Royals 7

It’s the morning of Wed 6 Nov in the Pacific and the evening of the election in the US.  The Melbourne Cup passed with little comment from the passengers I met although some fancy millinery appeared amongst some women on board.  That’s fun.  The election isn’t but I can say it’s been a test for my Talking Cure theory.  The Talking Cure is a song I wrote after another cruise with the theme of conversations with people you don’t agree with.  Certainly a cruise is a place to meet people outside Canberra liberal normality and that’s good and interesting and expanding if sometimes challenging.  I was amused to find myself in a lift with ~8 others.  There was a mention of the Melbourne Cup then of the other upcoming competition and an indignant Trumpish comment.  Then a mild statement from a well spoken American woman that she’d done her part (meaning voted early) and a knowing look.  Then a milder comment from the Trumpist that politicians are all corrupt.  That’s a common theme I’ve heard. And it carries some truth.  Certainly, it was interesting that the two major parties got together to produce the meagre corruption commission we now have and there are issues with whistleblowers and lobbyists and more.  To me, there’s also truth that many previously comfortable jobs and lives have been lost to Reagan/Thatcher policies, implemented in Australia by Labor, of course, if with more safeguards.  I remember two interview programs on BBC radio in two US midwest (?) towns in late 2016 and the Trump supporters were ordinary, middle class types and that was disconcerting.  They look much like those behind Trump events today.  I imagine they wouldn’t benefit from a Trump return but I guess they’d expect to.  Another more discrete supporter claimed Kamala is a Marxist, just hiding her stripes when she took over from Biden.  He also had issues with action on climate and argued that the death rates from Covid in the US was a function of hospitals corruptly claiming Covid for deaths to get government funding.  I hadn’t heard that one before.  Trouble is, with all these arguments and the Left’s arguments for multiple truths and the rest, it’s hard to find a path through these contradictions.  Common sense is argued as a response, but I prefer critical thinking as I doubt I can fully determine the science of climate change and other complex issues independently.  So the question becomes who do I trust and how can I triangulate.  I heard little detail in the discussions I had, but frequent broad claims.  It can be a challenge to civility and conversation so good.  So, it’s just hours to first electoral results and I am fascinated and disturbed.  The ultimate danger is not the wars and deaths that can we can rebuild from, as costly and hurtful as they can be, but the climate tipping points that we can’t.  In the meantime, have a listen to my The Talking Cure, from sky vs weather / The Pots.