Facing our division, elitism and government dysfunction
It is extremely disillusioning but not surprising to see the present abysmal conditions challenging our country. Factors lending to present circumstances have grown since the 1970s. Mainly, government failed to make an array of effective problem-solving decisions for the greater good of all, but progressively legislated in favor of big business and the wealthy.
Consequently, the country has declined in productivity, 145 million plus in or near poverty, increased homelessness, our education and health care systems rank poorly among progressive countries, and we are experiencing advancing climate and environmental troubles.
Additionally, the “war on drugs,” an attack on folks of color resulting in an incarceration explosion cycling folks in and out of prison added to our systemic racism problem and provided big business for penal system contractors. We are first in military spending, numbers incarcerated and being overweight. Failures to effectively address our unresolved immigration policies; health care and education struggles, economic and social inequalities; and environmental threats all lend to our present challenges. We witnessed a Republican Party manipulate, in their quest for autocratic power, using “if we repeat lies often enough, people will believe them” messages. They overtly cheat through gerrymandering, attacking voting rights and democratic integrity, obstructionism and slandering those with opposing positions without providing constitutionally legitimate solutions. Our fragmented Democratic Party has too often struggled in maintaining its “for the people” expressions during the evolving tribal war.
Despite our elusive advancements, our potential for prevailing for the greater good for our collective community; stated ideals of equality, liberty, justice for all and a government for the people by the people appears to lay waste in the shadows of dark hypocrisies, lies, elitism, greed and erected failures. So, it is understandable that folks feel increasingly disregarded, overstressed, misinformed, fearful and even given up as citizens.
We have too many folks supporting deceitful talking heads who do little to nothing for them. Unfortunately, these conditions increase the effectiveness of those in power for using subversive manipulative techniques for programming and controlling masses. The intentional cultivation of these oppressive conditions nurtures our evolving divisions, systemic dysfunctions and suppress the united majority voices for the collective good while protecting elitist wealth and power. The power of the people has become inadequately utilized while the voices of truth and sensibility are devalued and weakened. The arrogance of our for-profit-only capitalist culture that enriches a few has subverted our government, resulting in fading opportunities for a healthy sense of contentment, well-being, equality, justice and liberty for all.
What is maddening is that we live in a time when it is possible for basic resources (food, water, affordable housing, health care, beneficial education, etc.) to be equitably available to all. However, those age-old traits of greed and selfish autocrats still powerfully undermine our human condition while manifesting the cancerous systemic consequences we are experiencing. For the spiritually minded, consider sin begins when one places oneself as superior to others.
In pursuing effective solutions, we must seek truths, facts! How do we successfully solve our problems if we don’t honestly acknowledge the contributing factors? The ongoing suppression of teaching and reporting truths, including the dark aspects of our history harms us. How can we be justly represented when so much money is involved in campaigning and lobbying, thus jeopardizing the integrity of our representation? Have we, the people, adequately confronted the constitutional accountability of our representatives? We need to promote honest empathic conversation about all of our successes and failures in guiding our decisions toward resolving our present ills. This may be idealistic rational thinking, but failure to do so will prolong the cancer of our troubles. Our better potential is witnessed in unselfish responses to destructive storms and fires, altruistic folks who rally daily to help the less fortunate and the minority of representatives fighting the good fight for all. The news media could better serve us by providing equal focus on factual good and bad news to enhance a more accurate perspective about our world. Recognize, that all human beings share 99 percent of the same DNA and have more similarities than differences. Freedom is not a right to do anything I want while disregarding the rights and wellbeing of others. Rules are necessary and should fairly benefit and protect us all. The elimination of nonfactual social media information and dark subliminal commercial messaging that promote human hierarchies and misinformation about who we are is essential.