IS TRUTH MAKING A COMEBACK?

There are some hopeful signs.

1)    The Trial in Minneapolis.  The honesty and integrity displayed by the Chief of Police in taking the stand as a prosecution witness and then testifying in a straightforward manner without equivocation was a welcome respite from the Blue Wall of Silence and from the excuses made for the bad conduct of police officers in other instances.  Likewise, the testimony of health professionals and by-standers had the impact of emotional truth-telling behind their words. Of course, the plain truth of video tapes of the killing of George Floyd brings to bear the truth of seeing for oneself what happened on that fateful day.  The truth-telling by the Chief has been continued by trainers and policemen who have come forward to testify that Derek Chauvin’s use of force was not within policy guidelines and was inappropriate. Dr. Tobin (Pulmonary Specialist) gave us  the most understandable concise view of the cause of this killing (asphyxia) that we have witnessed so far.  His testimony was riveting. 

2)    The truth of saying you will do something and then actually carrying it through to fruition is  what President Joe Biden is doing with his projects, plans and proposed legislation.  We are seeing vaccinations administered beyond numbers originally proposed.  We are seeing individual relief checks distributed, and strapped-for-cash states and cities are receiving monetary subsidies.  Most recently, with the able assist from Leader Chuck Schumer, an infrastructure/jobs bill may even get past the Republicans in the Senate.  Forecasts of job possibilities from this project are yet to be proven, but that truth will come out in reports of job growth. Having bold things accomplished with illustration of accomplishment, rather than made-up excuses and accusations of blame and conspiracy theories for distraction, are a welcome return to truth-telling and truth-making that has been absent during the Trump years. 

3)     One has to be impressed as well with the information and transparency coming out of the mouths of new Department Directors in the Biden administration.  They are not hiding from the public but are presenting their goals and aims and difficulties to us as valued citizens who not only want honest information but deserve it as well.  There is a sense that ordinary people do matter, and that we are being heard and respected. 

4)     Openness to other points of view than one’s own is a form of honesty that can’t be forgotten.  Conservative Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin has been listened to and given some concessions on legislation, and it appears that will continue.  Even the Republicans have been consulted but their deep-seated opposition to Democrats on every issue and every project has limited their input and made bipartisan legislating a far-out proposition.  They have no one to blame but themselves (and Mitch McConnell) for being the Party of NO and blocking every piece of legislation with forward-looking investments or monetary support involved.  What they want you NOT to recall is that every modern Republican President has left behind a budget debt or deficit that has affected not only the economy, but the successive administration.  Government has been the victim of Republican misuse of funds for decades and we are still paying off those deficits.  Giving tax breaks and special favors to the wealthy does not make for balanced budgets nor for economic growth.  It makes for an unyielding chasm between rich and middle class and a grand canyon of difference between the rich and the poor.  

5)    Let us also not forget the official responses of corporations like Coca Cola, Dell, several Airlines and others who stepped up under consumer pressure to issue amended and stronger statements of support for voting rights in Georgia and other states like Texas.  Those corporations decided to caution states that new Jim Crow laws are not to be tolerated.  Support calling for the MLB All-star game to be removed from Atlanta because of new Georgia restrictions on voting gained enough momentum to become a reality.  Truth sometimes takes time and effort but prevails in the final stage. Corporate support for equal voting rights will be decisive in states where their presence and support are substantial. 

However much these incidents and examples push Truth forward in word and deed, there are still those darker places that remain hidden from full light.  The perversion of truth-telling as a principle that brings order and calm (‘tranquility’) to our government and society at large is still under attack.  And here are just a few examples:

1)    One major obstacle to the return of Truth, of course, is the BIG LIE behind new voting restrictions, i.e., that they protect the voting process rather than hinder the voter, is pure propaganda and is profoundly untrue.  Every restrictive law is aimed directly at voters who favor Parties other than the GOP.  The passage of these laws is a major method of stopping any truth from the full complement of voters.

2)    Donald Trump steals from his backers by fraudulent means online.  How easy it was.  Just put a checkmark in a box by a bold-type statement followed by smaller natural type that says, “make donations monthly.”  And then you have the donors return their card with what they think is one-time donations but are pre-checked as monthly donations.  And the con man Trump receives millions in donations that (it is reported) he proceeds to transfer to  an account in his name, not to a PAC or RNC account.  Typical Trump fraud just as he did with the casino in Atlantic City, real estate in Florida, Trump University online, and other fraudulent maneuvers like raising funds for vets that never got to them.  With lying tweets, avoiding government taxes, and producing irresponsible conspiracy theories, Trump has created the atmosphere that he likes best – dishonesty that produces rewards for him and his business.  Those who lose out to his schemes are considered losers by him.  That is the atmosphere in which he – and now too many (like Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida) – thrive and prosper. 

The poison of dishonesty in the system of governing has consequences, producing  distrust of government and a false belief that fraudulent claims, promises, pretense of authority and questionable actions are all taken for the well-being of supporters.  Unfortunately, fraudulent words and behaviors bring consequences upon friend and foe alike.  For instance:

a.     Trump’s Health care con and fraudulent legislation brought the pandemic to the doorsteps of supporters and never-Trumpers alike.  His neglect of a universal plan to fight the virus ended up killing base supporters and non-supporters alike in record numbers.

b.    The buying-in to lies and conspiracies by legislators and voters remains a threat to the ending of this pandemic because blocking useful and helpful legislation will also fall upon both never-Trumpers and Trumpers alike.

c.     If the Minimum wage of $15 per hour does not pass, both types are hit and will be hurt; no Medicaid increase, or Medicare reform will fall on both; voting restrictions will eventually impact everyone if Trump is re-elected in 2024 and becomes the first US dictator.  No one will be safe!

d.    Don’t underestimate the Republican dishonesty of putting gun-carry laws above the protection of voting rights.  In both Tennesee and Texas, legislators were considering legislation that expanded gun rights while lowering the ability to vote without restriction.  Texas Republicans are even considering legislation that will make it a crime to send out absentee ballots!  That dishonesty will fall on Trumpers and non-Trumpers alike as uncontrolled gun use (like the Old West) begins to harm and kill people of both political persuasions.  No one is safe when the priority is on the side of loosening gun restrictions while exacerbating the restrictions on voting.    

3)    Look at the hypocrisy now being demonstrated by many of those Republicans who voted against the American Rescue bill.  They are now proclaiming the wonder of the amounts coming into their states and trying to steal some of the credit for it, even though they voted against it. 

Perhaps more hypocritical is their reference to sections or provisions they favor and their trying to play the role of rescuers in spite of the fact they voted against the Bill!  Hypocrisy is a form of lying, and all those Republicans who voted against the Rescue Bill have no business making up lies about their support for some parts. You can’t be both for and against; legislating demands a final decision and these hypocrites voted NO to all of it – against all of it including what they now say they favor. 

In other words, every Republican in Congress voted against the rescue of their people from the harm and devastation that the pandemic has caused!  Every supporter of Trump and his Party should remember that when they vote.  Stop voting for representatives who fail to rescue and relieve you when you most need their help.     

4)    By far, the most calamitous outcome of the Trump dishonesty and fraudulent behavior is the toll it will take on the entire society.  We have already seen a rise in criminal behavior; domestic violence; bullying; plus, unwarranted vicious attacks on Asian-Americans, and a general increase in hate groups.

5)    Last, but far from least, we have witnessed an attack upon our Capitol and its inhabitants, our Representatives.  And even Trump’s most loyal operative, Mike Pence, was not considered safe from being personally attacked by the mob sent there by Donald Trump himself. 

It needs to be made clear that no one is immune from the consequences of autocratic behavior because at the basis of that behavior is a fundamental distrust and suspicion of everyone.   A personal need to defeat and possibly destroy anyone who somehow strays from, or criticizes the autocrat’s agenda, or anyone who gets in the way of its momentum is one result (see my Blogs of 10/28/2018 and 2/8/2014 for further discussion).  Trump has taught his minions to distrust, to fight against, to use every dirty trick available, and to look over their shoulders to prevent others from gaining any advantage or recognition.  His form of dishonesty is meant to build power over others, never to help them or to heal them or to enhance their lives.             

The effects of lying, bearing false witness and pretending one is something other than he or she has demonstrated in the past – like Mitch McConnell who has incessantly invited Big Business support for Republican legislation, projects, and candidates, but now warns them to stay away from politics, especially from the voting rights issue!

UN-TRUTH has become a vicious tool to be used to gain power and control of government and the voters --  of society a a whole.  It has become a weapon of choice in a battle to maintain white supremacy in all matters .  It is a propaganda device used to convince:

·       a brain-washable base of supporters that Democrats are evil people/demons from a government just waiting to pounce on them, their guns, their religion and their race,

·       them that their right to be free of government control (like their right not to wear a mask), 

·       that those liberal forces, are the ones using the COVID vaccination process to enslave the electorate and to make us all socialist automatons.

 So, let us welcome efforts to bring back truth-telling and truth-doing as seen in the less-than-hundred-days of this Biden administration.  And let us as citizens climb aboard that train and ride with it in our own dealings of daily life.  Take a stand for truth-telling and doing.  Demand answers from businesses, schools, organizations, and online vendors.  Don’t accept the lies that constantly assail you from false representatives and vendors –boycott and abandon the worst of them.   Don’t trade with, buy from, or support anyone who is out to negate your well-being.  It’s time we stood up and shouted (like in that film of days gone by) – “I’m fed up and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Truth-telling and truth-doing are not options – they are imperatives!  As human beings, having been given the gift of life, each of us has an obligation to others to bring truth to inform and enhance that awesome gift.  It is our solemn duty to bring truth to life, for untruth does nothing but injure, maim, denigrate and destroy the quality of existence.  That latter Truth has been known for centuries of human history.  When truth is forgotten, or ignored, or worse -- is used as a weapon to denigrate and damage others – it brings upon us the chaos and confusion of wars and pandemics and a rise in crime and poverty; it foments attacks upon the loving relationships that bind us together; it bends the mind and creates mental fog and mental aberrations that affect our well-being. It inflicts damage of many kinds.

That NO vote by all Republicans in the Congress was not just on the rescue legislation.  It was  a resounding NO against doing what is right for people living with the inordinate damage caused by a pandemic that was exacerbated by the need to lie, dissemble, and to keep it under wraps so no one would panic. 

It was a vote FOR untruth, for autocratic decision-making devoid of facts or scientific research; it was a vote for made-up scenarios, illusions, delusions, and hallucinations--- known as ‘conspiracy theories’ in Trump-world.  Their NO was a vote against the will of the people expressed in more than one poll – that favored the rescue legislation by up to 70%.  And indeed, show that people across the country want most o the changes in the Biden agenda by anywhere from 65 to 80%

In other words, the Republican NO vote was a message to voters of all parties –we are in charge; your needs and your opinions are not needed or wanted.  Truth resides in us not in “WE the PEOPLE.” 

The message of this Blog is that the Trumpers have put lying, hypocrisy, and autocratic decision-making – as well as the use of violence – in charge.  They are the neo-Nazis of this culture.  They are the anti-democratic Party of the Right Wing.  They are the destroyers of Truth and Justice who are voting in a way that confirms their insurrectionist intent.  Those who continue to support them are their puppets and the fomenters of the anti-democratic, pro-fascist Party that calls itself ‘Republican.’ 

Stand for TRUTH!  And OPPOSE THE WEAPON OF UNTRUTH!

LIVE the TRUTH       VOTE for TRUTH     INSIST on TRUTH    REWARD TRUTH           REJECT BIG LIES

“To believe or to assert something is not enough to make it true.”

Some believe that Truth can only come from God or his messengers.  Some that truth resides in certain unique and special persons or objects- like a Pope or a Totem or a Dictator.

 Many believe that there is a subjective truth and an objective truth, the first dependent on a source, the second on a process of discovery and experimentation.

Others like Trump and his followers believe that truth is a set of “alternative facts,” which amounts to made up “facts.”

One dictionary definition:  “the property of being in accord with fact or reality.”

Truth is not belief or supposition or wishful thinking; TRUTH is verifiable facts, proven hypotheses, and the actual experience of doing what works for the benefit of humankind.

Voters Have Awesome Responsibility

Since mid-February, it has become clearer that what has been brought upon Texans in addition to the awful horrors of no power, no water, no food, freezing temps, and nowhere to get help, is the politicizing of the entire event by inept leaders.  That, of course, doesn’t diminish the fears and the illnesses, injuries and deaths precipitated by the storm and its effects.  Because there is enough blame to go around, the blame game has been a large part of this event.   

1.   Politicians who need to shift blame whenever possible to maintain enough support from voters, did some blaming which makes little sense except perhaps to un-informed voters willing to buy any product without critical thinking. 

a.     that this was a result of the “Green New Deal” proposed by that liberal socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) from the Bronx; because that movement proposes regulation of businesses and industries and promotes alternative fuels as the future.

b.     The Claim that a large part of the crisis could have been avoided had the renewable fuels worked as they should have; but they didn’t.

It has since come to light that both claims are nothing but politicians finding excuses for their own failures.  The Green New Deal had little or no effect on the debacle in Texas because it is nothing more than a proposal.  The Green New Deal is NOT a set of laws nor is it backed up by any regulations.  It does not have enough clout as a proposal to have changed anything.

2)2)  Many conservatives blamed the environmental movement -- insisting that frozen wind turbines show the limits of alternative energy sources.  The numbers and reports from the Texas grid failed to support the blaming of renewable fuels for the power crisis. What is clear is that fossil fuels and atomic energy are responsible for most of the power (73%) generated in Texas and renewables like air fans and solar panels provide only 27% of the power on the Texas grid – not enough to make the power grid fail.  More likely, the grid failed because people with political and economic power and those with expertise failed to use their attributes and skills to change what was needed. 

3)3)    the primary fall guy might be the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), an independent organization that operates Texas' power grid, with some legislative oversight.  "This was a total failure by ERCOT," said Governor Abbott early on. "These are the experts. These are engineers in the power industry. These aren't bureaucrats or whatever the case may be. These are specialists, and government has to rely on these specialists to be able to deliver in these types of situations."

4)4)    The story, as you might guess, is more complicated than that. It is rooted in Texans' views of their state as a quasi-independent country -- and a desire to have as little federal interference in their lives as possible.    CNN's Chris Cillizza cut through the political spin and told us what is worth knowing. He claims one must go back to 1935 when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Federal Power Act, which governed electricity sharing and sales between the states. Basically, it allowed the federal government to regulate states who brought power in from outside their state lines. 

“Texas, never a fan of federal intrusion, set up its own power grid system -- split between northern and southern Texas -- to avoid any federal involvement. That led eventually to the formation of ERCOT in 1970 and this strange fact: there are three power grids in the United States -- the eastern power grid, the western power grid and, well, Texas.”  Yes, Texas has its own power grid.

“And while being independent from the yoke of federal regulation has always been a point of pride for Texas, the limits of that strategy are being realized.  Because Texas -- or at least 90% of the state -- is controlled by ERCOT, they can't simply borrow power from either the eastern or western power grids. That's never been a problem before because Texas has always been able to generate more power than its citizens need. But the reality is that Texas is an electricity island, which isn't a problem until the lights go out, and you don't have enough power in the state to turn them back on.

“Now, there's no question that ERCOT bears blame here. When your only job is to manage a power grid and that power grid fails miserably, that's a big problem.”

The aftermath brought outrageous bills for power distribution, and equally outrageous losses -- like agriculture being affected and supply lines being broken – plus the realization that many agencies were simply unprepared for such a catastrophic event.

In response, Texas Governor Abbott decided to do something to distract everyone to some degree from the realities of the aftermath of the storm.  He called for opening all of Texas and removal of COVID restrictions on businesses and other endeavors.

In addition, we now know that weather crises in 1990 and again in 2011 brought forth criticism of the current grid with suggestions for improvements that were never fully implemented.  And, in fact, the Commission gave permission to individual power producers to attend to structure repairs and improvements as they saw fit, so some never attempted to fix what was even then considered to be inadequate.  So much for de-regulation and the mistaken belief that companies will regulate, evaluate, and correct themselves.  

Government regulation is absolutely necessary if we are to check private business raising prices in a crisis; failing to prepare for winterizing equipment;  and leaving it all up to businesses to decide what is best for consumers.  The Texas debacle is one more clear demonstration that lack of rules and regulations, along with lack of innovation, leads inevitably down a path to destruction.

All of which begs at least two questions:   WHO IS IN CHARGE?  and HOW DID THEY REACH THAT POSITION? ( or, WHO PUT THEM THERE?)  The answers to those two questions involve the voters and perhaps, a different kind of blame. 

Who we elect is crucial; what they say is crucial; what they do, or don’t do, is critical.  A thorough analysis of candidates, and informed voting is essential but so is the need to put some ‘sting’ in federal election laws to make it unprofitable for the private or public sector to serve their own interests rather than the general interest or welfare.  We must have laws that  seriously penalize anti-voting or voting limitations

There is still something more fundamental than the fact that a considerable part of the blame for this situation must fall finally on the Texas voters and citizens. A share of blame for government failures must be borne by all who elect incompetent, unprepared and unqualified public officials.  This blame goes far beyond Texas to the fact that voters and citizens throughout this nation are ultimately responsible for:

1.     Who and what they believe,

2.     For whom and for what they vote;

3.     Whether they vote at all;

4.     Whether they hold public officials accountable for their political actions (and personal behaviors) after voting for them;

5.     Whether the officeholders  deserve to be re-elected based on their record

And HERE’S THE KICKER:

6.     Whether the voters, as the ultimate defenders and protectors of our Constitution and its provisions, are making sure that government at every level is protected from takeover by private groups, businesses, organizations, corporations, forces, that threaten its essence and its functions.                                                                                                                                                                                                              

It must also be said that the Insurrection of January 6, 2021, and the unpreparedness of Texas officials and administrators for the February winter storm are of a piece, and they connect with each other through the gateway of unregulated commerce and fiscal/economic ideologies that fail to uphold, and too often conflict with, our fundamental democratic ideals.  

Shamefully, we have an unexamined history of giving ourselves over to forces that appear to enhance or to affirm our fundamental values and ideals, but when examined deeply often reveal themselves for what they are: undemocratic, divisive forces that have gained control of our systems and our policies, attacking and corrupting our democratic values with propaganda and misinformation and becoming the controllers and directors of destruction (or “de-construction”) of our system of governing.

This opens a topic so broad that it would take at least one book probably more, to study the subject in depth.  Luckily, others have already taken on that task, like Malcolm Nance in : “The Plot to Destroy Democracy”, or “The System” by Robert Reich, or “Donald Trump vs. the United States” by Michael Schmidt, to name a few.

My simpler purpose today is to briefly examine the fault lines we have opened both with the attack upon the Capitol and the debacle that has occurred as the result of the Texas winter storm. 

 JAN                                               UARY 6, 2021 --  here are some of my thoughts as to underlying causes and voter responsibility.  Fault lines include:

·       White supremacy, male domination, racial superiority tied up together in the enduring fantasy that, not only should an elite white group rule this country, but that they are best suited to rule the world via a culture that they claim has proven its superiority

·       Strong angry white men (with subservient supportive women) are their key to progress.  “Inferior beings”  such as non-whites, and those with ‘defects’ such as disability, age, poor health – are in danger of segregation or permanent removal from their kind of ‘ordered’ society

·       A strong leader who epitomizes the racial characteristics of the national movement, and who uses the powers of his office to fulfill his destiny leads with absolute authority; the mission of the people is to install him as their Supreme Leader (Fuhrer) and to worship his greatness;

·       Violence and militaristic enforcement are acceptable means of controlling and ordering their society so they can then fulfill its destiny as a superior nation;

These fault lines have been around since our nation’s founding and long before.  They mark much more of a ruling/governing  ideology – including ‘divine right’ of kings and despots – that have guided governments in all parts of the world.

As historian Jon Meacham reminds us, the European, mostly English, settlers who came to our shores in the early days of Jamestown (1603), (then to Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay) came based on dreams of “God and Gold (not necessarily in that order) and started conquering native peoples almost immediately calling them ‘heathens’ and ‘savages’ and ‘lesser beings’ and disguising their ‘capture’ as ‘missionary’ or ‘saving work.’   The 1606 document that authorized the founding of Jamestown talked about carrying religion to “such people as yet live in darkness and miserable ignorance of the true…God.”  But most of the words of the charter concerned the taking  of “all the lands, woods, soil, grounds, havens ports, rivers, mines, minerals, marshes, waters, fishings, commodities” as well as orders to search for all manner of mines of gold, silver and copper.”  Dissenters came seeking freedom of worship; some of them came with dreams of riches, and those fundamental contradictions have always been with us, and always will.  Both have similar origins in sacred religious writings, and both are touted as justifications for abuses that arose from both economics and religiosity.  

In 1619, a Dutch ‘man of war’ brought about twenty captive Africans to Virginia and so began the American tragedy of human slavery.  Earlier European settlers had already set about removing Native American populations “setting in motion a tragic chain of events that culminated in the in famous Trail of Tears.”

From our earliest beginnings, European Americans built and dreamed and worshipped with pride in their expansion of liberties while subjugating and exploiting people of color.  So it was then; so it is now.

As Meacham rightly points out, the American struggle is not just between political parties or left and right on some ideological chart, but a constant struggle between the ’better angels’ and the darker impulses of our soul, both individual and societal; between good and evil; the light and darkness.  “Belief in the existence of an imminent collection of convictions, dispositions, and sensitivities that shape character and inform conduct is ancient and perennial.”

Further: “there is a significant difference between professing adherence to a set of beliefs and acting upon them.  The war between what’s right and what’s convenient, between the larger good and personal interest is the contest that unfolds in the soul of every American.”

 When the slavery of Africans entered the picture, white supremacy led this nation on a path from which it has never fully recovered.

The attack on the Capitol was more than Republican Rightists vs. Democratic Leftists – a not fully accurate description in any case.  No, this was an organized mob bent on controlling and separating “others;” an attitude and force that has been hanging around from our beginnings.  

A negative view of government is not new.  The division of peoples into class structures is not new; the emergence of some degree of rebellion amongst the merchant and working classes is not a one-time occurrence.  The subjugation of native peoples and the slavery of one race to another was also not unknown in human history but was incongruous in a colony/nation professing democratic ideals even in its early days. The fact that slavery brought riches to a land-owning class, and subjugation of native Americans brought the necessary commodity of more land along with agricultural development, use of fossil fuels and mining of precious minerals, and mercantile development provided plenty of reason to politicize, economize and capitalize on those elements. 

When capitalism began its inevitable journey toward legitimizing and ideologizing its “principles” as the bedrock of what makes us all tick, something was lost that has never been reclaimed: the truth about the flaws inherent in our system of governance and our development of anti-democratic approaches to human rights and welfare despite our principled Constitution.

We  are victims of our past --of our history—as well as perpetrators of the worst fears of many of our Founders: that we are so captured by the flaws and exigencies of human nature (and by more recent manufactured myths of superiority, exceptionalism, and uniqueness) that our very future hangs in the balance.

Here are some of those contrasting values that I first mentioned in my blog post of 4/15/2017:

CAPITALISM ESPOUSES:

PROFIT as the overriding concern; 

MONETARY SUCCESS as its major goal

Uses & manipulates all aspects of operations for profit;

Abhors regulations and rules that may thwart that aim

Treats Labor as an expendable commodity; as part of a profit-making formula that is adjustable to produce most efficient outcomes

Its Mission: to acquire money, property, and status

Sees consumers as targets of manipulation, having few rights; always blamed as causes of product failures;

Often places material success and acquisitions above Law

Believes people are endowed with privileges based on status

 DEMOCRACY ESPOUSES CONTRASTING PRINCIPLES:

Equal opportunity to pursue Life, Liberty, and Happiness                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Utilizes legislative process to make laws and provide solutions that protect and defend the People and the nation;

Uses system of checks and balances to prevent manipulation and corruption of that system;

Provides opportunities, incentives, and benefits for the well-being of all, including public safety, education, and healthcare among others;

Treats people as sovereign, possessing equal rights under law;                                                                                                

Its Mission: to seek liberty and justice for all people, not to enhance government authority                                                                                                                                

Its Motive: enhancement of the people’s rights, dignity, equality, opportunities, and welfare                                                                                                               

Empathizes a balance between liberty and responsibility;                                                                                                               Regulates society to enhance life not to control it;                                                                                                                           

Encourages love of country; shown by taking mutual responsibility for maintaining ideals and freedoms for the well-being (welfare) of all;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Believes in the primacy of just Laws over and above the desires and status of any one individual or group;  

Believes people are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

 

It is my firm belief that the Republican Trumpian Party embodies the seeds of destruction for our constitutional democracy.  My fear is also that the “build back better” operating slogan of the Biden-Harris administration may look like basic change but may simply restore a flawed ’normalcy’ that misses the main point. We must have principles we adhere to that constantly support the fundamental efficacy and reformative values of equal opportunity, equal justice under law, and protected freedoms and rights due every citizen and person living under our aegis. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             We have precious little time left to practice a principled democracy that puts the people’s will and well-being as first priority.  Let us start right now by halting practices like continuing wars that have already lasted for 23 years, police brutality, gun violence, child abuse, homelessness, and the systemic caste-like treatment of people of color, voter limitation and intimidation, to mention just a few fundamentals that must not be ground to bits in the political meat-grinder of partisan legislative bickering, avoidance, and ideological window-dressing.  Let us prepare for 2022 and vote as if our lives depended on that vote.

Just as planetary destruction is staring us in the face, the future is not going to accommodate our fault lines or our flaws or our commitment to ideological blather. 

We must act responsibly, and we should start with the involvement and emerging leadership of newer generations.  It is time to bring younger people into leadership roles wherever and whenever we can – in churches, on school boards, in non-profit organizations, on city councils, in coalitions for community development, on boards of directors, in any way they can begin to be heard, become leaders, change the look and functioning of every flawed system that serves principles and interests that benefit the few over the many.  Experience of older folks is useful and informative, but the future is now, and we must not ignore or hide that reality with white hair and unsteady gait. As one who, until mid-2020, was active in a progressive organization, involved in all aspects of protest, public education, and support for progressive solutions to societal issues and problems, I am not opposed to those of greater age being integrally involved in social and political questions.  What I am prepared to criticize is the lack of support and encouragement of younger persons in their efforts to enter the arena with new ideas for reform and progress.

Why?  Well, here are some statistics that speak to the current  population of this nation, Published by Statista Research Department, Jan 20, 2021: 

 The estimated population of the U.S. was approximately 328.2 million in 2019, and the largest age group was adults aged 25 to 29. There were twelve million males in this age category and around 11.5 million females. The United States Constitution requires Senators to be at least 30 years of age.  As of March 1, 2021, 5 senators are in their 80s, 18 are in their 70s, 32 are in their 60s, 30 are in their 50s, 14 are in their 40s, and 1 is in his 30s.

In the House, 1/3 of Representatives over 60 represent districts with a median age of 35 or less. There are 44 congressional districts in which the age of the Representative is more than double the median age of their constituents. Of these 44 Representatives, 38 won their last election by more than 60% of the vote.

 

Candidates for Congress must be 25 years old to run for a seat in the House of Representatives but the median age currently among House members ticked up slightly to 58.9. The average age of the entire 117th Congress is 59 years old, and the median is 60 years old. This is much higher than the median age of 38 years in the United States in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

 

Why not make it part of our mission to suggest, encourage and support youth participation in our continuing constitutional experiment?  Likewise, we need a broader representation from people of color and from women.

 

In other words, we need to be preparing a pipeline/supply line of a different sort than for water or electric power.  We need to get younger people into offices all the way along a local to national continuum.  We cannot do that without a concentrated effort by activist groups and individuals to ‘vet’ candidates for all public offices. In that process, it would be important to ask some questions about age, background, and                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           policy proposals of candidates before offering any support.

 

Finally, I think what must be said is that voters have the final say and to treat that responsibility with any form of disregard or disrespect is to align oneself with the anti-democratic forces attacking our form of government from within.  How do people like Ted Cruz, Governor Abbott, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Jim Jordan, and Josh Hawley and hundreds more get into office in the first place, and then get re-elected forever?  There are two answers that complement each other:  private money and uninformed or propagandized voters.  Combine them and we are saddled with people who should never ever be elected to public office. Still, voters elect them no matter how corrupt, ignorant, negatively ideological, or downright anti-democratic they may be. 

 

There is no one left to blame but those who keep returning persons to office no matter how unethical, unqualified, unlearned, or uncaring they may have demonstrated themselves to be.  Elections have consequences and the Texas debacle, and the Insurrection at the Capitol are salvos in the war that is now raging for the soul of this nation.  This is not “politics as usual.”  This is the end game for our form of government. 

 

Voters who fail to act responsibly in this context will reap the consequences of anarchy.  Elections do have consequences when officials can’t lead, don’t care as much for the people’s welfare as their own, and who take advantage of their office to enhance their worth and their personal power and status.

   

Democrats and Progressives have got to get toughened up and ready to do battle over real changes with real “sting” in the laws they create for those who attempt to overthrow our democracy or to denigrate our ideals.

 

We should have neither time nor space for those who demonstrate their disregard for our Constitution our laws, and our ideals.  So, let us stop electing:

Ø  liars and conspiracy theorists who have led us to the brink of nihilism where knowing nothing of truth is touted as a “normal” state of being

 

Ø  those who regard government as the enemy of the people and therefore fail to use the powers of government to help people and their community’s flourish

Ø  men and women who cast their lot with special interests that override duty to constituents

Ø  anyone who has no record of service to people; and inadequate or no plans for what they can do for others once in office 

Ø  those who offer nothing but negative criticisms about our ‘culture’ and our institutions

Ø  those who want to inflict upon society their religious beliefs, doctrines, practices, or rituals

Ø  those who stand to gain monetarily from their elected position; and those who have not complied with rules governing income revelations, nepotism, illegal insider trading or paying taxes

Ø  anyone who abuses children by budgetary or governmental policy

Ø  anyone who acts to punish or to destroy a rival, opponent, or challenger

Ø  anyone who intends to limit our cherished freedoms, and those who always put individual conscience, belief, or misinformation before society’s equal need for justice, fairness, and creative solutions to vexing problems

Ø  those who claim to have all the answers but who have no experience with making government work for the people

Ø  those who want absolute authority in any area; or who ignore the importance of checks and balances to our form of governance

Ø  people who brainwash, threaten, or intimidate others to produce gains for themselves

Ø  someone who does not meet all the qualifications or requirements for the position they seek

 

Time is running out.  Our governing system cries out for real reformation to do the people’s work but elected officials of one Party corrupted by Trump answer with strange concoctions ranging from Mrs. Potato Head to Dr. Seuss; with ways to stop or delay votes needed to rescue a society from a pandemic and its concomitant effects – a mortally injured economy and job market. And that Party persists in its destruction of democracy, mainly by means of the ‘dumbing-down’ of the voting base.  The spreading of misinformation and big lies is their ticket to winning more elections by the gathering of the dumbed-down voting in elections that are flawed by the persistent limitations, restrictions, made-up rules, and districts drawn to favor them and disenfranchise the ‘others.’

 

And what do Democrats do to blunt those tactics?  They pass a voting rights bill with excellent provisions backed up by milquetoast sanctions for law-breaking. Without the sting of sanctions, states under Republican control will continue to do everything possible to bypass its provisions.

 

This is not the time for bi-partisan efforts that minimize boldness nor for compromises that denude or void reforms.  It is time to crush the anti-democratic forces with bold proposals before they can attack again with Far-Right extremism as their vanguard of destruction, mayhem, and anarchy.  This is not politics as usual – this is a battle for the soul of this nation.  Let’s get on with it.