We can't rest, the fight is going on

I'm out in Hanoi for Tết, Vietnam's Lunar New Year. Trump's inauguration just happened and has become the center of attention in my family.

***

After the voting results were revealed, things seemed bleak, but the last few days things seem unreal.

Trump signed a dozen of executive orders during the ceremony, namely to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization, to pardon 1500 January 6th defendants, to hunt down and deport millions of immigrants, to further the mining of fossil fuels.

Elon Musk, the world's first trillionaire, is appointed head of the new Department of Government Efficiency.

Yes, they put the richest man in the history of the world in charge of deciding how a government should run 'effectively'.

To put things into perspective, Elon, along with his two buddies Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, in total have 622 billion dollars, a great sum of which was gained after the November election results. 

622 billion dollars ($ 622,000,000,000) is more than the sum of money the lower half of Americans have. 3 men have more money than over 173,000,000 people.

Oh, and Elon did the Sieg Heil (the Nazi salute) in his speech, twice.

***

I'm not an American, and these things that are happening are out of my control. I can't vote, my opinion doesn't bare any weight, all I can do is rant and talk to my friends in the hopes I can keep them informed and not become desensitized to bigotry, greed, inequality. But they, like me, cannot fight Trump, cannot affect America and its people. It is almost comical how a single country is so rich, so powerful, yet so stupid; and it's comical how a single person, the beloved Mr. President, can affect so many lives, can wage so many wars, can kill so many people.

I'm desperate in a fight I can't fight. And I worry for the many lives I have no power to help.

***

To anyone reading this, please join me in fighting. 

You can start by deleting your major social media accounts and be more mindful of what you're buying (know where the money is going, is it an evil corporate that helps fund wars, take advantage of the poor/underdeveloped countries, treats its workers poorly?); support small and local businesses, support the disadvantaged.

Believe me, its easier than you think, don't take the world around you for granted. You have the choice to chose what you buy, you have the choice to chose who you support, you have the choice to help those in need. You always have a choice. They can make you think you don't, but you always do. Don't let them win.