Setting fire to the world
A violent blustering wind caused a raging wildfire. And California is burning too. This Los Angeles blaze is the perfect metaphor for Trump. We fight to contain it where we can but sometimes, we can only watch it burn out. As the GOP doubles down on the global destruction of Democracy and billionaire owners of legacy and social media fall to their knees, the GOP seems relentless in their just say NO agenda. But their overreach is also a weakness.
Democrats are unrelenting too. Pelosi fought the GOP attempts to privatize Social Security under G.W. Bush. We recovered after 2016, taking back control in 2018, 2020, and 2022. They eked out a win in 2024, but with no mandate. We suffer the losses with grace and take the wins. As Charlotte Clymer says, “I’m a hard pass on nihilism.” We will not give oxygen to lies and doomsday panic. We will highlight our wins and stand firm in our beliefs.
We are getting a sampling of how combustible it will get under Trump. In response to these horrific California wildfires, Trump already turned a firehose of incendiary ignorance on us. When he’s in the White House, he will abandon any blue states suffering disasters. But not everyone is falling in line. In two amazing moments this week, Liz Cheney blasted Trump, and Adam Kinzinger said he’s now closer to being a Democrat.
As we witness the Wicked Witch of the East Aileen Cannon set her flaming broom to the release of Jack Smith’s reports, Merrick Garland announced he will withhold the Documents case report but release the January 6th report. All this as we hold our breath to see if Judge Merchan will be able sentence Trump for election interference on January 10th.
In the Virginia special elections this week, Democrats not only held their slim majorities in the State Assembly and Senate, they overperformed, while Republicans underperformed, a really good sign. Lastly, Biden has made big moves as on his way out, commuting sentences of 37 death row inmates to life in prison, and ending offshore drilling, neither of which Trump can easily reverse. Biden also announced a new CFPB rule eliminating medical debt from credit reports, giving thousands of Americans a greater chance to qualify for a mortgage.
So, while Trump continues blustering threats to allied sovereign nations, Democrats will continue to work our own version of a Shadow Cabinet and force the GOP to keep him in contained. We must prevent him from setting fire to the world.
Chicago native Lorraine Evanoff earned her degree in French from DePaul University then became a Certified Financial Manager. She worked as a finance exec in film production for seven years in Paris, then in Silicon Valley during the dot-com era, and later for various Hollywood production companies, notably as CFO of National Lampoon. She is currently living in Los Angeles with her husband.