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Open Letters by Mersault's avatar

A reader recently messaged me with this pointedly rhetorical question: “So we had the guy with dementia or the drug addict—ain’t democracy great?”

Here's was my reply:

Well, I grant that it was a binary choice (assuming you’re referring to Joe Biden and not the actual Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris). Yes, on the one side, we had a man with declining mental acuity. But on the other side? A likely drug addict, a man with clear signs of his own cognitive decline, and also someone who happens to be:

A serial liar with over 30,000 documented falsehoods during his presidency.

A narcissistic demagogue who demanded constant praise, claimed he deserved a Nobel Peace Prize, and praised dictators like Putin and Kim Jong-un.

A sexual predator, credibly accused by dozens of women and found liable for sexual abuse in court.

A white nationalist apologist who called neo-Nazis “very fine people” and stoked racial division.

A con artist who ran scams like Trump University and grifted $150 million from supporters in a fake “stop the steal” campaign.

A seditionist who incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol, attacking the foundation of American democracy.

A national security threat who hoarded classified documents in his private residence and flaunted them to unqualified individuals.

A vindictive bully who mocked disabled reporters, insulted veterans, and attacked anyone who challenged him.

A tax cheat who bragged about paying nothing while facing decades of financial fraud investigations.

A climate saboteur who gutted over 100 environmental protections and denied the science of climate change.

A COVID-19 disaster whose incompetence and misinformation contributed to the deaths of over a million Americans.

A racist provocateur who sought to ban Muslims, derided African nations as “shithole countries,” and told U.S. citizens to “go back” to their countries of origin.

A grifter-in-chief who funneled taxpayer dollars into his businesses, blatantly violating the Emoluments Clause.

A wannabe autocrat who idolized despots, undermined democratic institutions, and dreamed of unchecked power.

A human foghorn whose divisive rhetoric fractured families, communities, and the nation.

A master manipulator who peddled conspiracy theories and weaponized fear to consolidate power.

A petulant child who threw tantrums over crowd sizes and petty grievances.

A national embarrassment who alienated allies, emboldened enemies, and degraded America’s standing on the world stage.

A man devoid of empathy, whose first reaction to tragedy or loss was, “What about me?”

etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseam. So yes, there was a binary choice: a decent, aging man with some lapses—versus a hurricane of ego, malice, and incompetence who left destruction in his wake. A no-brainer, really.

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Irascible Ink's avatar

As an ex-meth user, I can vouch for every single word you said. I know how it fucked me up, I knew it even as I used it. Addiction to stimulants will short circuit your brain and wreck your life. I quit and avoided disaster but know others who did not and the difference in how our lives turned out is staggering. Anyone feeling like I did during those crazy days shouldn't be in charge of feeding a pet, much less being POTUS.

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