I am mortified for our country, and so angry. That debacle of a "meeting" between Trump and Zelenskyy! Trump and Vance taking turns bullying and shouting, Zelenskyy unable to finish a sentence or even a thought, the demands that Zellenskyy grovel and say thank you...it was sickening.
I try not to be too overtly political here, but this just takes the cake. Aren't we all taught that we don't do good without expectation of thanks and praise? That we don't kick someone when they're down, or try to extort more from those in need? Maybe such lessons are not taught to the rich. Maybe it's just us ordinary people who are taught these rules of civil behavior.
I am furious, and feeling that helpless rage that I am sure is shared by millions of US citizens. I won't say Americans, because there are other countries on this continent who do not share in our shame.
At least I did my little bit by NOT buying anything from any big retailer today. It's not much, but it made me feel better. We bought lunch, with cash, in the small cafe at one of the antique malls where we have a booth, and picked up milk from Maddie the milk girl, but that was the extent of our shopping today. Normally on a Friday we make several stops at various stores, but not today.
One other thing I did that makes me feel good is that I canceled our Amazon Prime. It was not easy. After trying to cancel online, I found I could only do so by not getting a refund. Now, my membership renewed in November, so I wanted a refund.
I ended up first on chat, then finally was sent to a real person, in god-knows-where, who explained in halting English that I could not get a refund. I insisted, she reiterated. She asked why i wanted to cancel, and I told her I was dismayed by Jeff Besos' support of Trump and wanted to remove my support of his business. I insisted again, several times, until she bumped me up to someone else. He, also somewhere far offshore, repeated that I could not have a refund. I told him that I know of no subscription service that did not offer refunds upon cancelation, and asked if Mr. Besos was too poor to refund the $110 I was owed?
And guess what. I got my refund.
In future I will be buying as little as possible from Amazon. I have found that I can get the same items on Ebay usually, sometimes cheaper and often with faster free shipping. And as far as I can see, ebay did not support Trump in the last election.
One small step, by one insignificant person. But it makes me feel good. We are very limited in shopping choices in my rural area, so online buying has been the easiest, cheapest and most-time and gas-saving option. Walmart, sadly, has run off most other local options,, and we still have to go there for some things, but now I am actively seeking other avenues.
I saw the interview..no, bullying..on fox (not my choice of channel).. awful.
ReplyDeleteBut the red hats will believe that spin on the facts....
Yes they will. So many sheep!
Delete...this political nerd ain't happy either.
ReplyDeleteI know, Tom. It's hard times for us sensible people.
DeleteYou remind me of this. "She persisted."
ReplyDeleteI think that applies to all of us who object to the situation in our country right now. All we can do is continue to voice our objections.
DeleteGood for you, Susanne. We already do that. We get suckered in by the convenience, but making up our minds, we find that it was not nearly as inconvenient to do without as we thought.
ReplyDeleteAll of us need to protest where ever and however we can. The debacle today was an ambush. They expected to bully him into a corner and get the thing done. I cheered when he walked away. So did Tim.
I am finding the same, Debby. Although unfortunately there is no avoiding Walmart here, and 95% or more of the local businesses are owned by Trump supporters.
DeleteI saw the "meeting" too, and I thought it was so disgusting that Trump and Vance didn't give Zelenskyy a chance to speak, and when Zelenskyy said Vance was talking about the war in a loud voice, Trump jumped in and shouted loudly that it wasn't a loud voice. And then later I saw Lindsay Graham (I think) praising Trump and saying how proud he is of the president. I just don't understand how USA voted him in. I'm sorry for you, and for us in Canada, and for the whole world.
ReplyDeleteI can't understand how Vance even feel qualified to speak to world leaders, let alone chastise them. He is as despicable as his boss. My hope is that he and Musk get into a power struggle that destroys them both.
DeleteAmerican is very different now...I am sad. We don't use Prime..sometimes we just tried their Free 30-day prime :-))
ReplyDeleteVery different, Angie. I don't feel at home here any more. I just feel so sad at what the US has become.
DeleteYou have no idea how much I needed to read this today, Susanna. As you may know, I'm an American citizen who lives in the Netherlands (now for 15 years!), married to my Dutch wife. When I saw what happened in the Oval Office yesterday to Zelensky, I was appalled. Still am. Don't we all wonder what the fallout will be! I have a feeling it will only make Europe all the more determined to fill in the gap. God have mercy!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for doing your part on yesterday's boycott! I would love to find out what kind of economic statement it made!!!
Thank goodness we bloggers have each other, Ginnie. Where i live, blue voters are scares as hens teeth, and I feel alone and isolated. Reading the blogs of people who think like me makes me feel like I am not the crazy one!
DeleteI agree with you and am so proud of you! we feel so helpless without these small gestures, as we do not count in front of politicians.
ReplyDeleteI know. I feel invisible, especially where I live in deep red country. At least there are a few things I can do.
DeleteI am glad I listened to music whilst preparing the Brussels Sprouts I got from our local market today. I only saw the headlines, saw how desperate Selenskij looked before he was thrown out of the White House. Trump brings the biggest shame on his country, he does not only not think ahead, I reckon he has neither brain nor heart.
ReplyDeleteTo say I am afraid is an understatement. Who knows when Putin will stand at our borders, too...
II was so hoping for peace.
Also... have you read Mae´s post?
This man destroys everything inside out.
Oh Iriz, so glad you did not see or hear that. You have enough worries! Thank you for the link to Mae's post. Made me want to get stocked up enough to last the next 4 years!
DeleteI sadly saw it on the later news. Just hearing his voice makes me sick.
DeleteI saw it live and was shocked, dismayed, humiliated, embarrassed and enraged. And then the Zelinsky interview (replay) on Fox which was dignified and got his message across without pandering but explaining. He was smart to do that to that audience -- talking to the converted isn't going to get the message to those who need to hear. It looked like an ambush to me. We are so much better than that -- or should be. It was the worst day I can remember in American politics -- and I can remember a lot of them. I didn't spend either. Hats off to you for your tenacity on Prime. I don't have it but boy, that makes it so hard and well done hanging in there. I didn't buy anything either. We have come to this as a country? It's tragic.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is tragic, scary, and infuriating. Not the country I ever thought I would live in. I don't want to be here, but can't afford to go anywhere else.
DeleteIt’s good to see another person who is on the same page that I’m on, but we need a majority and a big wave of pressure on our reps in Washington, and I don’t know how that’s going to happen. The immediate and long-term future are so terrible right now!
ReplyDeleteI’m glad Iris sent you to my blog… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Hi Mae, your post was very illuminating. I wondered what the impact on farmers would be. Scary stuff.
DeleteI'm so angry.
ReplyDeleteLong live Ukraine. Thank you, President Zelenskyy.
Me too, Ellen, me too. Angry and frustrated.
DeleteThanks for yours words today, Susanna. I read the headlines and later in the evening turned on MSNBC to see the whole thing. Appalling, disgusting, and evidence of the idiocy of this man that has been elected to be our president. His rant about the investigation of Russia's part in his 2016 election was so childish. He can't let that go and he is indebted to Russia as evidence by this whole exchange.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I wonder about his comment thanking Musk for "giving" him Pennsylvania. And kinda winking as he said it. I think there may have been some electronic hankypanky there.
DeleteGood for you in getting that refund. Bezos has enough money. I never shopped at Amazon but the sure make it very hard for you to get a refund. A friend of my wife gave her a gift card and when she used it she had to sign up for an account. When she was done, she wanted to delete the account and she went through a big hassle to delete it and finally got it removed. They are not people friendly in letting you go.
ReplyDeleteWow. I may be closing my account there soon. I will wait and see how I do without buying there. Thanks for the heads up. I may need to gird my loins!
DeleteYes, yes, yes. It was a set-up from the beginning and you could watch Zelenskyy's body language get more and more uncomfortable as his face grew more distraught in the beginning stages of the televised meeting. Where is the US going to end up? Batsy in Idaho
ReplyDeleteHe tried to remain reasoning and respectful, but it was impossible in that situation. Horrible.
DeleteI think we Canadians are just as shocked as you, and embarrassed on your behalf. But there's now a little more fear there too. What will Trump do when he turns his eyes north?
ReplyDeleteScary thought, FG. I feel like I want to escape north these days!
DeleteDid you listen to the entire press conference as well? Zelensky shared a lot & even pointed out that Putin did not break any cease fires when Trump was President...only before & after. During most of the press conference they both showed respect to each other & Pres. Trump encouraged him to share. They each spoke pretty equally. Trump also reprimanded a journalist for asking a silly question of Zelensky about what he was wearing. Zelensky was offended by the journalist...He said he had more important things go talk about than what he was wearing that day.
ReplyDeleteI assume what you're very upset about is the last 10 minutes of the meeting when they began talking over each other? Zelensky was very upset & very angry because Vance called him out. It is hard to watch all three of these men voice their anger but we need this. We need leaders who will stand up & speak hard things against other world leaders. Did Trump become a bit emotional? Yes. He did not mince words...he said exactly how he felt....when have we seen this kind of authenticity in the white house?
I also think Zelensky became upset because he misunderstood some of the American terminology Trump was using. But the American people voted for Trump because he speaks this way. Many of us have reached the point that we don't care what any one else thinks of us.
I am sad for the Americans who are afraid & angry because of how the elections went. But the vast majority of us are glad. We know it's not going to be easy or smooth sailing but we feel the first glimmer of hope we've felt in a very long time. I pray you can find hope in America again too.
Jenny, I will have to disagree. While Trump and friends may have been respectful in the beginning, they ended it very rudely and acted like middle school bullies. How anyone can support this man is beyond my comprehension. I have tried to be respectful myself of those on the right, but what I get in return is rudeness, derision, and name-calling. When these changes affect you, or those you love, perhaps you will think differently, but I have found that his supporters will stubbornly cling to their beliefs no matter what. What he and Musk are doing is criminal, end of story. They will both end up much richer, at our expense, unless Congress wakes up. But with the courts stacked in their favor, I doubt even Congerssional action will succeed in stopping this madness. Veterans are going to be hurt; the poor, Musk says, are parasites. What compassion! Did you see where over 80% of the canceled VA contracts are veteran-owned businesses? That means families who will lose jobs, lose income. That means more people getting unemployment, businesses losing customers, towns losing revenue...the impact will be felt deeply. Those federal jobs being cut are hurting real people.
DeleteAs for Vance, who is he to chastise world leaders, with his very limited political background? And remember he is a turncoat, who switched sides when he saw the route to power. He is beyond contempt.
I will add that if cuts needed to be made, it should have been done with care, not with this ruthlessness. They have had to backtrack and rehire people, for goodness sake! Can you imagine the turmoil thst is putting people through? And those young nerds working for Musk have so little life experience, yet there they are, gleefully turning people's lives upside down. And accessing all kinds of personal data in the process. It's madness.
DeleteI hope you have never felt rudeness from me. I've followed you for years & enjoyed your posts in spite of disagreeing with you politically. I don't think conservatives are as extreme as you paint us. There is a small group of extreme right & extreme left but the vast majority on both sides are closer than many realize.
DeleteI have family that is afraid & hurt because of the cuts as well. I know it's terrifying. But I do believe we have to make some drastic changes before we go totally bankrupt & lose everything. The suffering is terrible, I totally agree on that.
I hope my reply doesn't add stress or more fear. I think This video helps give some more background. The sad part of the meetings that we saw are such a small piece of what's been happening. If you can bring yourself to watch it, this video explains a little more of why things went the way they did. It is very sad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCO-j2ACfmo
Good for you. I don’t shop Amazon anyway, and never will. More people need to do what you are doing. When we shop (I am Canadian) our mission is to first find Canadian goods and second switch to ABUSA - anywhere but the USA. Well even switch recipes if we need to, or find creative substitutes - it’s surprising how well that works sometimes!
ReplyDeleteI have been reading about Canadians boycotting USA goods, and cant blame you at all.
DeleteThank you for your intelligent and cogent reply to Jenny, above. She is representative of the kind of people who have put our country in this position: they crave an authoritarian and fear anyone who is not like them. It won't be long before she is affected by de facto president musk's agenda, but she'll still find a way to blame who she hates/fears.
ReplyDeleteI admire your patience with the proTrump comments and buyin. I wonder what some of them think today as all aid to the Ukraine just got cancelled as far as I can tell from the news briefs. It really makes me wonder what is in store for Canada.
ReplyDelete