I’m calling out those who wield destructive energy, calling to “burn down” the government. (If talking money is the only way to get your attention- so be it.)
Would you really like to left in ashes, with no ability to vote to bring about change if you are wrong? Why do you want to burn it down? Is your life so bad, so uncomfortable, so horrible that you’d rather give up your rights to shut down a few people or situations you find scary or confusing?
All the scientific indicators say here and now is one of the BEST times to be alive in terms of wealth, safety, opportunity and freedom. Back in the day, you could be bludgeoned without recourse just because you had something cool to steal. Now, not so much.
Lots of our American institutions protect fairness, and privacy, and your right to be you. This is because we made these things to be protected for all, once we made democracy.
There’s a great deal of cultural energy coming from the far right to “burn it all down.” I wonder if these folks are so scared of their countryfolk, or perhaps even bored, that they think watching the destruction of democracy on our news will somehow leave them feeling better?
This is not anything to toy with, because the real fire won’t be on TV, it will be burning up the safety and freedom in our lives, in real and measurable ways: women losing rights, minorities living in fear, LGBTQ+ people oppressed back into the closet, more guns getting wielded by angry nuts who think they are called to serve some violent mission (ugh, that’s already here), poor people without safety nets, loads of regular people without health care, annnnddd, a handful of dishonest negatively-oriented people calling all the shots.
Have we ever known these kinds of people to make decisions that are kind, or even loyal? Are their agendas community-centric? Just? Helpful to you? Do they lower your taxes? Or, more likely they’ll raise them once your right to vote is gone? (Answer: they always raise them, and the shake downs are much much worse than the blissfully-bureaucratic IRS).
I personally admire the ‘deep state’ because it’s made up of individuals, working within structured institutions, on a shared mission, together.
Kind of like a book club, or your neighborhood PTO. What’s to fear? Seriously. Many of them are Republicans, many Democrats…. what’s your beef?
These institutions move slowly — in accordance with principles and job descriptions — instead of individuals’ agendas. Institutions move slowly by design , to protect us from fast power grabs by despots. Institutions I feel are worthy of this collective-protection status (AKA my Fave Deep State ❤️) include Social Security, Medicare, Public Schools, SNAP & Food Benefits, The Fed, Homeland Security, FDA, EPA, Public Libraries, FAA, the FBI & CIA, Police, Elections, Highways & Transportation, Free and Independent Media, Obamacare, Commerce Department, the Justice Department and the Military, among many others.
All of these I definitely want protected by said “deep state,” because, I want them guarded by many individuals acting on shared principles (hey, like the Constitution!). I Unabashedly love piles of people acting with hundreds of checks and balances on each and every one of them. I pay for this gladly, because my tax money pays to create and maintain programs —and safety — that benefit me and my family. I’m not messing with it.
To all of those in the Deep State, I salute you.
I also want to protect my right to vote, first and foremost. Now.
Because, no matter who gets into power and whatever they burn down or just f-up, as long as this singular right is protected, we can course-correct in a few years. WE, meaning, we the people. We also being the adults in charge, the ones paying taxes to have things go the way we want. That’s US. Remember when Texas Rick Perry said, I’d dismantle the following government departments and got laughed at because he didn’t even bother to know department names. Then the ultimate winner DID just that, dismantling one department after another by appointing hostile-to-mission heads (Betsy Devos for Dept of Edu, DeJoy for Post office, etc.). Well, we are still recovering, but only because we course-corrected and elected someone who believes in and supports real elections…
I sincerely hope you don’t vote for someone to burn it all down. This will leave us in ashes with no recourse, and no institutions to protect us moving forward.
Because then we’ll all still ‘get’ to pay taxes for a handful of cronies doing one big ole money grab.
No thanks.
I hope you vote for whatever candidates, policies and institutions protect YOU and your right to vote. This means at the State level too. A long game’s been played by the minority party to seize power by illegal, gerrymandering-style means, because they know they can’t win by a popular vote in a pluralistic country. So, they are openly planning seizing power by other means.
Problem is, once they have power, they’ve shown what they’ll do with it (cue indictment cohort of 45’s administration). Why is retribution their new favorite thing? It’s what they do to anyone who doesn’t act “in line.” Do you want to be forced into this? Like in North Korea?
So, if you care, we ALL need to step up protecting the principles of our Constitution and protecting the institutions that are big enough —and thankfully powerful enough —to stop a small group of kleptocrats from taking down a democratic nation. They absolutely can take control, and they are not even hiding their desire to do so. It’s right out front and nearly happened on January 6.
Think it can’t happen? It already is. Loss of faith in empirical reporting, lack of desire for/discernment for factual truth.
Beware any efforts or desire to stoke and steep in, the emotions of outrage and righteousness.
Mistrust of experts and lack of personal responsibility are what make nations fall to authoritarians. Don’t you take responsibility for yourself? I bet you do. So do what you are supposed to do to KEEP the power you have to influence our nation – for right or for left, for better for worse, every few years?
VOTE to keep your vote.
If you give it away, authoritarians don’t just give it back.
Don’t believe me? Read this: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Centry and this: Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present