AMA Thursday
Trainwreck II: Electoral Boogaloo
I gauge the surreality of recent events with a couple disquieting metrics: First, stress dreams about political life in America. Then, the jolting sensation of awakening in the morning to a moment of serene forgetting, only for grim reality to reassert itself.
I’ve experienced this form of psychological strain two other times that I can recall: First, for several weeks after the 2016 election, into the early days of the Trump presidency; then again in the earliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How’s that for portentousness? (It’s also a low-key reminder of the fact that Joe Biden really did deliver the gift of peace of mind when he became president, something we can be lastingly grateful for, so long as he doesn’t rip it away.)
To that end, here’s a brief rundown of contributing factors for discussion in comments and this afternoon’s member live chat.