After 9/11 a brother-in-law (the same one that asked me what regulation I hated most), told me that he was so frightened about going into the city he was going to give up his cushy white collar job in midtown. He did in fact quit that job to stay on the Jersey side each day. So let’s recap: hate regulations, cower in fear of the infinitesimal odds of being a terrorism victim. I wasn’t that surprised, he loves Fox News, especially O’Reilly, and has supported Republicans since his affair with Perot in 1992. Another billionaire is running, so I think I know where his allegiance will lay.

It’s very easy to toss aside the Constitution, throw off centuries of traditions and values, and abandon logic when you are scared shitless. And that is what Trump and his ilk are. They represent the cocksure reactionary cadres of cowards who are armed to the teeth with guns and Jesus but more frantically afraid of death, despite their guns and faith, than they would believe seemly, if it were somebody else. Anybody as scared as they are would be considered weak-kneed pussies, if it wasn’t them, and the fear so justified. I mean, violent crime is rampant, terrorism is rampant and our black president is giving away all of the country’s wealth to his people: minorities and foreigners. Everybody knows thus but is afraid to say so. That’s why Trump is so great. He’s unafraid. Except for the Muslims and the Latinos, the women, the gays, you know, the real terrors it’s ok and just sensible to be afraid of

In the world of their imaginations, danger is everywhere, bad people (brown people) who want to kill them (white people) are everywhere. Minorities get every break and have every advantage, but society is too politically correct to admit it.

The world has never been more nerve wracking for them, which is probably why studies show certain cohorts of whites are seeing their life expectancy decrease because of dependency, diabetes and despair. There are real economic issues of middle class decline that really have eroded some of their security. But largely, their issues are self-inflicted: they’re  self-medicating, hunkering down in an ever smaller bunker stocked with anger and alcohol.

The irony they’ll never comprehend is that the America that they believe abandoned them is predominantly of their making. 35 years of voting for Republicans that have lied to them and winked at them while abetting the businesses that sent their jobs overseas. Decades of sending faithful tithes to millionaire right wing radio hosts who also lie to them, taking their money and feeding the suckers their daily dose of who to hate. At least it’s entertaining. Mix all those lies and hate with some oxy, for that chronic pain, (medical marijuana is too risky) and stir with the gnostic belief that they alone really understand what’s going on. They alone have the good common sense to know how to fix the world: We need a businessman, a strong man, a smart man – someone smarter than our foreign enemies and the liberals (our domestic enemies).

They know. It’s just sensible. You have to be strong and do what the weak will not do. Do what America has always done and be great, with nerve, and gumption and sacrifice.

Keep Muslims and Latinos out of the country. Send young people to fight Isis. Cut taxes. Make guns more available. Fewer black people in the White House and on TV.

Then we’ll be great again, like when we were fearless and the rest of the world was afraid.

Make me a cocktail and put on O’Reilly. I like him, he’s fearless, like me.