2024 was a bad year for basic decency in America. You can thank Trump for that. | Opinion
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
2024 was a bad year for basic decency in America. You can thank Trump for that. | Opinion
Matsuda, Akiko; De Avila, Joseph.4-5 minutes
2024 was not a great year for basic human decency.
If we’re being honest, no year has been a great year for human decency since whatever it is that evolved into us emerged from the primordial ooze. Humans aren’t great at basic decency, and I assume it didn’t take long for the earliest iteration of a human being to do something obnoxious.
Still, 2024 was suboptimal.
2024 marked by Trump, hateful rhetoric, loony conspiracy theories
An entire community of legal immigrants in Ohio got labeled dog-eaters to give stupid politicians something to fearmonger. A convicted felon who had been found liable for sexual abuse and charged with a multitude of other crimes, a guy who lies with such reckless abandon he has all but eradicated the idea of “facts,” got elected president again on a promise of cruelty toward others.
A nutball who thinks vaccines, one of the greatest achievements in medical history, are bad and we should all fight diseases by drinking bacteria-laden raw milk got hoisted up as a person who should oversee the nation’s health.
A massive bridge collapsed in Baltimore and right-wing conspiracy theorists immediately pounced, trying to convince rubes it had something to do with the apparently evil concept of “diversity.”
A South Dakota governor admitted she murdered her dog Cricket in a gravel pit and, by the end of the year, was nominated to run the Department of Homeland Security.
School shootings continue unabated and don't forget the wars
School shootings kept happening and politicians continued to do quite literally nothing to stop them. Wars continued war-ing, with little global regard for the loss of innocents, a fact that should shock the collective human conscience, assuming it has one.
I’m not so sure it does. As already stated above, decency isn’t really our thing.
But here at home, you’ll note, much of the indecency stemmed from one particularly indecent character. A man who has managed to melt brains preheated by reality television and, for the past decade, make himself the center of our political universe.
Trump is irredeemable, and he brings out the worst Americans have to offer
Trump is a golden calf and an amalgam of the worst in all of us. His prevalence in American life and his pending return to the presidency have normalized those worst tendencies. He has given comfort to white nationalists and insurrectionists and antisemites, and embraced cruel dictators. The basic things any parent would teach their child not to do lie, bully, brag are Trump’s calling cards.
I don’t want or need to hear another argument about him being a tough leader or the best choice for president or someone who appeals to “regular Americans,” whatever that means. Nothing justifies him. Nothing.
Opinion: Trump lied about food prices. Now he says it's too 'hard' to bring down costs.
He is now and will forever be a stain on American history, a man whose narcissism and lust for power and money led him to sacrifice American decency at an altar he built to honor himself.
How the country does under his upcoming leadership is irrelevant. The moral cost of getting there has already been too steep.
If you thought 2024 was bad for American decency, just wait
Trump is certainly not to blame for all the ills in America not even close. We’ve been a flawed nation, replete with scoundrels, for some time.
But Trump has, singlehandedly and without question, made this country more cruel, more dishonest and more willing to believe immoral behavior can take you places.
He erodes our decency by example.
2024 was a bad year for America’s sense of right and wrong.
2025 will undoubtedly be far, far worse.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Facebook at facebook.com/RexIsAJerk
ALL COMMENTS REFERRING TO "TDS'', OR ANY OTHER CLAIM THAT THE LEFT IS UNFAIRLY OBSESSED WITH TRUMP WILL BE DELETED.
COMMMENTS NOT RELATED TO THE PREMISE OF THE SEEDED ARTICLE WILL BE DELETED
Tags
Who is online
401 visitors
If what you say is true, he would not have been elected overwhelmingly by a very diverse and informed electorate.
He was not elected "overwhelmingly" (1.48%, by my tally) and the portion of the electorate that did vote for him was either misinformed on the abilities of the president or just delusionally stupid, in my opinion.
Trump’s election is an indictment of the electorate. It is a profound, historical failure. I never would have believed our electorate would elect a proven traitor as PotUS but here we are.
Dear Greg, please do tell us all which part is not true.
[✘]
Not the "indicted" part, no....
What is the point of asking such stupid questions?
Again (as with the last time you asked a similar question) your question makes it look as though you do not understand that sets (e.g. the electorate) will have properties that are not necessarily true for every member of the set (e.g. an individual voter).
But beyond that, this is so simple. Clearly my comment was criticizing those who voted for Trump and NOT those who voted for someone other than Trump. So obviously (right?) my question does not imply that every member of the electorate has made a profound mistake. The electorate as-a-whole has fucked up.
[✘]
I explained this in clear terms and you still make a comment that suggests that you cannot understand the difference between properties applied to a whole and properties applied to an individual.
This is a very basic concept.
If something is true about Republicans as a group (e.g. they support Trump), does that mean it is true for every Republican (e.g. every Republican supports Trump)? If something is true about men as a group (e.g. more muscle mass than the average woman) does that mean every man has more muscle mass than the average woman?
Your post is ridiculous.
[deleted]
If this thread doesnt get on topic I am going to ask Perrie to delete the whole thing.
Obviously the "electorate" was not that informed.
Seems the "electorate" are easily fooled morons.
Trump has never been anything but a lying conman.
I see the gaslighting is in high gear.
The truth is out there for all to see. One just needs a modicum of intellect to recognize it.
Hateful rhetoric didn’t rule the day in the 2024 election. Not in the House, not in the Senate and not in the Executive.
Hat trick election.
It appears that some here can't accept the reality that the voters could clearly see through their bullshit and lies and totally rejected their regressive and subversive agenda. Claiming that millions of voters were stupid, ignorant, and misinformed is just plain ludicrous and sheer idiocy.
or true.
We call those people Harris supporters.
I love being underestimated. Sadly, many are not self aware enough to realize they are being beat like a rented mule.
Well, they might be an insult to the rented mule.
90% of your comments have no meaning at all.
Which simply reinforces my point.
Thanks
The mouse in your pocket is stupid too?
I like how the author labeled him as a golden calf. Appropriate. Not sure many of your readers will get the reference tho
It's veally appropriate.
Beefy pun
I prefer seeded puns for my all beefy burger beer meister, cause I'm not chicken little to call out a fowl when one crosses the line, that left me snortin all the weigh to the banked turn that wasn't FDIC insured for golden calfs, asz it drive is too grab only B tween thighs, thus why an alternate fact faux wanna be American idol that needs adjustment in the head room, as the glove compartment is all ready red, needs to have words said, to condemn false gods B 4 he, ya si
Democrats/leftists were 99.99% of the of the disgusting violent rhetoric; and resulted in three assassination attempts against Trump that they admit to. Who knows how many more they won't.
Calling someone Fascist and Hitler repeatedly is beyond the pale.
When it comes to lying no one equals Democrats/leftists.
Weaponizing the FBI, DOJ, CIA, and IRS against their political opponents. Two faux impeachments. The Pelosi hand picked TDS driven Jan 6th committee that presented only evidence to support their predetermined warped narrative and outcome; and tried to hide and then destroy any rail evidence that disproved it. Lawfare. Trying to keep their main political opponent illegally off state ballots. Trying to first keep RFK Jr off all state ballots; and the refusing to let him off ballots in swing states after he withdrew.
You collectively have brought out the worst in this country; and have the temerity to blame everyone else.
You are upset because we didn't vote for the party that ran this country into a ditch. Who put forward a candidate who had never won a single primary vote for President. Who offered no path forward; just more of the bullshit that got this country to where it is now.
You lost, get the fuck over it. Don't worry, I am sure history will repeat itself and the electorate will soon forget everything Democrats put this country through- and put them back in charge so they can continue their trek towards one country rule- and turning this country into a woke, dysfunctional, version of China.
Talk to your VP there Ronin, and as I recall, Trumpswould be assassins were not lefties, but whatever helps you make it through...
On spot!!
One thing that is 100 percent true is that Trump will be the cause of leftists, once again, rioting, burning and killing in the streets of mostly blue shithole cities starting January 20 next year and continuing for 4 years.
The man who beat two left wing queens is the most hated man in the world by leftists.
Not real dictators
Not Hamas or other countless terrorist organizations in the Middle East
Not an assassin of a health insurance company (many leftists really adore that guy)
But a lone guy that will once again be their president in under a month.
Thank God for that.
Yeah, right. God and Trump. [deleted][✘]
Indeed! Trump knows all the best verses of the bible!
He couldn't even name one.... An atheist can name bible verses, trump couldn't even come up with one? Really? LMAO!!!
List them.
I give that 5 Pinocchios, Mr Frost!
Hell, I'm an agnostic and I can quote my favorite verse. Mathew 6:5....Do not be like the hypocrites who pray in public but go to your closet to pray.
I probably paraphrased and I could go google it but I wanted to be sincere in my statement
Trump also gave the classical bullshit answer of "Probably ... ... ... equal" when asked if he was an Old Testament or a New Testament guy. No, Trump, Christians are inherently New Testament. The Old Testament is used very selectively and much of it is hushed away under the notion of "Old Covenant". Christians are typically NOT taught the OT (endorsement of slavery, rape, murder, ...) but rather are focused on the God of Love presented in the form of Jesus in the NT.
But the do love quoting the 10 Commandments from the OT.
And the Christian fundies like Leviticus
Only the parts about homosexuality. They ignore the parts about shaving their beard and eating pork, lobster, crab, shrimp, etc.
Good point.
Yes, trump did that, you're point?
In what way? Inflation is down, jobs are up, DJIA is WAY up...
The ONE assassination attempt was by a registered republican.
Liberals don't tend to engage in that sort of insanity.
It's right wingers who deal in 2nd amendment solutions.
The FBI states that all mass shooters are right wingers.
Most of them have been left wing psychos. Look it up.
Give me the link to this claim.
Stated Claim: leftists were 99.99% of the of the disgusting violent rhetoric;
Stated Claim: leftists were 99.99% of the of the disgusting violent rhetoric;
No Google fact-check information was found for claim: 'leftists were 99.99% of the of the disgusting violent rhetoric;'
The lack of results does not mean that the claim is invalid or that no fact-checks exist. Try expressing the claim in terms of a few strong keywords and avoid full sentences.
Morning..well 2025 has arrived literally with a thump... fireworks down the harbour..
Happy New Year to you all and I hope 2025 is a good one for us where ever you are..
What ever your political persuasion at the end of the day we are all on this planet together and so be it..
Stay safe, healthy and wise and we will see what 2025 brings..
Sydney 2025...