My Opinions on Politics and Culture + Poetry

Hi all! In this current political climate it's pretty much impossible to not disagree with something and so I have collected some of my hot takes and opinions paired with poems that go along with what I'm saying and if your questioning what's true and false don't worry I'll have sources down at the bottom that explain what I'm talking about if you want to check it out!

Opinion 1: Stop Calling Everyone a Nazi

Look, I’m no Trump fan. I have political opinions that I keep mostly to myself, but I think he’s dangerous in plenty of ways. But he’s not Hitler. Words like fascist and Nazi have very specific, very bloody histories behind them. When we use them for anyone we dislike politically, we water them down. Hitler caused a genocide. Entire communities were erased. The moment we start tossing those words around carelessly, they lose their weight, and when someone actually like Hitler comes along, people won’t take the warning seriously. We can talk all day about what we don't like about politicians, but let's use accurate terms.

I think maybe we need a refresher on what a dictionary is and how to use it so here's the definition of a Nazi:

1: a member of a German political party that controlled Germany from 1933 to 1945 under Adolf Hitler

2: disapproving : an evil person who wants to use power to control and harm other people especially because of their race, religion, etc. (Nazi Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary, n.d.)

and of a fascist:

1 or Fascism : a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government

2 : very harsh control or authority

So those are the definitions do we have any more clarity now?

Let's Remember History Remember Hitler

He killed 11 million people (6 million Jews 5 million non Jews) (Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, 2025)

That's a BIG number

How many people has Trump killed?

It's pretty much impossible to tell at this point or really ever, but many people have blamed Trump for preventable COVID-19 deaths

which account for 40,000 people (U.S. Virus Death Toll Tops 400,000 in Trump’s Final Hours, 2021)

Which is, of course, SO many people

But it's not 11 million

So is Trump Hitler?

No, Hitler was Hitler, no one else was him

Is Trump a Nazi?

No I don't think so

Is Trump a fascist?

No

Does he do things to control and silence people?

Yes he does

Does this make Trump a fascist?

Not exactly

Am I really capable of answering these kinds, of questions?

No not really

But we're all trying to understand the world as best as we can

Opinion 2: What I Wish I Could Tell RFK Jr. About Autism

Remember that viral quote from RFK Jr.? The one where he said, “autism destroys families” and called it an “individual tragedy,” claiming autistic kids would “never pay taxes… never hold a job… never write a poem… never go out on a date”? Yeah… that one.

I get why some people online felt seen by it. Maybe they’ve struggled with family dynamics or caregiving, and seeing those challenges reflected can feel validating. But here’s the thing: autism isn’t just a tragedy. Millions of autistic people live full, meaningful lives. We pursue passions, fall in love, create art, and yes… even write poems (like me!). To reduce us to a list of what we supposedly won’t do is dehumanizing. Autistic people are seen as "less than" because we contribute less to capitalism, but everyone has worth, no matter how much they can contribute.

I wish RFK Jr. would listen to autistic voices instead of just framing our lives as a burden. The reality is complicated: being autistic comes with challenges, yes, but it’s also a way of being in the world—not a punchline, not a statistic, not a tragedy.

Autism

Autism

A tragedy

Autism

I stand in front of you

A poet

And yet he says

I will never write a poem

Autism

A tragedy

Autism

For some

For high support needs, autistic people and their caregivers

This life is a hard one

They might never have a job or play baseball

And some may

But it will be hard

It's hard to be autistic

And maybe I won’t be able to hold a job

But I am a human

Autistic people do not have less identity and less humanity than allistic people!

Autism is a spectrum

And more than that, autism is a color wheel

Some days, I will not have the energy to write a poem or go to work

And other days I will

But it will still be hard

Opinion 3: Don’t Fight Cheating with Cheating

It’s one thing to take issue with unfair tactics like gerrymandering. It's another to respond to it with the same playbook. Former Long Beach Mayor (he broke down a lot of barriers in my city) addressed this directly, saying: “If Republicans are going to play this game, California can fight and push back harder,” said Representative Robert Garcia, Democrat of Long Beach. “We’re not going to allow national congressional Republicans and Donald Trump to rig and gerrymander the map across the country and just sit by and do nothing.”

Our response should not be “cheat back harder.” Ignoring the rules to win never makes you the hero; it just proves that the game has already gone sideways. If democracy is your cause, it has to matter even when the other side isn’t playing fair.

Truth Social and Other Commentary

The state of our country is disappointing

I used to be proud of the country I'm from

And maybe it's just because I was young and naive, but I think it's more than that

Of course, America has done horrible things

And while I'm not proud of that, I'll freely admit it

But now, well, it's just embarrassing

Because the man who represents us

The man with spray-tanned skin and thinning hair (I don't mean to go after appearances to Be mean, simply to describe who I mean)

He is on the international stage, and then he says things like this:

"Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there," he wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday. "Go get 'em, Sydney!" (Faguy, 2025)

And this . . .

“THIS WILL BE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA! WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!). BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID. WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT IS NOW BEING RUN WITH COMMON SENSE – AND THE RESULTS WILL BE SPECTACULAR!!!” (Gabbatt, 2025)

All this to say the guy really knows how to use social media better than any president in the past

And while I won't be ditching the U.S altogether any time soon or lying while abroad about where I'm from

I do have tangled feelings about our current president

I won't just sit here and dump on him; plenty of people do that on a daily basis

And I'm not saying any of this with no knowledge of politics. I've been consistently following the news for a couple of months now

I also won't say that he's not doing anything good; it's just that most of the time, that gets overshadowed by other things

Opinion 4: Blind Taste, Bold Brands

I read this wild study the other day: in blind taste tests, people consistently preferred Pepsi over Coke. And yet… way more people buy Coke. Why? I have skin in the game, too, because I used to always drink Pepsi when I got a soda (basically never), and my family always questioned me, saying Coke was better, and while it's embarrassing to admit, I actually switched to Coke.

It’s kind of amazing how much a brand name can sway our choices. The taste is objectively “better," but the logo, the colors, and the history lead to Coke winning. It’s like we’re choosing an idea of the drink rather than the drink itself.

I mean, think about it: we do this with so many things. Sneakers, tech, music streaming apps… even the drink you order at Starbucks. Recently, everyone's been telling me how good matcha is, so I went out and tried it and... it's gross. I asked my friend and she said it's just good because of the sugar. I thought I had just bought a gross kind, but really, people just buy matcha and other things because other people do it too. Branding shapes the story we tell ourselves about what’s worth our attention or money. (Moskin, 2025)

Opinion 5: Why Do Video Podcasts Exist?

I don’t get it. Like… really, I’m genuinely puzzled. Podcasts are supposed to be audio, right? You put them on while walking, cooking, or scrolling through your phone. They’re convenient, and there's no need for visuals because it's just people talking.

And then… someone decides we need a video version? Suddenly, I have to watch people talk about stuff I could just listen to? Why? Are we supposed to care about their backgrounds, their lighting, their sweaters? The content isn’t better, it’s just… harder for the creators, and like, do people actually sit down and watch these?

I guess I’ll never understand it. I just need more brain stimulation. I can't sit still for an hour while a host goes on and on about who knows what.

So there are 5 of my current hot takes! I hope you enjoyed I had fun writing this post more fun then going back and editing it but it's done now!