This just in: I first went snorkeling in the Philippines. Having just been stung by a jellyfish, my assumption was that everything in the water wanted to kill me. So, I put on this mask which only let me see what was straight ahead. I ended up swivelling my head back and forth the entire time. I was afraid of what I couldn’t see. I was afraid of the unknown.
I’ve carried this experience with me for decades. I use it in my professional life where I am a Change Agent. I have found that people resist change, in large part, because they “know” the current situation while the new situation is “unknown.” When I educate them and take away the “unknown”, I also take away the fear and resistance.
This brings me to the Republican Platform; a platform which can be summarized in the following way: “Create fear and fight any information that would take that fear away.”
A prime example is the issue of immigration. Yes, we should not let illegal immigrants into the country. This doesn’t mean that we need a wall. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t find ways to make it easier or faster for people to enter our country. In fact, if we are to continue our economic growth, we need immigrants by the millions.
Republicans say, “Democrats want open borders.”
Republican say, “The caravan coming up from Mexico is filled with terrorists, gang members and diseases like leprosy.”
Republicans send 5,000 troops to fight off the caravan.
If people knew the truth, none of this would matter. The caravan is made up of less people than it takes to fill a high school football stadium. It’s made up of women and children. When they get to the border, they will have the same rights that every other person has when they come to our country. 5,000 troops is about one soldier per child.
This is easy information to research. Get online and look it up.
The problem is, too many Republicans are hearing what they want to hear and therefore look no further for answers. They want Non-Whites out of the country and if they need to fear this caravan to justify that…then that is what they will do.
This same fear is applied elsewhere. We drop out of trade agreements because, “They are unfair and the world is ripping us off.” This is nonsense but…creates fear.
We keep Muslims from entering the country to appease the Conservatives (those that long for a pretend history of white and Christian America) and we use fear of terrorism to justify this.
The Far Right (A combination of Republican and Red Bull) send out pipe bombs and shoot up a synagogue. Republicans see that this is causing fear so they immediately say, “Democrats are blowing themselves up so that you will blame Republicans.”
Trump has said that without his guidance, the United States will turn into Venezuela. That is fear.
Trump calls the press an Enemy of the State. This is an attempt to keep you from reading and thus believing any narrative that didn’t come from him. He wants you to be fearful and knows that knowledge will make that more difficult.
My recommendation is twofold. First…read a book. If you want to understand tariffs, watch a couple of youtube videos on the issue. If you want to understand the Fed and interest rates, take 15 minutes and you’ll understand. If you want to find out about the world…watch a combination of sources. If you want to know what the Republicans are doing about healthcare…it’s all online.
Secondly…vote. I truly believe that if everyone in American understood the Republican stance on any issue, they would turn away from them. Well…almost all. There are white Nationalists that understand Trump completely and he is their man.
Time to save the world.
Up, up and away…
Jim
