“It’s the economy (among other things), stupid”
Don’t take it personally, Donald. In Cypriot terms, we’d say “you got a taste of your own medicine,” but losing the House and the Senate, along with defeats in Republican strongholds, doesn’t mean Americans have stopped loving you. Maybe they decided that love also needs congressional oversight. That’s how it goes in democracies. Annoying stuff.
Think of Ken from Texas, your average redneck. He’s still wearing his red MAGA hat, but at the gas pump he takes it off to wipe away his sweat. The double-cab pickup needs gas, so does the tractor; you can’t grow corn with slogans. You promised him he’d be great again. For now, his bill has gotten big.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Inflation: The death of governments
From Trumpian self-referentiality to democratic self-correction
Think of Ryan, too, who’s about to buy eggs one by one, as if she were picking out rings. She’s counting rent, electricity, insurance, and groceries, searching for the prosperity you describe. You explain to her that everything is going wonderfully. She looks at the receipt.
“It’s the economy, stupid.” Don’t take that personally either, Donald. They didn’t write it about you; you just made sure it fit you.
Then came the war in Iran. An unnecessary war that added to human suffering, insecurity, and price hikes. In September, gas was 34.2% more expensive than a year ago. Ken loves the American flag, but unfortunately he can’t put it in his gas tank.
And there’s Donald and all those lies. The fabricated triumphs, the belief that reality will give way from exhaustion. You said prices were falling, while the data showed an overall increase. Except that the pump doesn’t correct the reading out of respect for the principle.
But there are also things that are no laughing matter. The people killed by gunfire from federal immigration agents—including ICE agents—on the streets and in cars. By July, at least seven deaths had been recorded. The families who were separated or faced the threat of separation in order to accept deportation. Some voters may have believed they were voting for stricter controls, without realizing they were also inviting fear into their neighborhoods and leaving children waiting in vain for a parent. Human dignity is not diminished simply because someone lacks the proper papers.
Add to that the bullying of the country’s traditional close allies. Canada, which you treated as a potential state; Denmark, which explained that Greenland is not a piece of land up for trade. Here in Cyprus, we have reason to be cautious because we have been victims. For a small state, sovereignty and international rules are conditions for survival. The logic that the powerful are entitled to whatever they desire is painfully familiar to us.
Then there’s Mike from Ohio—Donald—who was expecting solutions and instead found himself watching grimaces, insults, and antics during the speeches. The division into loyalists and enemies fills rallies, but it wears people down who have to work together the very next day. Sometimes they just want to turn on the TV without you loading them up with new hatred.
Of course, your little nephews—Huey, Louie, and Dewey—cried, too. We’ve got a few in Cyprus, just so you know. In every insult they saw resolve, in every threat they saw leadership, and in every lie they saw an elusive truth. I remember a big name on our political chessboard, a key player in today’s developments, who said before the 2024 elections on a podcast that you’d “come out looking like a Zionist,” and his nonexistent mustache twitched with laughter. Now all of them are wondering how so many millions of people could have misunderstood you at the same time.
I do feel for you, though, just so you know, dude. It must be exhausting to need so much applause. Don’t take it personally, Donald. People have their own lives to live. They can’t spend all of theirs worrying about your self-esteem.
