The Movement not the Man
What sort of nation shall we leave our children; not which old President do we dislike more
As the cauldron of global angst simmers apace, it appears most of us would prefer neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump be among the final choices for President of the United States in 2024. Can we vote on that? It seems we are but, if so, why are these the choices? Are ‘We the People’ no longer able to express our preferences in a meaningful way at the ballot box? If not, perhaps the principal enabling component of our system of governance would be lost, and with it, all we hold dear. No matter how objectionable the options may be, it is our sacred duty to pick one over the other. We must have a freely chosen President. Are we now so fully controlled by our non-diverse uniform-thinking monied upper class and their social media amplifiers that they alone make these decisions?
They have us at one another’s throats, piling up accusation on accusation, threat upon threat, scaring us with horrors of the unrecoverable outcome if the bad man wins the election. On both sides. I would implore you to close your eyes and try not to think of either man personally, hard as that might be. Think about your children and their children, the underlying policies, the perspectives that would most assure freedom and prosperity for their generations. These two elderly men running for President represent vastly different futures for America, though we must look deeply to see past the flaws in the humans themselves. Both men are smaller than the promise of our nation, and we do such great insult to that promise when we reduce our national referendum on leadership to mere men’s temperaments.
We should be mindful to consider what exists, not the haloed version of what we are told exists. For example, the Democrat Party of Bill Clinton and JFK is long gone; does the present Democrat Party resemble its namesake? The Republican Party is not one man asserting his will and making it his, but perhaps a man taking note of what many Americans are feeling and getting on board. America First is not a Donald Trump original, so liking Donald Trump is not a requirement for believing in America First.
Our republic is based upon ideas, not personalities
It took a large, gifted group of pioneers to create the masterpieces that are our Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. Leaving a monarchy in England behind, these gifted men inserted checks and balances into a system to prevent one person or small group from assuming control of the citizenry. The foundation of what would become the most prosperous and therefore powerful nation in the world is so far beyond the machinations of any single person. Yet that is precisely what we are being led to believe, that the pillars upholding our great republic are so fragile they risk being torn asunder by one orange-haired narcissist.
Shall we so readily reduce the idea of America, along with the sacrifices made over the centuries to preserve it? The grand idea deserves far better. A magnificent system created by a non-diverse group of wise men, yet designed to make themselves one day a minority by welcoming those from all walks, the like-minded of many lands. Those legally seeking freedom, opportunity, the rule of law and an incentive to keep what they earn. People of all races and ethnicities. The melting pot we have become is by design.
Stark choice of direction at hand
The choice ahead between two imperfect men selects one of two vastly different governing philosophies, perhaps more contrasting than ever. One promises a continuation of these last three years, while saying of his opponent, “Elect him and it will be even worse!” That seems a far cry from, “Yes we can.” But why? What different policies would be implemented that would make things deteriorate further than they have? A consensus believes we are on the wrong path now. Should we not consider different policies as an option?
Might we discuss the rationale for an open southern border, and how letting in unknowns from all over the world is a good thing for us? We can see the killings and the crimes committed by Venezuelan and other gang members spreading throughout the country, but we have not heard of the benefits to America. Why again is it a positive to have undocumented unmonitored young men seeping into the arteries of the nation? As the crime rises this summer, it will not get easier to justify. Sweden has been the most aggressively welcoming immigration destination in Europe, and they are in the process of reversing their approach, recognizing the vast societal damage taking place.
Or maybe we could discuss the relative benefits of energy independence, low energy prices, and ending reliance on adversaries for our critical energy needs. Climate change may be an issue, but can you help us understand why it’s of such urgency to purposefully drive up the cost of heating, cooling, gasoline and energy so far so quickly? This disproportionately hurts the poor, the middle class, those living paycheck to paycheck. Make the case if you want them to suffer as part of your policy.
What about enforcement of crime? Many progressive locales defunded the police, eliminated cash bail, raised the amount one can steal without committing a serious crime, and now are reaping the whirlwind of those changes. Homelessness and drug use abounds in these same places as they increasingly resemble third-world cities. We see this pendulum starting its swing back as well, demonstrated by a few recent moves installing more funding and an emerging resolve to take back the streets.
Freedom of expression has always been our greatest strength. Heck, it’s in the First Amendment. We win arguments with more arguments, not with suppressing the other’s argument. That’s Chinese-style tyranny, that’s the CCP. You silence and block and threaten with jail or with personal ruin if they do not adhere to your points of view. We are veering dangerously close to the ditch on this subject, and there is a clear distinction between the parties on freedom of expression.
An unfamiliar perspective on women’s issues
Women’s issues. Yes, there are also differences here, but perhaps not the ones you think. The media and Democrats would have us believe Republicans want to ban abortion everywhere and threaten the life and choice of every mother. Simple check box: if you are pro-choice, you vote Democrat. They say it so much that people stop thinking and accept it. The truth is the repeal of Roe v Wade simply means that each state will decide its own laws on abortion. Therefore if one has a strong view on abortion, one need be most concerned with one’s statewide elections, not national. In fact, former President Trump is very moderate on abortion, favoring its legality within a reasonable period. So let’s not pretend voting for President Trump in any way threatens women’s rights. It’s a ruse, a gaslight.
In fact, the most heinous attack on women’s rights today is the unforgivable assault on young women athletes being forced to compete against men claiming to be women. If adults wish to change their own gender, that’s vastly different from forcing young women to compete against transitioning males. For those concerned with fair treatment of women on this issue, the parties are clearly opposed. Women fought for decades for their rights in athletics, and one party seems happy to shred them.
Or perhaps Ukraine? We really have not had a good explanation of why we are draining our own resources to enforce a border between two countries so far away while ours is wide open? Why is Russia such a threat? They seem quite weak if they cannot even overrun a slight country like Ukraine. What exactly is the goal and the end game there? What does ‘winning’ mean? We have no idea.
Israel- Hamas? When was the last time we had a sober presentation from our leadership about this most combustible phase of the long-running struggle? The civilian population of Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East, is brutally butchered in the latest episode of its existential struggle. Now the Democrat Senate Majority Leader is calling for the overthrow of Israel’s duly elected Prime Minister. Shockingly, the President complemented him for a “good speech.” The two parties seem to have quite different views on the support of Israel.
The rich are doing fine, but what about everyone else?
The point is that NONE of these are being discussed as issues pertaining to our next leadership. The incumbent administration has a bully pulpit, the ability to control the media agenda, but has no interest in addressing these prominent issues. The rationale is primarily driven by the political strategy to discuss only one thing- Trump. Keep the focus on his personal negatives, do all you can to send him to jail, keep mentioning January 6, and scare everyone with stories of the bogeyman. This is the alternative to defending the present state of the simmering cauldron.
Republicans shout back about President Biden’s age, his halting speech and presentation. Those may all be factors, but the most important thing is how his policies are shepherding America, and especially middle and lower-income Americans. The rich are doing very well, in fact better than ever. Is that who the new Democrat Party represents?
Let us spend time exploring and discussing the actual ideas we choose to guide us towards the nation we wish to leave our children after we’ve gone. It’s a far more complex world than ever. Much is at stake today, and so much more than men’s personalities. Ignore the men if this is what we have, focus on the movements. The men will be gone, but the movements we take will sustain. We can move to a better place together.