Sometimes it takes getting to rock bottom before we wake up. An inevitable crash, before we can rise up stronger. There are so many things about America I value, and its ideals resonate with me; even if its practice doesn’t always.
The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; rings true universally. As human beings, for me, our foremost drive is to self actualize. Our government then is in place to provide the ground for us to do so, if we so choose.
Though as citizens of the world we may not intrinsically have an interest in US politics; over the last century the US has been hard to ignore. It has positioned itself as a world leader in most diplomatic forays, and has attempted to shape much of Earth to its design.
Having over eight hundred bases across the world, what happens in America; clearly doesn’t stay in America. What happens there, reverberates globally on a practical level and even in its example. For a long time, and arguably still, America has been the vanguard for a successful democracy.
Over the last several years, like politicians worldwide, American leaders have spoken about beautiful things. They have made promises, and most of them have gone unkept. The words, “yes we can” ring in my ears; but what did he actually do?
The first African American president may have served as a symbol of how a black man has risen up, in what fifty years ago may have been impossible there. It’s true, this is a big achievement. Mr Obama is quite a motivation, and a role model. That aspect I would never take away from him.
As a President though, he served to oversee a number of negative acts and turned his back on promises that he made to Americans. One of the negative aspects of his presidency was his disregard for whistleblowers. He campaigned on a platform of government transparency, but when it came down to it did not protect individuals who stepped forward.
Some names that attempted to bring light to what they viewed as maladaptive activity were Thomas Drake, Shamai Leibowitz, Chelsea Manning, James Hitselberger, and Edward Snowden. Rather than being protected, they were persecuted in different ways.
Obama in his term as presidency had supermajority in legislature for his first two years in office. During that time he failed to offer universal healthcare or raise the minimum wage. He had run on the idea that he represented the working class of America, but in reality did far less for them than he could have.
He funded a radical brand of Islam in the state of Saudi Arabia, and he supported Israeli oppression by providing them more than 38 billion dollars and weapons during his term. Drone strikes were rampant, and interventionist military activity only increased under Obama.
He did many good things too, but mostly the United States continued along its course. You may not have seen islamophobia, racism, or misogyny as much in public or in his speeches; but it didn’t just disappear.
It is very much present under the surface, along with the subjugation of middle and lower class America. The language he used was florid, but the neglected change that America truly needs is as it is. Ignored, it continues to damage in silence.
The first step to meaningful improvement in the land of the free, is to bring things to awareness. Keeping them below the surface and focusing on ancillary and often distracting issues will only prolong agony.
Voting for Biden may reduce internal rhetoric, improve access to a lower standard of healthcare, and bolster the right to choose. Alongside it would expand America’s imperialism, increase taxes and government dominion, and not materially do much for the majority of American’s it claims to serve.
Both Trump and Biden bring a set of pros and cons, but the reality is that both likely won’t do much. The ship will sail in the direction it is sailing, the captain will only use different words. Things will remain on a particular trajectory until the people themselves are ready for and demand change.
Biden will likely make American’s feel listened to, and that he is trying; but at the end of his four years will realistically have not changed much. Black men will continue to be targeted by the police, women will continue to be treated as second class citizens, and Muslims will continue to be the communists of the 21st century. Till people say enough is enough; America will not change.
Donald Trump is a great US President, not because his policies are good or that he brought the country together. In my lifetime I have never seen America as polarized or as broken.
The reality is though, America was always this broken, but even they didn’t see it. Donald Trump increased the temperature and split people more decisively along sectarian lines.
These don’t sound like good things, but sometimes they are also necessary things as a country reflects on itself. As it can see its cracks can it truly heal them. Not heal them through politics, but through the people’s voice and will.
When things are just not acceptable anymore, will politicians change the course of their ship. Otherwise circumstances will remain as business as usual. Why would someone change a formula that works? Specially when the people who are financing it on both sides, continue to reap benefits.
We need movements like Black Lives matter to speak out about the atrocities done to the African American community. We need Feminists to come out and say that they have had enough of subjugation. We need the economically oppressed to take a stand against eroding opportunities and demand their right to a meaningful pursuit at a good life.
No politician is going to give you that, and will likely just give you a lollipop to stop crying. The people must demand the change, and no people will demand it until there is discomfort.
A politician with good rhetoric, but no accountability is like date rape. You may wake up thinking it was all a bad dream, drugged, numb and senseless. It still hurts, but your doubt about what happened may leave you without action. “He seemed like such a good guy”.
On the other hand, a divisive politician, causes felt rancor and pain. You know exactly what is happening, and maybe you can even do something about it. I could describe this in harsher terminology, but the people who are living through its effects can do so for themselves.
Both are clearly difficult paths, but I no longer see American politicians serving real Americans. Bernie Sanders may have arguably been one of a handful of people that are the exceptions, yet American’s did not have the awareness to choose someone like him. They continue to choose presidents who are self serving while throwing scraps and hope to people.
It’s like that in America, and it’s like that in most countries of the world. In place of choosing real change (the gold standard of choices), the second best option is not to choose a mirage. I feel four more years of Trump would have allowed America to hit an existential rock bottom.
Forcibly wakened to the negativity that has been going on for far too long, they could do something about it. I am unafraid of what breaking means for America or even the world, because as much as I’ve seen bad politicians, I have also witnessed the resiliency of Americans.
The outcome of this election, should not have been about policy; but rather about shattering the mask American’s have worn towards themselves and the world. It is time for them to see their truth. It is the only way they can be dependable for themselves and for those they have an impact over.
The longer things go on without change; we will see the slow demise of a country that still has much good left to offer. Their own unhealed internal misalignment will tear them apart and meaningful improvement will be years and years away if at all.
Politicians will spout beautiful rhetoric, and people will become more marginalized across the spectrum. By breaking can Americans come back together as human beings with a more accountable social contract.
No politician will give you that. When the people wake up from this deep deep slumber; they will demand it.
~Frumi
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