Out-trumped by Trump

   I could write about President Trump’s latest move.  According to the Forbes Magazine website (oddly enough!), the Trump administration wants to keep an eye on the social media accounts of disabled people to see if they are doing too much physical activity, if they are doing and buying too many things, if they are too “happy” as the headline states, to qualify for disability benefits.  This is all in an effort to root out fraudulent disability claims (indeed a real problem, one that has made my life all the harder because of the endless scrutiny it necessitates – a post for another day!).

   I could rant and rave about how this is terribly unfair, mean and cruel.  I could point out that the proposed policy is just plain stupid, relying on tired assumptions and ignores the fact, borne out in studies, that disabled social media users tend to focus on the good, the fun, not on the daily hardships, in their lives when posting. 

   The thing is that, tomorrow or in a few days, Trump will do or say something at least as if not more stupid, at least as and probably more unfair and mean and cruel.  I could do all this, but it would be a waste, both in the writing and in the reading. 

   I recently read an Op-Ed piece by an author of political fiction pointing out that it’s getting harder and harder to write fiction when the reality is so strange. 

   As I pointed out in my last post before my two-year hiatus, what’s going on with Trump is outrageous and dangerous, but all we’re doing is acting like it’s a reality show or a Saturday Night Live skit.  As hilarious and enjoyable as the skits are, this is even more perilous now with another election coming up and the political landscape not that different than two years ago when everyone said there was no way Trump would win.  And we were also surprised when George W. Bush won a second term – remember?