Thank you for sharing your insights and I share some of them. You have obviously been paying close attention to the big picture.
In order to come to grips with our current fiasco, it may be helpful to remember that there are cyclic occurrences of what we might call, times that really suck. It would be rather idealistic or utopian to ignore that.
The dynamics of life itself reveal that Taoist image of the Yin-Yang fish. They are at once simultaneous in the symbol and also chasing each other in revolutions while also containing the seed of each in the other. When we are overly idealistic, there can be an imbalance in our own interpretations and thinking if we don't intuit the reciprocal process, where it is at, and what our part is in the revolutions at any particular time. In that case, we can see, in our lives and culture the polarization that occurs, the relationship, and the dynamic tension that naturally builds up during an increasing exaggeration of the apparent separation, (and relationship) of polar opposites. Like the proverbial coin, there are two sides that are seemingly very different, but interdependent, nonetheless.
As difficult as that may be to acknowledge in the shell of our own, polarized biases, I think recognition of that dynamic and relationship is a powerful key to any strategy that might emerge in the process and to a resolution of conflict and disharmony, (which is essential in any case and regardless of the agenda); a return to homeostasis, if you will. I think we who are liberally-minded and who value knowledge, understanding and tolerance are very capable of playing that role in this crucial conflict that we are now collectively embroiled in. It may even be our duty and destiny to divine that and embody it as we proceed.
That said, we can certainly come to grips with this in a "superior" fashion regardless of how worthy or unworthy our opponent is in the struggle. Certain value judgements that we observe as stubbornly ingrained on the "other side" remind us of how biases can be a disadvantage that blurs our vision and obscures our peripheral vision like a horse wearing blinders. The more expansive and inclusive our individual views are, the more powerful and appropriate our actions and responses will be. You can count on that.
Trump has technically thrown down a gauntlet and has made references to that effect. He has provided us all with one of the greatest challenges this country has faced, in that case. Many of us are able to put aside our reactions and loathing, (even if they seem justified) enough to realize that this person is the epitome of confidence men and is highly skilled at manipulation. That is when we begin to ask ourselves if we are also being manipulated in a way that is not, at first, obvious. We would like to think that we are not at all prone to being fooled by this pompous actor and that is where the danger lies. In cults, they have methods that utilize a person's reason, intelligence and even their resistances in order to captivate and convert them; it is that subtle and insidious. To be aware of that and know you are not immune or bullet-proof in regards to how expert manipulation actually works is the first and most important shield and defense, instead of denial of that.
We are being played. Of course. This is now a reality TV show of the thought-sphere and our politics and media are The Spectacle and far more like a Simulation than an actuality. We know that Trump has had hands-on practice with that. We break the influence and grip of his enchanting illusion by seeing how his two-edge sword of influence cuts both ways. We wake up to the tactics designed to sway us, illicit emotional reactions over thoughtful responses and then, the cognitive dissonance that he injects into our reality--filled with the venom of a narcissistic, power-hungry scorpion--resolves. We have our anti-venom and the delusions that Trump has spun start to turn to mist. Our political clarity returns and our view is 20/20.
The call to arms is to bolster our resilience and bring support to each other. We can shift from the induced shock and the habitual complaints to a calmer understanding that our democracy will not stand on its own and it will be challenged, perhaps again and again, well into the future. It is us or it is not anything at all because it is always the common will of the people with the aim of the common good and not some mere ideological phantom or a familiar buzzword we are fond of. It is the reality of everyday life and has always been We the People. To have democracy and preserve it, we have always had the formula and that is vigilance and being well informed. The rest ensues from that foundational prescription and it provides the basis for what we need in order to fend off the tyrant who writes and drools at our gates right now, clawing away and pounding on the doors of democracy, ready to impose a long reign of darkness on all who fall under his rotund, obese shadow of manipulation and corruption.
We are not going to allow that, nor will we comply with it at any point. This has to be made very clear. We can't comply with anything that threatens democracy or ignore that threat because democracy is us and we are it. It may be a fragile and growing flower of truth, justice, tolerance, fairness, (and a host of many other elevated benefits) but we are the roots and the stems and the petals and the seeds and we must flourish and continue at all costs--it represents the flowering and unfolding of humanity itself and it is precious and illuminates our lives. That is how I know we can prevail in these tumultuous times and I join you all in that knowledge. It is the knowledge that brings confidence, clarity and that provides us with the kind of strength and purpose that has proven itself to be unstoppable and a bane for tyrants who try to tread upon it.
Be Well!
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