Just about everyone now is aware that change is in the air in America. People seem to be getting meaner, as noted in the disrespectful way that some of them are ignoring laws. In traffic, speed limits are all but disregarded in many places.
Recently, in Chicago, several people got into a dispute of some type while they were visiting a well-known local bar. The altercation spilled out into the street. One of the individuals got into a vehicle while three other men were arguing in the middle of the street. The man in the vehicle sped toward the group in the middle of the street and deliberately ran right over them. Witnesses said that bodies exploded and limbs were severed in the process. Of course, the three men died.
This was an incredible situation, but it is not the only example of the irrational hatred that people are demonstrating toward one another. Another report described a situation wherein a mother was shot down in cold blood while visiting the grave of her son on the anniversary of his murder. What kind of person would commit that type of cold-blooded crime?
This wave of mean-spiritedness seems to have increased dramatically since Donald Trump’s presidency. During his time in office and afterwards, the world has turned very dark. It’s not as though things were perfect before; we’ve always had a problem with the inhumanity that people have demonstrated.
But it is escalating; this is the first time that we have experienced an actual former American president attempt to overthrow the government by spreading a grand lie that the election was stolen from him. His business establishment was recently raided by the FBI, and important documents that can compromise the safety of Americans were confiscated from the premises. Unbelievably, there are people who are angry at the FBI because of this!
The American political atmosphere has become quite toxic, with just about half of the country ready to take America into a new Dark Age. The authoritarian tenor of these times is frightening to those who are paying attention. What is also frightening is the number of people who are NOT paying attention.
This group hasn’t yet understood the threats to democracy that are on the horizon if people do not pull together to oppose them. It is obvious that the pro-Trump contingent (GOP) of the American family has no qualms about accelerating the erosion of democracy as demonstrated by the pullback of laws protecting voting and abortion rights, among others.
One of the most ridiculous aspects of this situation is the book banning ventures. Incredibly, a number of books are being banned across the country, some that have been considered classics.
A Facebook post attributed to U.S. Representative (D-NY) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Progressives group member Darla Schau titled “How To Destroy a Country” described what was seen at the entrance gate of a university in South Africa that contained the following message:
“Destroying any nation does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long-range missiles…it only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations by the students. Patients die at the hands of such doctors; buildings collapse at the hands of such engineers; money is lost at the hands of such economists and accountants; humanity dies at the hands of such religious scholars…justice is lost at the hands of such judges.”
So, what we KNOW is that our country is on a downward trajectory that can culminate in a culture of ignorance, with people controlled by the lowest rank of civility. If this happens our country will look quite different from the way it does today. The dumbing down of the population is a current reality.
On the other hand, what we DON’T KNOW is what percentage of the population will snap out of the sociopolitical doldrums in order to put the country back on a positive track.
Unfortunately, there are a number of people who compare President Biden with Donald Trump, and in spite of the sordid track record that Trump has, which finds Biden losing ground by comparison. In some places, he is actually seen as being ethically worse than Trump, and his ratings are in the proverbial toilet, which can be attributed to effective brain washing.
What we will need to quickly figure out is how to change this perception before the laggards in our population drag us down into authoritarian obliteration. A Luta Continua.
