Beginnings

Let's start with some definitions, always a good place to start:

rationalism ‎(countable and uncountable, plural rationalisms)

1. (philosophy) The theory that the basis of knowledge is reason, rather than experience or divine revelation.

crony capitalism ‎(plural crony capitalisms)

1. (politics, idiomatic) an economic and political system dominated by privately owned, capitalist or financial undertakings that are dependent on the revolving door between themselves and publically held offices to secure the regulatory, taxwise, and prosecutorial leeway, such as financial subsidies, bailouts, settlements and special rubber stamped legislation, from those office holders to let the undertakings profitably weather their own misdeeds, mistakes, and outright crimes, as well as unlucky or unfriendly free-market conditions

           tragedy of the commons ‎(plural tragedies of the commons)
           (economics, politics, social criticism) A situation in which unmanaged use of a shared          resource (such as the atmosphere or an ocean) by a number of participants results in the unintended     ruin or total consumption of that resource.

useful idiot ‎(plural useful idiots)

1. (historical, pejorative, political jargon) Soviet sympathizer in Western countries, from the perspective of the political right.
2. (pejorative, political jargon) One who is seen to unwittingly support a malignant cause through their 'naive' attempts to be a force for good.

kakocracy ‎(usually uncountable, plural kakocracies)
 
        1.  (dated) Rule or government by the worst of the people. 

The above words and phrases highlight some of the issues on my mind this first week of our bizarre,  worrisome future under our new overlords. The electorate has spoken! Or rather, the roughly 25% of eligible voters who saddled us with a vulgar talking yam (to borrow Charlie Pierce's phrase) who doesn't seem to know much about the job he has just landed. He was reportedly surprised by all the responsibilities the president has when Obama gave him a brief run down. His staff did not seem to realize they have to hire an entirely new set of people to staff the administration. Who knew presidentin' was so much work!

I have more questions than answers at this point. First task is to regain emotional, spiritual and physical equilibrium after the shocking conclusion to the vile, endless campaign. A week on and body & soul are doing much better. Next to questions of the mind! How should we mentally frame the rise of Mr. T? How do we respond to racism, prejudice, hate? What do we do going forward?....

I'll finish with this for now, not as a whine or whimper but as a description of the last week, not an ending but a starting point for what is to come:

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

"Second Coming" W. B. Yeats, 1865 - 1939