By Butch Freedman
I used to think that karma was real, that, in the end, people got what they deserved based on their life actions. Some folks might think of that as a religious thing—heaven and hell and all that, but I chose to see it simply as justice. The chickens coming home to roost. But, you may notice, I’m writing in the past tense, because the current state of affairs leads me to believe that karma has vanished from the playing field.
The person who has crippled my belief is, you may have guessed already, our twisted joke of a president. The guy who has proven himself to be not only the worst president in our history, but also possibly the worst human being in the world. I know, I know, there’s stiff competition for that title. But let me give you some of the prez’s qualifications: A long history of racism, beginning way before his ascendancy to the top position. Ask any New Yorker. Then there’s his rampant corruption, including everything from stealing from his own charity to accepting endless bribes from foreign governments. Should we talk about his attitude toward women? We must. He’s a convicted sex offender after all, and we still don’t know the full extent of his collaboration with Epstein. Credible reports have surfaced about his assaults on young women (girls). I don’t know where to start with his record as president, his destruction or attempts to destroy all democratic norms. Maybe we could begin with his penchant for war on all perceived enemies, foreign and domestic. He lives for revenge and power, and drags the country into the swamp with him. The man’s very appearance speaks to his rotten core, from the ridiculously styled hair to the orange spray tan, to his insistence that he’s the healthiest and smartest person to ever live. “Lots of people say that.” So, yes, he is also a liar. The one area where he can legitimately claim to be the best.
So what would karma look like for this awful farce of a president? It would, of course, be immediate impeachment and banishment from office and on into a jail cell. He’s already been convicted on numerous counts, and prison is where he would be if he had not somehow been re-elected in 2024. So, why doesn’t karma kick in? Why does a bad person not face the consequences, while good people struggle to feed their families or stay in a country they once thought would be a safe haven? Better minds than mine have labored to answer that question, and I’ve yet to hear a satisfying answer—either religious or philosophical. In trump’s case it appears that he escapes consequences because of some mysterious “talent” he has to find or coerce others into supporting his illegality, his poisonous vile, his preening narcissism. Those cowards should also face the costs of their actions. It can happen. Think Kristi Noem.
Maybe I should try to be more understanding, more empathetic toward these people, those who stand idly by and show no spine. Maybe I should even forgive and try to understand the twisted psyche of the wannabe dictator. If the president is unable to understand the concept of humility, maybe the rest of us need to take it on. Maybe we all need to try harder to understand?
Sorry. No way—can’t go there. He doesn’t deserve even one moment of our empathy. It’s gone way too far for that. And I’m not going to count on the return of karma. Instead we’re going to have to take him on at the base level where he lives. And I believe that will happen. It already is. Good people are standing up to the lies and corruption. Look at Minneapolis, look at the courts, the protesters, the young people saying no more. This attempt to bully and destroy democracy here and abroad is failing. Check out the poll numbers. We’ve all had enough. Now we have to bring down our own karmic revenge. Let’s cure the disease. Power to the people!