity of the next ten years.

And yes, political dynasties are stupid. Nobody would be listening to this anti-vaxxer nutjob if his uncle hadn't been president. And conversely, Hunter Biden's addiction issues had no bearing on Joe Biden's performance as president or his values or ethics, nor did Bill Clinton's sexual misconduct reflect on Hillary Clinton as a person or a politician (being cheated on is not a moral failing). But then again, these are the same people who emphasize that Barack Obama's middle name is the same as a former Iraqi dictator's last name, or that Obama's own last name is one letter different from a terrorist leader's first name, as if either of these factoids has any bearing on anything whatsoever. "Oh, what's in a name?"