Some people who have studied world history may wonder how Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party were able to hoodwink a whole nation into buying into a murderous dictatorship in which more than six million people, Jews and others, were systematically exterminated. This happened a little more than 70 years ago. Today, this question has been partially answered. The American government has been hijacked by a POTUS who is able to make non-discerning people believe in him utilizing emotional rhetoric. This is resulting in a Constitutional crisis and highlights a very important principle connected with government by the people – if the people are ignorant, uninformed, or influenced by emotions, they become Sheeple and can be led to the slaughter. Apparently, there is a large group of Trumpian Republicans who are blinded more by their feelings than by what would benefit the greatest number of people in America. This is why many of them, fueled by racist rage, are willing to watch as the country sinks into the abyss of bigotry and mayhem. They have become Sheeple.
One of the latest developments in which emotion played a part is the revelation that African Americans were “targeted” during the last election to vote against Hillary Clinton. With the help of social media, people were encouraged to reject her, which left more people in support of Donald Trump or others who split the vote. The Russians were supposedly behind this scheme, and they surmised that African Americans would be so gullible and easy to influence that they developed a whole initiative based on this assumption. Hillary Clinton lost. And for those who believe that Clinton would have been as bad as Trump, you are in need of discernment adjustment. Anyone who reaches the highest levels of power in America (and elsewhere) will have to become adept in the art of compromise. There is no quick fix that will satisfy everyone in the electorate. Anyone who needs our vote will have flaws, and some are more flawed than others. This is what happened between Trump and Clinton. She would have definitely been the better choice. But she was defeated by people who were not discerning and could not recognize unfair coercion and half-truths.
One of the chief aspects of clear thinking is the focus on rationale without seeing through a lens of emotion. Once emotion enters the picture clear-headedness exits. This is why so many Trump supporters are willing to embrace policies that will hurt them – their emotion-laden bigotry is blinding them. Because of this, there is NOTHING that can be said that will turn some hard-core supporters against him, even when his policies can endanger the United States and the entire planet.
The Trump administration is adept at influencing people in a similar manner that was seen in World War II Germany. Dictators are bullies: Hitler was a bully; Putin is a bully, and Trump is a bully. The power that bullies wield is emotional. Trump fires up his base by using rhetoric and trite phrases like ‘fake news” and “witch hunt.” Moreover, he has such a hold on his Republican colleagues that they are afraid to oppose him. Because of this, so far no real leadership has emerged from them. A lot of Republicans have just lost, or have given in to, the current POTUS. This is a dangerous situation, and if things don’t get better, it can get out of hand and the United States can see itself going the way that the mesmerized German state went during World War II.
It has been said that there are at least two kinds of people; those who live to serve others, and those who live to serve themselves. The latter group are usually behind the dysfunction that is evident in failed states or groups of any kind. For this reason, the most important trait that the Black community must embrace is discernment in order to distinguish between these behaviors. One leads to group success, and the other leads to group failure. No matter what happens outside of the community, if the majority of people seek to embrace that which is for the greater good, i.e., unity, no malevolent outside force will prevail. We must keep this in mind as we embark upon the New Year in America; we must not become Sheeple. With that said, HAPPY NEW YEAR! A Luta Continua.
