Who Are We?
Seems like everyone out there are defining who their neighbors, family and friends are based on what they are told on the television, in email forwards, through social media, during speeches and on talk radio. We are suddenly so malleable we can’t make up our minds who we are by ourselves? Old friends and family become enemies because of some talk show guy or a politician? Are we losing our minds? This is a democracy where differences are needed to round it all out. There is no path other than that for a democracy to succeed. There can be no ‘my way or the highway’ or democracy quickly disintegrates. Why is America listening to the bull shit tossed out there by some? Do we seriously want that? Do we really need to punch our neighbor in the face? Somehow I don’t think so and the Christian Bible tells us so. Remember?
My husband cannot believe Americans are so gullible to fall into place behind politicians who have so much to gain by fooling them, but it has been proved through history that if we hear anything enough, we will fall right into line. In fact a friend of mine stated when I asked her why she believed they were going to kill people for being old under the health care act, she had “heard it so much it must be true”. There were those who attacked John Kennedy when he ran for President over the fact that he was Catholic, which to us now seems mighty trivial, but back then it was a sin like questioning politicians who have different ideas now in this climate.
Overall the majority of all the issues that end up in cross table conversation and indeed creating hatred in some circumstances, are the result of super large corporations or individuals who control our politicians every move. As candidates there is so much need to curry favor with the big money folks that both houses of congress have seen a mass exodus in recent years of really good legislators and statesmen. Politicians coming into national government have no need for the skills required to work with each other, all they have to do is carry out the agenda of their money donors, then blame it on everyone else. Easy. They often don’t even write the legislation they bring to the floor! The parties still play a role in our politics for sure, but they are more and more less relevant compared to the big money donors that Citizens United has enabled.
The American people have every reason to be mad and distrustful of our government…they lost retirement money in the 2006-2009 to lousy investments and frankly gambling by the Wall Street punks who to this day have by and large walked away with zero punishment. Jobs are rebounding some, but not complete enough to allow people anywhere near a comfortable living. Many people are working two and three jobs to just make ends meet and particularly in the already poorer sectors. The pharmaceutical companies have America addicted to pain relief drugs to the point that many are buying heroin which achieves the same results, but is much cheaper. Every drug ad, every day on our televisions is coaxing someone into addiction, yet we are enabling their stranglehold on our politicians by turning a blind eye to what is going on.
Our frustration and anger are sorely misplaced these days and it is totally intentional that we do so because if we are divided, we will never band together under one flag to challenge the absolute control of our country by the money and greed. The US is not the only country that is going through a such a greedy period and more than likely we will all come out of it together, but not until we really understand where it is all coming from and it isn’t each other.
We have to resist the ridiculous idea that any of us are to blame in the first place for the state of this country. We have to realize that we all are hurting, not just individually, but the whole damn country is hurting. All of us are skimping and our neighbors are NOT to blame for our ills. It is the culmination of greed of the wealthiest among us. They do their best to steer us into believing that your friends, neighbors and others unlike you are to blame for all your state of affairs. It is a tactic used throughout history to divide and conquer and it is at the forefront as this Presidential campaign progresses into kicking boxing and pro wrestling.
Do you honestly think your neighbor, friend or co-worker really has anything to do with the war in the Middle East or the rules set by congress? Are we to believe that African Americans really want to be poor and dependent any more than we do, or that the Syrians desire to be bombed over and over again until they are forced to flee their country. Absolutely not! We are told that our veterans are somehow less so if they are living on the street and poor than if they are in a home with loving family and a medal on their chest, but the bad dreams are the same for all of them regardless of where they live or the color of their skin.
None of this is rocket science and most information that ends up in email forwards can be easily looked up and verified on the Internet, but we continue to believe in it all. Most information needed to make a decision without the loud talk of people who get paid to feed you misinformation is readily available as well. Not being “Political Correct” has nothing to do with insults, racial slurs, attacks on women and misinformation, that is all common courtesy that all of us are entitled to. Calling people living in trailers losers is ridiculous.
Division is how power people win when they have no other tools to do so. When they run out of viable ideas or good answers to very real problems we all face. This is country is hurting, but in spite of it all we are rebounding compared to where we were just 9 years ago and it is due to the resilience of all of us and nothing to do with the politicians in front of us at this time. Almost none of these politicians are offering anything different when it comes to breaking free of their donors. We have a long way to go, and most of them either will not or cannot help. But, until we decide who we are and react together to the pushing and shoving of the last few years we will never win. We cannot win apart, we have to take on the whole of congress, not each other.
