I've had the idea for this post rattling around in my head for about a month now, since the last No Kings protest at the end of March. In fact, there are a number of embryonic posts percolating in my brain right now, which I take as both a good and bad sign.
Good, because despite my often stated waning hopefulness in what I interpret as the decline of America, clearly I haven't fully given up or I wouldn't bother thinking about things, or posting.
But bad because that means there is a plethora of topics that I would like to comment upon, and in general those comments tend to be less than complimentary.
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So, is it enough?
My primary reference is to the protests that have occurred, and will continue to occur as long as this administration continues to enact immoral, and just plain cruel policies.
Don't get me wrong, I prefer an electorate that assembles every once in a while to vent, to express their dissatisfaction, to commune in their mutual dislike about the direction that Trump is taking us. And, while I would also prefer that those with the most, the super rich class, would grow a spine and put America before their personal wealth, I know not to hold my breath waiting for people to reign in their selfishness when it is that very trait that has enabled them to become so rich.
So, while at least there is a faction of America that sees how Trump and his philosophy of selfishness belies our alleged Judaeo-Christian values, it seems crystal clear to me that walking around with clever signs is not going to change much.
In other words, sacrificing a few hours on a weekend is not enough if we want real change.
So, what will make a difference?
Of course, voting is a start. Remember, America does not vote in overwhelming numbers. In the last presidential election, less people voted than in 2020 as a percentage of eligible voters, although there has been an increase in voter turnout since 1988. Here is a link to some interesting info concerning the difference between Americans who are eligible to vote (Voter Eligible Population or VEP) and registered voters, and actual people who voted. As you can see if you access this link, even our best election, 2020, only resulted in 65.3% of the voter eligible people to vote. Pretty sad.
https://www.factsoverfeelings.org/pages/us-voting-data.html
The silver lining of these low numbers is that we are, as a nation, becoming more politically connected and active, but since the bar was so low coming out of the 1980's, that number is still shockingly low.
The reasons for our lack of civic responsibility require another post. Obstacles to a higher VEP are not hard to discern, and, unfortunately, we are seeing an increase in attempts to stifle voter participation, due, primarily, to Trump's big lie about voter fraud.
What is really stark from the Presidential Candidate Performance Summary which is part of the link I provided, is the actual percentage of VEP attained by each presidential candidate since 1988. I point this out to provide proof of another of Trump's many lies about elections, his oft stated "I won in a landslide" rhetoric which will often include the phrase "like no one has ever seen".
A quick check of that Summary, demonstrated that the best performance in terms of popular vote since 1988 was Bush 1 in 1988, followed by Obama in 2008, Biden in 2020, Obama again in 2012 then Bush 2 in 2004, all of whom earned over 50% of the popular vote. Of the 20 candidates listed in that chart, they are the only candidates to surpass the 50% mark. Trump's 2024 mark of 49.8% puts him 6th.
As for the percentage of VEP for those 20 candidates, only one candidate received more than 33% of the actual eligible voters, Joe Biden in 2020. In other words, all of the last ten presidents were voted for by 1/3 or less of the eligible voters in America, due to a woeful percentage of eligible people who actually vote, and the closeness of the races.
In other words, there is no such thing as a presidential mandate, so anyone telling you otherwise is ignorant of the numbers, or lying.
So, while I certainly encourage Americans to, A) register to vote and B) actually vote, and while I certainly disagree with the current trend to make it harder to vote whether by eliminating or restricting early voting, mail in voting, etc, I am hesitant to believe that voting is the answer to our problems.
Although it does point out a symptom; our seeming nonchalance in exercising our precious right to vote.
But it is more than that. Even those who vote do so with less concern for America than with selfish motives, and/or a focus on one issue.
Rather than evaluating a candidate on their overall platform, many voters focus on one issue and vote for that candidate, regardless of whether the other priorities of that candidate make life better for them. Even worse, we frequently only vote for a candidate that promises better outcomes for ourselves and our families, whether those outcomes improve life for the majority of Americans or not.
This is especially true for those whom the current system has benefited the most; the super rich.
It amazes me that everyday Americans who struggle to balance their checkbooks, provide for their children, save for a comfortable retirement, also defend the super rich who offshore vast sums of money to avoid paying taxes, use a myriad of tax loopholes (which they helped write through their "donations"), to pay a minuscule percentage of taxes, and generally use and abuse those very same working class people by squashing attempts to unionize, to gain a livable wage, to have health insurance, to garner even a sliver of the profits that these super rich individuals and corporations are "earning".
It has never been as clear as it is in this exact moment that Wall Street is a totally different world from main street. While the rest of us are experiencing the highest energy costs since the start of Russia's invasion into Ukraine, not to mention the tight labor market which is being exacerbated by large corporation layoffs, those very same "titans of industry" are racking up record compensation packages while paying even less taxes. All the while, bending the knee to the wannabe king in the White House.
But that is the big rub. The stark separation between the haves and have nots is being widened, significantly, by one identifier; having investments. If you don't have an IRA or some type of money in the stock market, you have a much smaller chance at financial security, now and in retirement. But if you do, you are contributing to the very same system that is driving the divide.
Don't get me wrong, I am part of the problem as well. While my wife and I attempt to direct our investments into companies and industries that do not manufacture or sell weapons, that are not involved in fossil fuels, we do have AI investments such as NVIDIA, Google, Alphabet.
I feel good that we sold our Amazon stock after Bezos' complete sell out, and we do not buy anything from Amazon, yet we are still supporting men and corporations who are actively inventing ways to eliminate jobs, and who kiss up to the president so he will suppress legislation that might control the inevitable cycle of more automation, less workers.
But, as long as our quarterly statements reflect growth, we seem willing to let our drive to the future be controlled by people who, while brilliant, seem to also have loss some humanity.
It is not enough to spend a few hours on the odd weekend waving at passing cars while holding a No Kings sign.
It is not enough to complain about the direction of our government yet not research the candidates and be an educated voter.
It is not enough to rail against the rich while the Prime truck stops at your house three times a week.
It is not enough to separate your own personal investments from the reality of who is hurting, who is gaining, by those investments.
It is not easy to live in this world, to want the best for yourself and your family, while being cognizant of how your desire for happiness may reduce the happiness of others.
Is it too late to go back to the days of small businesses dotting the streets of one's city or town, a day when shopping at these places also meant chatting with a neighbor, or someone whose kid played on your own child's sports team? Perhaps.
But it is not too late to seek out small businesses, brick and mortar or online. To stay away from the big box stores who have put all those small businessmen out of work.
It is not too late to understand where your investment money is going, and how those companies treat their employees and the environment.
It is not too late to understand how your news sources evaluate the news they present, how they fact check.
And it is certainly not too late to go beyond the words of those we elected to lead our country and analyze their actions, the policies they support, the laws the approve, the push back they demonstrate under the pressure of big money donors.
We have gotten so far away from "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country", it is startling.
But more than that, we seem to have forgotten what will make our country better. We seem lost in the Make America Great Again slogan but have surrendered our ability to distinguish between what made us great to begin with, and how we define greatness in the first place.
