2025 09 22
No Parking. Ashland, Wisconsin. July, 2025. Ā© Clayton Hauck
Itās a bit surreal to spend a weekend with friends, bopping around Chicago and falling in love with the place all over again, only to open up your social media on Monday morning to read about how the president is pledging to āsaveā your city after Charlie Kirk pleaded with him to do so. I grew up in the same area as Kirk and attended the same high school as he did. Iāve lived in Chicagoland all of my life and love it now as much as I ever have. Obviously, we all have our opinions and perspectives on the world (and yes, of course there are issues here), but the stark juxtaposition between what Iām seeing with my own eyes vs. what Iām hearing from outraged folks on the internetā¦ and running our countryā¦ is maybe more concerning than anything Iāve yet to encounter in my life. An administration with total immunity to enact whatever policies it wants, choosing my own hometown to make an example out of, is not at all a pleasing thought, esp when you consider the perspective they choosing to view us by ā the enemy ā whom Trump admittedly hates.
Last week I had a dream about a missile flying overhead and exploding at a nearby but safe-for-me distance. It gave me the feeling that, while there are big issues happening around us, we are still relatively safe to carry on with our lives. It was still someone elseās problem. Then, an ominous motorcycle drone rounded the corner, clearly seeking us, perhaps for a new missile target. As I was startled awake, I couldnāt help but feel for the millions of people currently living in these exact conditions on a daily basis in Gaza, Ukraine, or elsewhere. Then I wondered if we might soon have to learn how to live with the bombs ourselves here in Chicago.
-Clayton
2025 01 21
This is not a political blog. Stocks are up. Get back to work!
Yesterday was tough. It wasnāt just the immediate pivot through a pen that put our country on an aggressive path (I donāt mind some well-meaning aggression); it wasnāt just the the billionaire tech oligarchy showing up at morning mass, followed by selfies in front of the Capitol, followed by the best seats in the house (as governors waited outside), to watch their guy get sworn in without bothering to touch a bible in the process; it wasnāt the crypto tokens issued solely at the benefit of putting billions of dollars into the hands of Trump and his family ā peanut farms be dammed (āraise those flags, weāre celebratingā)!; it wasnāt just the ease at which Trump crammed in a full day of getting shit done, while his predecessor returned from another vacation, pardoned his entire family, and then flew off into the sunset never to be seen again; it wasnāt just the clear dog whistles, tone adjustment, and rewarding of behavior once seen as unlawful and unwanted ā whatever it takes to make his vision a reality is now fully endorsed and embraced by the Supreme Court through whatever means deemed necessary ā weāre living at the whims of one man, a man who has proven over and over to have a fragile ego and questionable character. Heās our man. Our dear leader, just as he wants it.
Keeping up appearances. Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood, Illinois. June, 2024. Ā© Clayton Hauck
This is not a political blog. Stocks are up. Get back to work!
Yesterday was tough. It wasnāt just the immediate pivot through a pen that put our country on an aggressive path (I donāt mind some well-meaning aggression); it wasnāt just the the billionaire tech oligarchy showing up at morning mass, followed by selfies in front of the Capitol, followed by the best seats in the house (as governors waited outside), to watch their guy get sworn in without bothering to touch a bible in the process; it wasnāt the crypto tokens issued solely at the benefit of putting billions of dollars into the hands of Trump and his family ā peanut farms be dammed (āraise those flags, weāre celebratingā)!; it wasnāt just the ease at which Trump crammed in a full day of getting shit done, while his predecessor returned from another vacation, pardoned his entire family, and then flew off into the sunset never to be seen again; it wasnāt just the clear dog whistles, tone adjustment, and rewarding of behavior once seen as unlawful and unwanted ā whatever it takes to make his vision a reality is now fully endorsed and embraced by the Supreme Court through whatever means deemed necessary ā weāre living at the whims of one man, a man who has proven over and over to have a fragile ego and questionable character. Heās our man. Our dear leader, just as he wants it.
Stocks are up. Nothing to see here. Get back to work!
We finally have a real dude (not some Elite) in charge of things and he alone can fix it, as surely he will. All he needs is four more years of madness and everything will be great again.
Most people I know are choosing to ignore the news and actively avoid learning about what is now happening. I get it, itās the clear best choice for maintaining your own sanity and keeping your house in order. Touching this madness in any way only leads to trouble. I made the decision to take it all in yesterday, to give myself a sense of whatās to come, and it left my brain hurt and heart confused. I get the outrage that led to this. I get the frustrations that led to this. I get the contempt for the Democratic Party that led to this. What I donāt understand, and what terrifies me, is how quickly we are ditching norms, scrapping laws, and enabling Trumpās darkest impulses ā weāre no longer hiding the executive orders from him, weāre stacking them up high and signing them in front of a live studio audience! Rile up the base and blame anything that goes wrong (as it will) on the opposition, the immigrants, them.
The Democratic Party is almost silent in response. The big guy who wears shorts to work is apparently switching sides this week. He likes to win, too, and thereās a feeling like the level-headed centrists and liberals will never win again. We have rolled over and are playing dead as the system now allows us almost no safeguards in opposition. Even a simple old blog post like this one feels kind of dangerous, like Iām about to be put on some list. Maybe I shouldāve voted Trump to at least have that on my file.
How far into the darkest we go before voters take notice, if voting is still a thing after the dust settles, I do not know. But I fear we can only fight crazy with even-more-crazy and weāre now on a long and steady path towards madness.
This is not a political blog. Stocks are up. Get back to work!
-Clayton