IF THIS WAS NOT REAL, IT WOULD BE FUNNY

Setting: Somewhere in the United States, November 14, 2024.

Like an April Fool's joke, the list of nominated cabinet secretaries for the upcoming Trump administration would be material for a standup routine in a comedy club.

Person A: "Ha, Ha, Ha. The appointee for Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, is being investigated by the Justice Department."

Person B: "I know. But, what's even funnier--the President who nominated him is a felon."

Person A: "Hmm."

Or.

Gen Z Woman: "So, did you vote for Trump?"

Gen Z Man: "Yeah, I'm a Bro. Of course, I did. Who's going to look after me?"

Gen Z Woman: "Are you crazy? Did you hear who Trump nominated for Defense Secretary? A Fox moderator who owns a munitions company and makes crazy commercials."

Gen Z Man: "Uh? Wha? Defense what?"

Gen Z Woman: "Forget it. Bye."

And.

Tough former IDF soldier: "Hey, I'm wearing the hat now, no worries about those educated females who swarmed my subdivision telling me to vote for a woman. Yeah. MAGA. He and Bidi will rock."

J Street employee: "Are you out of your mind? Those two will further isolate Israel from the world. It will be disastrous. The poor Gazans will suffer even more. And a Baptist Minister for Israeli Ambassador? How does he understand the history and interests of the state of Israel?"

Child: "Isn't he from Arkansas? Are there any Jews there?"

IDF: Oh, doesn't matter. Goy, whatever. His office is in Jerusalem, and he'll listen to Bibi about the settlements. His only interest is the Rapture."

Child: "Is that sex?"

Adults: "No!"

Finally"

Senior Citizen: " Poor RFK and Ethel. They must be weeping in their graves. Their second son

has serious mental issues."

Friend: "I know--drugs, or he hit his head on a tree one too many times while skiing? And that worm in his brain. I never heard of such a thing. Poor man."

Senior Citizen: "But that poor man will cause damage if he becomes Secretary of HHS. He wants to take over the FDA. By the time he's finished, we'll be consulting with practitioners of blood letting and leeches!"

Unfortunately, the present is not a nightmare or a comic's routine. To paraphrase Rabbi Alan Lew: this is real and we are totally unprepared. We, who voted for Kamala Harris, are experiencing the ultimate "I told you so" moments, with more to come. Autocrats do not care what we think; and the Trump supporters will be as powerless as the rest of us.

Lew, A. (2003). This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared. Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, and Company.

© 2024 Karen Levi