Month: June 2022

1) Education. Democracy requires an educated citizenry to function. Those of you who aren’t familiar with Mussolini’s rise to power in the 1920’s or Hitler’s rise in the 1930’s or the fact that Trump’s Big Lie had a predecessor, are uneducated. So you are one of the ways we got here.

But it’s not all your fault. The US educational system hasn’t taught history or civics well for decades. As a result, most US citizens could not pass the US citizenship test on a bet. (Don’t believe me? Take the test here.)

2. Politicians. They exist, theoretically, to represent their constituency. In the process they quickly learn to lie, obfuscate, mislead, and seek, not a better country, but increased personal power. As a result, most voters distrust them. Today, only around 20% of the country trusts Congress. 

3. Money. Since the Citizen’s United ruling by the Supreme Court, corporate and secret money has flooded elections, leaving the individual voter stranded. It takes millions to get elected to anything on a national or even state level now. So, the fundamental idea of democracy – that anyone can be elected and every vote matters – is gone.

4. Shared sacrifice. The last time this country shared sacrifice was in WWII – when items from food to gas were rationed in deference to military.  The citizens of this country haven’t sacrificed for a shared goal since then, leading to the “me first” culture.

5. The Draft or national service. When you’re forced to work closely with “others” – people of different races, beliefs, and backgrounds – you quickly see the folly of racism, religious bigotry, and class. You learn to value the team and teammates, regardless of background, because that’s the only way you survive or win.

4. Capitalism. A brilliant concept initially, it is now out of control. Increasing shareholder value trumps every other goal. Greed, once abhorred, is now almost revered. Teddy Roosevelt forbad monopolies because they killed jobs and innovation; today’s leaders wink at them.  

5. News/media. Where news once prided itself on unbiased reporting of facts, it now focuses on consumers’ adrenal glands.  “If it bleeds, it leads” has replaced “all the news thats fit to print”. 

7. Racism. It is the original sin of this country. It was reduced by the Civil War and forced into hiding by Martin Luther King. But it still decides who rides the bus.

8. Data. Where business, politics etc,  were once “relationship driven”, they are now “data-driven”. You see that with every phone call to a doctor’s office, every email from a politician, every  fast food purchase, every aspect of Amazon, every bank, every robot that tells you how important you are. It’s all about the data, dummy. People – you and I – don’t matter.

There are more ways of course, but these are good examples. 

How do they affect us? They’ve separated us from each other. They’ve decimated the shared morals that were the foundation of our culture: Truth is now fiction, honesty is for suckers, integrity for losers. 

Which has led to fear and helplessness in much of the population. Which historically has led people to seek out “strong men” as leaders, people like Mussolini, Hitler.

Which is where we started…or is it where we are headed?

I watched the first January 6 Committee Hearings all the way through. Which makes me one of 20 million, or just over 6% of the country. I’m either in the top 6% or the bottom 6%, depending on your politics.

That’s not bad considering the approval ratings for Congress are in the high teens or low 20’s, depending on which poll you follow. In other words, not many people follow Congress.

Now that, to quote a recent President, is “sad”. 

In his case, though, it’s especially sad. Because he was the unseen star. After all, the whole show was about him as the Insurrectionist-In-Chief.    

This first of seven hearings was organized by an ex-ABC maven. So the presentation was far tighter and easier to follow than most Congressional hearings. And because Congressman Jim “I-left-my-jacket-in-the-men’s-room” Jordan and his “lefty!-lefty!-lefty!” cohorts were kept off the panel, it was actually substantive. 

In fact, one of the most welcome aspects of the entire two hours was the lack of histrionics, the studied calm with which facts were presented. There were very few of the confusing or empty statements politicians like to make, just a lot of carefully worded fact interspersed with dramatic footage and measured, compelling witness statements.

It was a very “No Drama” drama.

Perhaps the most memorable part was Cheney’s last line: ”I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.” She said it without emotion, without expression. Which gave it lasting power.

The “other side”, starring Tucker “Everyone-knows-I-lie!” Carlson, took the opposite approach: lots of snark and sneering. Carlson and his hoodies spent the same two hours entertaining their 2.8 million fans by insulting the Committee and attacking anyone who links their hero to the insurrection. 

At 20 million to 2.8 million, a nearly 8:1 ratio of Truth to Carlson fans.

Or maybe I should call them “Truth or Consequences” fans. Because, hopefully, there will be consequences. Although if you compare 6% of the country today watching these hearings to 80% of the country watching the Watergate Hearings 50 years ago, I wouldn’t count on the same consequences.