Election reflections

insights or just venting? you decide

Election night may have held the promise of a red wave but delivered the same old stagnate pond. Discontent in America was not what many of us thought. ………. A great deal of wisdom is displayed in an ancient Chinese adage: “When I talk, I put on my mask. When I act, I take it off.” In other words, talk is cheap; actions are what matter. Consider that about three quarters of respondents told pollsters that they felt America was going in the wrong direction, yet when the time for action arrived, they reinstalled the status quo. Obviously, the widespread concern about inflation, crime, and open borders was just a fabrication of Fox News. The greater worries these days seem to be protecting unrestricted abortions and cashless bail policies, sponsoring unvetted illegal immigration and transferring student loan debt to taxpayers. Perhaps pollsters are becoming as useless at prediction as Republicans are about winning elections. ………… We know that many Americans were duped into thinking the Dobbs decision was a threat to democracy, even though the Supreme Court decision MADE it a question of democracy. Others were duped into thinking that it is a threat to democracy if you didn’t swallow every government proclamation — whether it be from the FBI or politically-appointed election officials — as truth pills that can’t be questioned. Yet, the real threats to democracy revolve around the assaults on free speech, free thought and the expression of ideas. Democracy is threatened when government is not transparent and when politicians not only lie but censor the information that could expose those lies. ………. “Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant,” said James Madison. We have watched this play out with “COVID lockdowns”, “existential climate change” as well as “threats to democracy.” It works every time. That is why you should expect one manufactured crisis after another as far as the eye can see. ……….. When John Fetterman debated Mehmet Oz, many figured the newly-elected senator’s inability to transmit a coherent thought would be a disqualifying factor for the job. Today, those of us who made that assumption realize he is actually a fitting representation of modern day Americans. Talk about your hard pills to swallow. America was once symbolized by guys like Daniel Boone. ………… It is hard to imagine how bad things need to get for Americans to want change but thanks to last night’s election, we have no other choice but to find out. The current administration can now proceed full speed ahead with the war on fossil fuel and thereby continue to further reduce our standard of living. They can also continue the war on parental rights and insure the teachers’ union controls the public education agenda. 2024 will tell if Americans have had enough to stimulate meaningful change or if we will have unwittingly resigned our fate to that of human livestock being herded down the path to slavery. Sadly, this election cycle provided little reason for optimism. …………. More and more I have to confront the fact that I was born in an era that no longer exists. It was the one where individual liberty was taken for granted. ………. A venting or an insight? You decide.