Hello Masons!

Just recently the Messrs of atcn released a little tune where they were singing and playing their instruments (while dancing in the studio sunset) about an orange orangutan. Now, we’ve received feedback about why they did that. So I’m going to try and shine a light on that.

I’m personally quite interested in the phenomena of radicalism and identity. One thing I’ve been thinking about is, for example, why people do terrible terrorist acts. How can anyone justify that? What I’m leaning towards here is that crazy people will do crazy things. And that is also terrible. But when non-crazy people do crazy things, it’s because they are getting the impression that it’s OK, explicitly or implicitly, from their family, friends, neighbors, and/or society. In a few too many places in the muslim world it seems like it’s possible to rationalize terrible terrorist acts. Thatz not OK.

Something else that’s not OK is to support Donald Trump despite knowing what he’s doing and saying is atrocious and that he undoubtedly will be the worst president the United States has ever seen. Indeed, he will be the most unqualified individual to run any country, particularly a modern, sophisticated country with a nuclear weapons capability.

So this one is for your benefit, fellow republicans. The crazy are gonna be crazy. David Duke is probably gonna remain a racist. I know a lot of identity is wrapped up in voting Republican – in identifying yourself with any party. We understand and appreciate why this is hard. But there’s no excuse to surrender your convictions.

So we’re going to list each and every one of the reasons why it’s not OK to vote for this man.

• Nuclear weapons
  When you’re the commander of the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, it is not too much to ask that you can actually appreciate and fully recognize the consequences of nuclear weapons. Donald Trump doesn’t. He doesn’t seem to understand the ramifications of using them or why nuclear proliferation contracts have been fairly successful in containing the spread of these weapons. Both lacks in understanding are equally scary. They’re scary because these weapons can literally end life on earth as we know it by one ill-considered decision from the biggest idiot ever to have some chance to actually use these weapons. Given he makes a considerable number (we know because it’s all on twitter or in his shot-from-the-hip speeches) of ill-considered decisions I wouldn’t want to make that bet.
• Murder your opponent
  While discussin’ his opponent and this opponent’s supposed views on gun control he suggested ”if Hillary wins she’s going to abolish, essentially abolish, the second amendment” and ”by the way, and if she gets to pick – if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know.” And WHAT is it that ”Second Amendment people” got in common? They like guns more than they like to make sweet heterosexual love with Jesus. And they like to shoot things. It has happened several times before when ”Second Amendment people” take it upon themselves to do ”justice.” Just ask Gabby Gifford. And it’s not that he’s actually commanding the deed, it’s that he’s creating an environment where deadly violence is acceptable discourse. What then happens is that one day a deranged person shoots someone because they believe it’s what the orange orangutan wants.
• Unemployment rates
  Donald Trump heard the ”unemployment rate was 43%.” Before that he said it was at least 20%. During the Great Depression unemployment rates was around 20%. People were jumping out of buildings then. The difference between c. 5% (the actual unemployment rate) and 20% (not to mention 43%) is so insanely Hugh (yeah, yuuuuuge) it defies the gravity that holds our fragile economic systems together. Economy isn’t a fringe subject. If it doesn’t work (as it has under Obama, albeit could be better) things go south for a lot of people. Ironically not for very wealthy people with lots of cash who  can buy cheap assets during those times (doubly ironically, since Trump isn’t nearly as wealthy as he claims and if he doesn’t have any real cash, he won’t even be able to benefit from it). Anyway. The point of this is most politicans (and businessmen and other public figures) bend the truth to get their point across. But the difference between 20% to 43% unemployment and 5% is so gigantic you gotta question if he even has basic understanding about economics. Which is absolutely fundamental. My god, 43% is the level in places like Somalia and Afghanistan.

Signed, Simon Johnson – DEALBREAKERS!!! blogger and intern at the Political Commentary on the Political Commentary Bureau