Moving On

Here’s the challenge today. How does America move energetically into the future with a guy like Trump as President?

Good question. For 8 years the nation weathered the Bush/Cheney administration. Weathered it not well: two wars unpaid for ($Trillions); weapons of mass destruction not found and a crafted lie to go to war; deregulated banking and investment banking industry resulting in the largest economic collapse since the Great Depression of 1929; a trillion dollar buy out of the banking debacle; expansion of the military with massive privatization of military vendors; gutting of the Foreign Service through demoralizing international missteps; huge collapse of the real estate industry; enormous loss of jobs to foreign nations eager to soak up our industries; underfunding higher education with the consequent loss of technology for American competitiveness; gutting of new energy initiatives resulting in shoring up greedy oil markets and ignoring solar, nuclear, wind and new physics energy sources.

Then the nation weathered 8 years under Obama who had the nasty task of correcting the disasters outlined above experienced during and because of the Bush years. Many haters of Obama will claim they weathered the tyranny of Obama for 8 years, but then their economy came back – slowly but with a solid platform for future gains – and unemployment dropped, energy supplies grew, new technology for new energy expanded, education rebounded with research and development to support massive improvements in manufacturing and labor productivity. America became more competitive on world markets. Foreign relations were repaired in spite of ugly Middle East wars and upheaval caused by the Bush misadventures. And no, tyranny was never a part of the Obama experience!

If we can survive the past 16 years of ugly, uncivil discourse, then I think we can survive the ugly years ahead of us during Trump’s reign. And make no mistake about it, Trump intends to make this a ‘reign’. Whether of revenge, remorse or repair remains to be seen.

Meanwhile we will wait with bated breath whether America’s reputation will collapse under homophobia, misogyny, racism or xenophobia. All four are hideous and ugly to think about, let alone live through. Surely the checks and balances of our system of government will preclude this happening? But if it does, maybe – just maybe – Americans will be awakened to their better instincts and historical character and refute bigotry and anti-intellectualism of poorly developed minds and characters we are currently suffering.

When raw power is wielded in America we react. Governance involves influencing desired outcomes by persuasion and policy not raw power. Nazi Germany was the icon of raw power government. Americans will reject that if anything like it is attempted here. I firmly believe that.

To support my belief all citizens are called upon to stand up for their beliefs and principles when and as they are called upon to do so. Sitting down and laying back like 48% of eligible voters did in this last election will not work. That 48% set up the perfect storm for a very small minority of Green Party and Independent Party voters to skew the election in Trump’s favor.

Rather than playing games to tear down Hillary, Republicans should have worked harder to find a better candidate to represent their views. Because they didn’t, we got stuck with Trump who beat a reviled Hillary. Make no mistake about this: Hillary was an excellent, prepared and experienced candidate for the position of President of the United States. And she had the respect and support of international partners wanting to work with her. She was not the damaged goods so many felt obligated to agree with. The fake news, twisted news, international interference in our elections, and just plain dumb voters have created an unholy mess for us to live through.

But I am a positive soul. I think this travesty of political nonsense will create an opportunity through which we will rediscover the importance and long lasting value of the American Ideal. Working together, thinking together, and collaboratively discovering solutions to our common problems will put us back on the right track. It will not be done by Trump. He has no public policy experience at all. His advisers are wealthy toadies who will suck our American system dry for their own greedy purposes. No, it is up to the rest of us to pull the nation back on track and deliver what is good, lasting and purposeful for the common good of America.

It will take hard work on our part to bring this about. It will take each of us studying, working and discussing honestly the issues that matter and shunning the issues that do not matter. Discipline, people. That’s what it will take to bring the hope and dream of America back to a reality for each and every one of us.

We do not need white supremacy bigots to make America great again. We do not welcome misogynists, either. Nor homophobes and xenophobes. It takes all of us to make a nation great. Let the best of us shine to overcome the least among us!

December 13, 2016