A large segment of the American voting class has drifted to gullibility. They accept half-truths and outright lies, seemingly on a daily basis. They quickly give up on our laws. They adopt a false premise that their opponents are guilty of law breaking, without facts or evidence to prove their point. Many rumors are regularly embraced as truth. It is now a great political windfall for dishonest autocrats to foment untruths. Feed your followers lie after lie and watch their audience grow and then send you political donations. Democracies fail just as often from within as from outside invasions.
The division, the disinformation, the stark nature of the political discourse, the questioning of school teaching content and libraries, the conspiracy theories, and the mayhem caused by the gun toting public is extremely painful to observe.
Then contrast the above with facts and evidence that America is on a positive economic track. Employment is breaking records and unemployment has never been lower. Our economy is rolling with vision and purpose. Our windmills and solar panels have impacted the cost of coal, which is now more expensive than those two sources of energy. Domestic manufacturing is on the rise. Our foreign policies have strengthened NATO and Southeast Asia. We continue to support Ukraine because of our duty to protect the free world from dictators.
So now what gives with all the division and hate on radio, television and the internet? Good economic news should bring harmony and peace to the country. Now some say we have never been closer to despotism. Autocrats, locally and federally, seem to be blinding their followers from seeing reality and are ready to lead us into an abyss of “dumbed down” disinformation by disguising the truth in our midst. In fact in way too many political circles, truth is now simply suggested as just another political opinion. Truth is always tested on the scaffold and subject to relentless negativity. Now in the political arena, lies told by many are not even contested. Lies can bring profit and power because cynicism sells. Easy answers sell, false equivalency sells, the promotion of quick and easy answers appeals to many of the voters.
Why is this happening? IT’S THE PEOPLE, STUPID! A large segment of the American voting class has drifted to gullibility. They accept half-truths and outright lies, seemingly on a daily basis. They quickly give up on our laws. They adopt a false premise that their opponents are guilty of law breaking, without facts or evidence to prove their point. Many rumors are regularly embraced as truth. It is now a great political windfall for dishonest autocrats to foment untruths. Feed your followers lie after lie and watch their audience grow and then send you political donations. Democracies fail just as often from within as from outside invasions. Easier and easier answers go untested. Deception in the form of fried bologna becomes accepted as if it's a good cut of beef.
History seems to be repeating itself as we look back at 1940 and 1941, when many political circles were telling the voter not to get involved in foreign wars, especially against the Axis powers. President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill were accused of attempting to bring America into the war. Many, many Americans were indifferent to the threat of Japan or Germany. Politicians harped on the voter to reject all foreign involvement. They said, “Keep America great and keep us away from foreign entanglements.”
After Pearl Harbor and then Germany declaring war on the U.S., we became deeply involved in World War II. Those folks who wanted to keep us from wars owned up to the truth and almost overnight became loyal Americans, willing to fight vigorously for the freedom of their country. Many facets of society worked 24/7 and invested in war bonds to bring about a victory over Japan and Germany in less than 4 years.
So what is the lesson here? I think the lesson is give truth what it deserves in the political arena. Climate change is not a hoax, Ukraine is worthy of our support. Schools and libraries should not be politically and randomly attacked. Bigotry in every form should be rejected in the United States as stupid and too costly.
We must enter the era of good stewardship toward Mother Nature and all the flora and fauna. We have all the scientific knowledge needed to reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere. We must get the 420 ppm of CO2 reduced below 375 ppm quickly. We can do it; as we only lack the love and devotion to our children. They deserve us to give them a safe environment.
A unified purpose calls us loudly to save the most unique rock in the Universe. Push aside those who use the term hoax when describing climate change, because facts and evidence are becoming overwhelming daily.
We have a job to do, just as we did in World War II. The entire world still looks for moral guidance and vision from the United States of America. They will follow us, if we lead. Our children and grandchildren are more than worth the effort. Without a vision, the people perish. Now is the most appropriate time in mankind’s history on earth to fulfill that vision. Let us vigorously do our duty for God and the entire natural world.
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