I think many of us are scared to look over our shoulder, afraid of what we might see. And as more evidence of the denial we are in (IMO), here's what nobody dares say out loud: Our country is crumbling before our very eyes. And worse, violence may not be far behind.
Things are near a boiling point. For years the approval rating of Congress has been less than 10%. Republicans and Democrats will almost never sit down and find common ground. Republicans say "no" to President Obama before even hearing what he has to say, and if a President Trump is in our future, I'm sure Democrats will treat him the same.
African Americans feel they are being profiled and abused by the police, and many are quick to take to the streets. The Donald has said, and apparently many agree, that Mexicans are thieves and murderers and rapists and should be kept out by a tall wall. The threat of Islamic terrorism has us willingly (?) giving up our civil liberties. Remember the Occupy Wall Street movement?
Police are ambushed and killed somewhere almost every day. It is becoming increasingly difficult for them to protect us when they must first think of protecting themselves. There is little respect left for "law and order". "Patriots" are occupying Federal property at gunpoint in Oregon. The Second Amendment is sacred; guns are bad, blah, blah, blah. There is no tolerance, and the chasm is getting wider.
Americans don't normally think in terms of armed revolutions. Those things only happen in Argentina, Eastern Europe, and some of those far-away countries that end in "stan". We're above all that, right?
I say "don't be so sure."
"Oh Scott, you're paranoid. You watch too much TV, and you know how the media sensationalizes."
Really? I live in Ted Cruz country, where 1.2 million people voted for him just yesterday. He's brilliant and totally without scruples, I don't care how much Scripture he quotes. I'm around many of his believers every day, and I can tell you that far too many of them are pissed-off knuckle-dragging zealots. They are emblematic of the underlying anger simmering everywhere.
While it might be good politics to preach love and tolerance, it's unlikely to dissuade the guy hurling a Molotov cocktail at you or taking pot-shots at your car.
Sure, most of us just put in our 40 hours at work, watch a little TV, and coach the kids little league team. We're not the problem. But there seems to be no shortage of anger across the country, and it doesn't take many malcontents to set a few fires, randomly kill a few innocents, and intimidate the majority to send our society into a tailspin. (Then multiply by 10 when you figure in the copycats and the publicity sicko's.) That's what mobs do, and it works!
I'm just advising you to stay alert and take nothing for granted. And hope I'm wrong.
S
Scott, Thanks for posting what I have been thinking. History does repeat itself, and in 2000 all the signs were in place for the next "Guilded Age". But this could be something much uglier.
ReplyDeleteOne side thought. If everyone had their DNA done, they would realize that their ancient ancestors came from Africa. Those ancestors left for the near east and then all parts of Europe. As they moved to the colder regions of Europe their skins and features changed to adapt to the climate. IN other words, everyone has African DNA, and we are all related.
Our country has always struggled to perfect itself, and now is no exception. Yet polls tell us that two thirds of Americans are unhappy with the Federal government. Is this because things are truly that bad? Republicans and their mouthpiece FOX News have been trashing Obama for seven years and they've done a tremendous job of nullifying his achievements and enraging their constituents. The result of this rage is Donald Trump. Republican conservatives created this mess and now they'll pay a terrible price for it, as will we all.
ReplyDeleteIt constantly amazes me that anyone, ANYONE, could cast a ballot for Trump or Cruz or even Rubio. John Oliver did a tremendous job of tearing Donald Trump to shreds on his comedy show. That 20+ minute video should be shown over and over again, especially on FOX News if one of these alarmed moderate Republican billionaires could buy the time to air it.
ReplyDeleteWell, sure. The "40 hours at work, watch a little TV, and coach the kids little league team" folks are usually referred to as "innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire" when the sad stories pop up on the news.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure things are so bad as to warrant an armed revolution, but so many of us are outraged and angry all of the time, things might turn ugly anyway.
An interesting time, for sure. Even before President Obama, the 'politics of hate' were budding, but the GOP has pushed it to new levels with the first black President.
ReplyDeleteIt's been couched in every term possible except the one most accurate, which is: "He's black, he can't be president, it's not real, etc"
This President has encountered hatred never seen since FDR, who daily got death threats via the media, newspapers and the like. Signs at his events advocating lynching, a member of congress calling him a liar in a speech, all things point to a party preparing a public for the ignoring of a President because he's not like them.
Will it come to an actual uprising, revolt with guns here? I doubt it, the infrastructure, the populace, is not ready for that.
I do know the next several months will be of interest, for sure.
I'm still waiting for what the Republicans have up their sleeve...maybe choosing someone like Mitt Romney to run as an independent. Things are about to become very interesting!
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