This post has taken me a while to write simply, because there is so much going on in the world today and I am trying to make so much sense out of all the information available. America has always presented itself as a country representing good versus evil. A country with high Christain values and a democracy supported by the people with freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. During the 21st century we have allowed our political landscape to be polarized by one major individual, Donald Trump, and also by extreme liberal ideas pushed by several individuals in the Democratic party. The Republicans, who are conservative by doctrine are being controlled by what I consider an immoral, narcistic, and a manipulative individual. This is a person who after losing an election refused to accept the loss and actually incited a riot and insurrection on the United States capital!
While many support him because they feel that he is highly intelligent and a great businessman, if you study him, you will see the false facade that has been created. He has obtained wealth, but usually through the loss of others, while others go to church on Sundays, he plays golf. Does anyone even know what faith he claims to be. He is the first person to use profanity regularly as the leader of our nation. Not a great example for our people or others looking towards us leadership. He has established himself as a crime boss with those in other positions (The Department of Justice, Homeland Security, FBI), set to do his bidding of persecuting anyone who speaks out against him or his policies, past and present. He is a multiple convicted felon, as his record will show and not a great deal maker or businessman, as his bankruptcies and international agreement failures demonstrate. This is all in the name of America first.
With this being said, I am not a Trump hater. I just think that America has been conned and at the same time shown some of its real colors. America has always been a country that the founders "wanted" to work towards equal justice and liberty for all but has never had that. Those white Europeans who first came to American took land from the indigenous people already here. When they could not enslave them, they started the slave trade from the Caribbean and Africa. They have never considered black people as human at first, nor equal later. As Black and brown populations have grown the fear of losing this power is in play in all levels of society.
The Democrats have been labeled as the party of liberals. They speak of taking care of the common man and giving everyone a fair shot at achieving the American dream of equal justice and the achievement of God given inalienable rights. However, they have a major group which is looking for the unobtainable. This Navana where the government provides everything the people need, because as a whole they can do it better than the states and private capitalism can. This is pretty much what is perceived as Socialism or Marxism. Both of which are contrary to our democratic system of capitalism and democracy.
After reading books about views of both parties, I had to look at myself. I have always voted Democrat feeling that the policies and laws they promoted where more in line with my needs and situation, including things like civil rights, health care and assistance for the poor, regulations for industries, and environmental protections. I felt that the Republican party was more involved in promoting business and capitalism for the rich, versus the ordinary citizen. They talked about conservative spending, but always ran up the budget deficit, particularly with their trickle-down economics, which never seemed to work. Once more we have a Republican destroying our economy with the promise of tariffs, bringing in billions (at no cost to us?) and bringing down inflation. His idea of Making America Great Again is to return to the days of white supremacy, limited diversity or inclusion, removal of immigrants, tax breaks for the wealthy (which won't trickle down), and control of international trade (good luck with that).
I am what I call a moderate. I believe in conservatism when it comes to spending and the government. I think we as a country should strive to have a balanced budget which will allow for our most important priorities. I believe our government has gotten too big and could be reduced, but the way that Trump and the republicans are going about it is wrong. You would think that those that we sent to congress could go through the departments in a reasonable manner and collectively look at areas to reduce staff and improve productivity. Surely just closing departments, firing well educated and experience employees, and placing those people with limited expertise into high positions just because they are loyal to you is not the way to go. Clearly, we are at the point where both sides are dug in and unwilling to compromise on anything. They continue to try and gerrymandering the voting process to their advantage for complete domination.
I think that the issue at the Southern border need addressing, but once again the whole immigration issue has been mishandled by both parties. Improving the system and moving money to improve the court system, the tracking systems, and the actual process of becoming a US citizen. The fact that I.C.E. is now a Defacto police agency under the control of the President is similar to the laws that were established to round up runaway slaves. If we were to go after the major criminals' immigrants in our country, I would definitely be in support providing funding. However, they are racially profiling all black and brown people, regardless of their status, age, or criminal background. It is clear that Trump wants all non-white people who were not born here to be deported, and he is even after the constitutional amendment that says if you were born here, you are an American citizen. What is occurring remind me of the history lessons I have read and experienced regarding the fall of great civilizations and other democracies. Watching some US news casts without captions look just like the actions that have been occurring around the world where democracies have failed. Both parties claim that they are fighting against an existentialist threat to democracy. Only time will tell who is right.
I will continue to see both sides of arguments but as a Christain, I have to stay withing my own moral values and compass as I do so. As I look forward, I cannot see a future where our democracy survives what's ahead. I would like to be optimistic, but the number of people that are representing moderates like me are dwindling. The quality of people who are currently in our government is not encouraging. The coming of AI into our society and the aspect of war in various parts of the world cannot be overlooked either. All I can ask is God bless America, please.
