So the national referendum on status quo vs protest vote is over. The protest vote has it ,whether the candidate is worthy or not. All candidates who were running on a platform of ideas were marginalized or out and out ignored by the press. The high visibility candidate that ran on a platform of Ideas was sidelined by the DNC. Everything else was low drama trying to bring out and exploit the worst in people.
We are in an Empire but WE are NOT the Empire. Empire has run roughshod over America for a long time but understand that empires are not the people they rule. They are a ruling elite gone to extreme. Empires have long known how to conquer unorganized peoples. Their process was easy.
Get the defenders arguing amongst themselves,
pick the different group off piece meal
then hire the impoverished survivors to fight the next wars of expansion.
Politics, when run like the NFL, will always benefit the owners. It's time we stop with the tribal mindset. The wealthy are always in the fight. They are always considering their next move. Sometimes just putting the masses to sleep is enough. Fear works well on those who are fitful sleepers. The rest can be shouted down. We are stronger but they organize.
Now what? What can we do to change this? 1st off, don't go back to sleep. Don't give in to Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt.
We have a choice. We can either start a meaningful dialogue on the issues with the people we know, especially the ones we disagree with OR we can keep sniping, accusing, ignoring and belittling those we disagree with.people who stood in their way.
We will need to educate ourselves. We need to listen to and understand the points of view of others. We have to muddle through the tough process of finding clarity and separating great ideas from the bad. Then we have to push / sell those ideas to one another.
Fight hard for a politically open society and a personally private one. Right now it is the other way around and getting worse. Open internet, transparency in government, freeing political prisoners, freedom of expression even if it is wrong. That is the only way you can address what people are thinking and doing.
Stop listening to media that is inflammatory. That simply eggs on the fight without exploring ideas, truth, policies, history... Post in social media and turn off corporate owned media until it can be corrected.
It's our choice. Trump will be a lesson in the importance of a functioning media in a Democracy. Whether or not we listen to the lesson remains to be seen.