2017 was Trumpism's last gasp
(CNN) As the year comes to a close, the job of making sense of it begins.
This year, I heard so many people ask, "Is this really happening?" It felt at times as if we were living in an alternate reality. There's no denying that 2017 was both bizarre and a rallying of all sorts. The question is, who will be left standing when the rally is over?
While the year saw the rise of Trump, this is not the beginning of his term, it is the end. As painful as it has been to watch him and his supporters rally, theirs is merely a last gasp of a dying world view.
Ten years ago, when my father-in-law was dying of esophageal cancer, we called hospice in. I'll never forget what they told us: that just before death, we might see a surprising surge of energy in him, something that doctors refer to as "terminal lucidity."
They cautioned us that this would not be a sign of strength, but rather that death was near. Sure enough, a few weeks before his death, he was out of bed and had a surprising amount of energy. It was a last gasp at life. He died shortly after that.
That's what 2017 represents for me: a last gasp by Trump and the bigoted, sexist, nationalist and greedy forces that propelled him to power. (read more)
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/22/opinions/2017-was-trumpisms-last-gasp-robbins/index.html