Two business people I heard yesterday expressing apprehension over the coming administration:

[Sogo]

1. A business woman I know was talking with a friend at a Mexican buffet restaurant where I was also getting my lunch. The business woman was explaining that she was manufacturing something (didn't hear what) in Mexico, but because of how "wrong the election went," and with anticipated tariffs on everything from Mexico, they don't know what the future of that product line will be....

2. I attended the city council meeting last night, and a young man (who had said on FB that he would be voting for Trump) was presenting a grant proposal for a recycling business he wanted to start and wanted the city's endorsement of his proposal. Because the proposal is due Thursday into the federal agency, the council in general said they wouldn't have time to review it, so suggested he wait unitl the call for proposals next year. There was one council member (pretty sure he's a Trumper) who said he's be available anytime before the deadline on Thursday to review it, but the mayor (sure she's a Trumper) inquired if there would be the grant program next year, to which the young man shrugged his shoulders and said, "Don't know with the Trump administration." All three, being Trumpers, just looked at each other with awkward grins on their faces....It appeared to me to be a tacit admission that they recognized an uncertain future ahead (and an attempt to take advantage of the current, more friendly environment for small businesses).

[Attilatheblond]

1. Gonna be a hellish 4 years, but the buyer's remorse from the idiots will give us some measure of

hell, I can't find word for what I will be feeling as they see there comfy lives turn to raging shit storms of financial collapse and crushed dreams.

[Sogo]

3. But as in my first example, it will be hurting us all, even those who were against Trump. (I know her to be a strong

Democrat.)

Alas, collateral damage....

[SheltieLover]

4. Schadenfreude

[Attilatheblond]

18. Nope, that does not cover the feeling I get from this stuff.

But on the right track.

[LuvLoogie]

16. They'll never admit that they screwed the pooch a second time.

Last edited Sat Dec 21, 2024, 10:05 AM - Edit history (1)

I refered to the MAGA I knew as 5-time soon to be 6-time trump voters. Now I just don't engage them at all.

[MadameButterfly]

21. I"m afraid I'll be noticing the comfy lives of people who didn't

vote for Trump also falling apart

[Mariana]

32. Most of them won't have any buyer's remorse.

They'll blame everyone except Trump - and they certainly won't blame themselves.

[MadameButterfly]

40. Most people can only see evidence that supports their paradigm

and above all won't face finding out they were wrong about something. We have to pray for that handful of people capable of learning something new tipping the scales. In MAGA world that will be particularly rare. Maybe the late deciding low information voters...

[Mike 03]

2. I love these anecdotal stories that actually tell us more than

two hundred pundits all talking at the same time for two hours. I expect awkward situations like that are happening right now in my deeply red town.

[Trueblue Texan]

20. This is exactly why I can't listen to media anymore...

...I suspect I'm not alone. I feel they really don't understand what's going on. I also suspect that the lack of interest and low media ratings are one of the reasons we're being accused of dropping out. But that is not evidence of dropping out of the fight. That is merely a decision to protect our energies while we figure out strategies for the coming storm. Many of us are using more powerful weapons than ever, such as withholding funds from places we used to spend freely, including Amazon, NYT, WAPO among other media and retailers for starters. We're forming local alliances, committing to use our brains and energy to the most effective means of resistance with the goal of protecting voters and electing strong leaders. Whatever happens, we have to be able to fill vacancies with the right candidates who are committed to democracy.

[MadameButterfly]

22. Who is doing this? How do we find out about these alliances?

It's hard for me to give up AMazon, WaPo and Home Depot, etc. but I would do it as part an organized effort that would actually have an impact. With an organization that would track that impact.

[CrispyQ]

26. IMO, corporations are so big now that boycotts don't have the same impact they used to.

A huge number of customers would have to boycott Amazon & most other big companies, from our cell phone providers to the groceries we buy. And, you have to sustain the boycott. That's even harder to do.

[Trueblue Texan]

30. a huge number of people ARE boycotting Amazon...

...and it's their biggest sales volume season. Besides that, the less money you spend on those corporations, the more resourceful you become. The less we use the goods and services provided by the huge corporations, the more independent we become of them. No matter how little you can contribute to making change, it is important you contribute. Don't let anyone tell you your actions don't matter. They do.

[MadameButterfly]

33. maybe we have to do something hard

Surviving a dictatorship is hard too.

[Trueblue Texan]

29. You find out about alliances, but helping to forge them yourself...

Start with local resources: you Democratic Party, your library, your social connections, clubs, religious affiliations, and group activities. You start there and find out where people stand, how receptive they are to the ideas and values you have. I have found some good Democrats in my ballroom dance activities--I've also found some rabid Rethugs there, but you get the idea. You take advantage of any meet ups and social events where you can to broaden your alliances. If you do this locally, you will find out about opportunities (or help to create opportunities) to improve representation and communication with leaders in your community and beyond. We need new ideas, new blood, new opportunity because what we're now doing isn't enough to overcome the enormous machine that was built to oppress us. No one is going to save us but us. Each one of us can do something, however small it may seem.

[orwell]

5. Are any of them Billionaires?

No?

Then they are fucked.

Next question...

[MarcoZandrini]

6. FAFO

……that’s all that needs to be said.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

9. FAFO? n/t

[Bettie]

11. It means

Fuck Around and Find Out. FAFO.

And when people who I know voted for that orange man Find Out, I will laugh and remind them that this is exactly what they voted for. None of what he plans to do is a secret, so they explicitly voted for their own ruin.

[MadameButterfly]

23. And ours

And we'll know about it long before they will. They might not even connect the dots.

"Gee, everything is getting worse, lets throw some more moletov cocktails on it and see what happens"

[Bettie]

24. Some of them will figure it out

but you're right, some of them are so freaking dumb that they will never quite connect those dots.

[MadameButterfly]

34. Thats how we got here

[Bettie]

38. Too many people who can't

understand cause and effect.

Or recognize....anything.

They just live on hate and malice.

[Skittles]

19. fuck around and find out

yes INDEED

[usonian]

7. Sheesh, plenty of highly skilled people right here in the USA to replace foreign made goods.

FAFO flags anyone?
Business cards?
Creative Commons Copyright.
You are free to use/abuse
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219770873

[MiHale]

8. I would buy a FAFO flag...

[usonian]

10. Business opportunity. Free to copy and use.

And, sorry to say, I may create more of them.

[MadameButterfly]

25. Not that simple

There's lots of work that Americans don't want to do, or don't want to pay American wages for.
There are a lot of American industries that rely on foreign parts. Even American cars use imports for parts.

[usonian]

31. It was satire.

[MadameButterfly]

35. My apologies

I was surprised to see that creep up on DU

[usonian]

36. The artistically created FAFO flags should have been a giveaway.

My humor is often too dry. Hard to change at this point. I cobble up memes and such on the computer. Others I grab off the web.

My creative side.

[MadameButterfly]

37. not sure I get the FAFO flags

and if I'd just read it twice....
It is in fact very funny

[usonian]

39. The FAFO flags are a reminder that people voted their prejudices, in fact against their own best interests.

Fascist playbook. This should clear things up.

[multigraincracker]

12. Can't wait for the Mid-Terms in a couple of years.

That’ll make a great yard sign.

[nilram]

13. I'd interpret the grinning at each other as

Being pleased that the new administration will be shutting down all of this "unnecessary" grant spending – without any awareness that it's going to hurt their community, and ultimately themselves, to not have new enterprises start up.

I don't know, clearly I wasn't there, but that's my vibe.

[Dave Bowman]

14. "awkward grins on their faces"

Reminds me of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Creepy.

[pfitz59]

15. A friend of mine is in agriculture.

Her family owns farms on both sides of the US - Mexico border. They have a cadre of workers who rely on them for jobs. My friend is wealthy, but not overtly. Her wealth is tied to the land. She voted for Harris. She is very upset with Trump and his policies. Both the tariff plan and immigration policy will hurt her business and employees.

[louis-t]

17. One of the biggest trmpr idiots I know is from Mexico.

He was born here, but I believe his father was born in Mexico. It's very possible his father wasn't a citizen before he was born. It would be amazing if he was threatened with deportation. One of his idiot trmpr friends was telling him how he got a good deal on health insurance through ACA. He didn't call it Obamacare. I can't wait to tell him that nice little subsidy he's been getting will be gone next year. Then I'll tell him it's ok because he will be eligible for Medicare in a few years but oh, it will be drastically reduced by then.

[Demobrat]

28. I don't know how you managed to not say

“You know Trump wants to get rid of the ACA, right? Have you been researching alternatives? I don’t know what I will do. What will you do?”

[MagickMuffin]

27. That 50K that Harris Walz campaigned on was not enough

50K for small start up businesses. But no, we’ll just vote for the savior, he’ll save us on day 1, good luck with that!