Afternoon potpourri
Some short observations on what's going on in the world this afternoon as the planets realign themselves into a new reality. Wheee!
by Dave Winer Wednesday, November 9, 2016

From the department of Wishful Thinking

Watch out for Trump 2.0 without all the baggage. Four or eight years from now. Heh. Didn't happen that way. We got the prize four years early.

You can't miss what you never knew you had

Entitlement and a false sense of security are embedded into the current generations of America. A country with totalitarian experience, given the choice we had yesterday, would never have chosen this path. 

However, once we appreciate the power of the choice, we will no longer have it.

We haven't had to fight for our freedom, despite all the hype about the current wars, since WWII. We didn't even pay for them (the Repub admin that started it put them on a credit card, hired volunteers, there was no draft, no pain for Americans who could afford to not sign up).

The people who used their vote to "send a message" imho will eventually wish they had used it instead to hire a competent fair-minded person to manage the economy and keep us out of wars, as our system was designed to force them to do. And one who would willingly leave office when their term is up. 

BTW, the title of this section is a riff on the title of a Muddy Waters song.

How long before President Trump starts a war?

Will he wait until he takes the oath of office?

Will Trump leave gracefully?

Embedded in the speeches given by Obama and Clinton today was the hope that when it's time for Trump to leave office, there will be an election (he suggested during the campaign that we shouldn't bother) and that if he loses, he will be anything near as graceful as Clinton.

Watch out for people who give good concession speeches

When Kerry lost in 2004, I was driving from Seattle to the Bay Area, and heard his speech a dozen times on the radio. Here's what I wrote then.

Listened to Kerry's concession speech about a dozen times on the radio. It was great. Next time, be careful about nominating a guy who gives a great concession speech. The best concession speech is an overdose of sleeping pills, or a self-inflicted bullet wound in the head. You want a guy who can't conceive of losing. The Democrats have had too many great losers. I want a great winner in 2008.

The FBI/Russian coup

I couldn't help but feel today, watching Obama, that he's being a gentleman, but he doesn't have a choice. After we saw what the FBI did, and what the Russians did, there's no choice for him but to go easily. The military would escort him off the premises if he didn't. Pretty sure that wouldn't happen with Trump.

Will Trump jail Hillary?

He said he would on the debate stage, with tens of millions of people watching. He wasn't hiding his intentions. With the Lock Her Up chants at his rallies which he encouraged it's almost a campaign promise. 

Remember what Maya Angelou said: When someone shows you who they are believe them; the first time.