America doesn’t know who it is anymore. The polarization is now normal. The false narratives are still rattling along. The hate continues. Crony capitalism and crony politics are monotonously the same, ignorant, things.
The GOP has entombed itself with a convenient existential lie/excuse called Trump. It’s no longer a political party but a public relations exercise for Trump and his owners. There’s nothing much political about grabbing assets and territory; it’s all about gain for self.
The astonishing levels of incompetence in government simply mirror this situation. Trump could be replaced with a sock puppet or a roadkill and it would change nothing. The mediocrity can manage itself, according to itself, thanks for asking.
With no clear single message at all and endless internal squabbles about everything and nothing, the Democrats are effectively aiding and abetting. The constant digressions and minutiae are just as responsible for this seemingly endless slide into madness. Put out the fire first, then debate whether you should used bottled water or tap water.
The madness, however, has easily identifiable roots. The psychology couldn’t be simpler. In times of stress, people curl up defensively. They isolate. They look for vindication of their situation, rather than trying to fix it. To be fair, they often can’t fix it, in tough times and/or when poor. Any positive message, however vague and non-specific, will get a response.
This is an absurdly overstressed nation and has been for decades. Stress isn’t a good driver or a safe driver. America is famously a highly stressful place. On the individual level, the “workaholic” and “this city never sleeps” garbage did away with leisure time. They hyper-cynical El Cheapo, bullying workplace revolution ended any sense of personal security.
This is the country that always votes for a way out. Issues come and go like raindrops on an old dumpster. People and their various political noises don’t last too long, usually, either. Meanwhile, the homeless pile up on the streets like kids locked out of their homes. The totally avoidable medical bankruptcies continue.
The rampant eternal crime is now the weather, in too many ways. To paraphrase a line from Married With Children, America has become “just another crime scene”. The crimes may vary, a bit, but everyone is a potential victim, and everyone doesn’t like it.
Nothing at all is happening, or even expected to happen, about any of this. These extremely visible threats don’t add much flavor to voting options. Fear is one of the strongest of all human instinctive behaviors. It’s hardwired into human beings. This is “tyranny by abuse and neglect”, and it works all too well.
Beyond the obvious – Messaging for beginners
It’s not like everyone is totally indifferent to this fails-everything-incessantly obscenity formerly known as America. Quite the opposite. Americans do care, a lot. They just don’t get the chance to do very much.
There’s a big black hole between the actual way out and the messages sent to besieged Americans. A stupid, ultra-hypocritical, meaningless four-letter slogan sounds good; it can’t deliver, of course, but it’s a simple message. The fact that the message comes from the direct causes of the problems killing America isn’t even under discussion.
The big communications black hole is a fitting tribute to the expensive, financial slavery racket previously called education. The incomprehension of the most basic information is real, if often expedient for some.
Consider this – The biggest acknowledged gap in the economy is college educated/not college educated. Now consider that the people doing America the most significant damage on a daily basis are college-educated, at least according to them, if nobody else. (I’ve seen Jurassic plankton fossils that look more literate.)
The droning false narrative is created by college-educated “people” for dissemination to those who aren’t college-educated.
This is simple stuff.
- Everything is fake but FOX.
- A multi-failed pseudo-billionaire is some sort of savior.
- Everyone else is a communist.
Not an issue in sight, or ever likely to be, but this is the way out, according to these messages. So people vote for it.
The Democrats, meanwhile, have failed the simple message test, repeatedly. The last working Democrat attempt at a single message was the New Deal. Bernie Sanders did well with his message; the DNC didn’t get it that those were the messages to send.
Democrats, like progressives worldwide, use an entire encyclopedia where a Post-It note or less would do. This has nothing at all to do with “dumbing down”. It’s about getting a message from A to B.
For example:
- Health care for all.
- Education for all.
- Housing and better quality of life for all.
- Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
That’s the entire global progressive agenda, in 22 words. Of those 22 words, 7 of them are 200+ years old American articles of faith.
Not that hard to understand, is it? See any possibly meaningful ways out for people looking for them? This is absolute baseline communications, day one.
Ending the madness
The madness destroying America so enthusiastically has a built-in fatal weakness. It always fails. It can’t work at all in the real world. The desperate need to call everything else “fake” is no coincidence; it’s fear. The ineptitude and incompetence are real.
Psychology occasionally if pompously admits people can change their minds. In this case, proven failure is the catalyst. A way out that works and sounds good, addresses needs, and will work.
The alternative is an America in mourning mode forever while the world continues to pass it by in baffled horror. This can’t go on for long, if at all. The middle of the 21st century could well be make or break for humanity, not just America. The catastrophes are piling up, and nobody’s steering.
While you’re at it, Democrats and global progressives – Shut the hell up and get on with what needs doing. Lose the verbosity, now. Actions do speak well, if not always louder than windbags. There are plenty of people able to help, if you keep your messages clear.
Just one more thing, America. I’m a foreigner. Why the hell am I writing this, not you? Find out where the ball is, and run with it, for a change.
