Well, howdy there, Internet people, it's Bell again.

So today, we're going to talk about Trump winning the 2024 presidential election.

Even though it isn't officially called at time of recording, barring some incredibly unlikely and

unforeseen event, Trump will win the 2024 election and be sworn in as our next

president. Go ahead and take a moment with that. Okay, so we've had bad presidents before. We'll have

bad presidents after. I know there's going to be a lot of doom and gloom, but I refuse to believe this is the

end of the American experiment. Yes, we're in for a couple of bumpy years, but this isn't the time

to throw up your hands. It's the time to lead ourselves and build our communities. The reality is that beyond the presidency, the Republican

Party has also gained the majority in the Senate, and very well may have gained the majority

in the House. That hasn't been called at time of recording. All of that, combined with a sympathetic Supreme Court, means we're likely

in for at least two years of basically unchecked MAGA, unless Democrats pull it out in the

House. The messages and comments that have come in since that became apparent have been filled

with anxiety.

A lot of that is based on Trump's rhetoric.

But remember, Trump doesn't feel obligated to actually move to implement a lot of his own

rhetoric and promises.

Over the next few days, we're going to talk about different aspects of Trump's rhetoric and campaign promises.

We'll talk about what he's likely to actually do, what was probably just rhetoric to energize his base, and what the effects of the policies he's likely to actually try to push will be.

And what we as Americans can do to be ready for the effects of those policies. Because there are going to be major shifts in U.S. policies,

both domestically and overseas. It will be disruptive to the norms. From the economy to foreign policy, to environmental concerns, to social programs, to regulatory systems within government, to perceived cultural norms, there are likely to be massive shifts. We'll discuss them individually. To be ready to deal with effects, we have to start to separate the rhetoric from the reality.

I know. There's a lot of worry and anxiety.

I'm not even saying it isn't well-founded.

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