I was just reading about how SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is distributing its remaining funds early. This being done, because of the Trump government shutdown. As the name SNAP states, it provides food assistance to the poor. So, when February rolls around, the most vulnerable will not get help in purchasing food; they will go hungry.
I don’t know how this effects any Trump supporters. I’ve been led to believe that Trump folks are living a hardscrabble life, living paycheck to paycheck. Is that true? I have a few conservative friends that support Trump, admittedly a very small sample, and they’re doing the same as other Americans. The difference is that the Trump folks seem to feel particularly aggrieved and put upon. So much so, that they arm themselves and support a leader who is blatantly anti-American.
Question: Do Trump folks feel bad because of their actual circumstances or have they been taught to be dissatisfied through the concentrated, decades long, propaganda pushed out by FoxNEWS and a plethora of commentators like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and, my favorite, Alex Jones of InfoWars infamy. All condoned and encourage by the Republican Party.
I’m not saying that Trump folks don’t have legitimate concerns. Their issues are the same as most Americans, security at the border on our streets, jobs that pay a decent wage that allows someone living on main street to raise a family, pay their bills, pay for their kids’ higher education in the trades or professions or whatever, and lay aside savings for a comfortable retirement. They are looking for stability. So are the rest of Americans. The difference is that most Americans (2/3) still have faith in the basic principles of our nation: democracy, rule of law, truth, civility. The very things that Trump and the Republican Party are doggedly attacking and dismantling.
It seems to me that Trump supporters have assumed the roles of victims. Roles that they have been trained for by decades of the a fore mentioned propaganda by the usual suspects. Again, it appears to me that Trump people now live in a universe where black is white and all truth is relative, depending on who you support. Science and climate change are hoaxes, even as the forests burn, rivers flood, and storms reach historic size and ferocity. The climate is always changing, right?
And last, there is Russia, Vladimir Putin and the rape of our electoral system and traditions.
Up to this point, if I squint really hard, I can see the world as Trump supporters see it. But Russia frames the situation in a new light; treason.
One of the cornerstones of American conservatism has been the NRA and its 2nd amendment stance. They have thwarted the will of the majority of Americans who have wanted common sense gun laws for years. There never has been talk about taking everyone’s guns away. The only place you hear that is from the NRA with their “slippery slope” argument. Now we find that the NRA has been receiving, not subtly, Russian funds to prop up its failing finances. I haven’t seen any concern from the Right or NRA members.
Evidence continues to pile up showing that the President and his minions have been actively working with the Russians to sabotage the primaries and the 2016 election. Hand in hand with cooperating with the Russians, Trump has waged a continuous war against our traditional, trusted allies and NATO. All to Russia’s advantage. Despite Trump’s opposition, the Senate passed a law that maintained economic sanctions against Russia for its aggression against its neighbors, EU and US and cancelling out Trump’s desire to let them get off free.
There was one bright shining moment when Americans could take pride in the Senate and its ability to work in a bipartisan manner on a tough subject. Bright but brief. Today the Senate decided to remove sanctions on one of the most important Russian oligarchs and friends of Putin, Oleg Deripaska, by a simple majority vote. Never mind that Deripaska has a central role in the Russian cyber-attack on our elections. Putin and Russia got a huge gimme from the Republican Senate.
And there is so much more to do with the Russians and the attempted destruction the US’s place as a world leader.
Then there is China, Mexico, the Wall, Canada, North Korea, the Kurds,
ISIS, and all of our friends and allies around the world. In two years,
Trump has turned us into a laughing stock and a 2nd rate power. Given
another year or two, he should be able to lower us further to 3rd rate,
right beside Russia.
The evidence points to one conclusion; treason by Trump, his staff and administration, and some members of the Republican Party.
So, with all that, where are the Trump supporters? Still supporting Trump. Why?
Because they’ve been conditioned to trust only a very narrow source of disinformation and hate the rest of the media in the US and around the world. Everyone lies except Trump and the Right’s news bubble.
The Trump supporters I know are all good people who love their families,
support their communities, and in general are great Americans. I’m
proud to call all of them friends.
And there lies the conundrum.
These are good people being manipulated to support terrible things that,
if allowed to continue, will destroy our country, economy, environment,
health, and security, while isolating us from our friends and the 60%
of the rest of the world that, in a recent Gallup poll, said that they
would prefer if the US were leading the world.
Because we are a democracy and we believe in the responsibility of the individual, it is left to the individual to seek the truth and act in a manner in keeping with US custom and history. Simply put, I can not force someone to change their mind. I can comment and provide information but, ultimately, it is a private matter between the person and their conscience.
In the end, I can only beseech Trump supporters to re-evaluate their support for Trump. I know that I’m asking a lot. It is one of the hardest things a person can do, to apply honest critical thinking to a long-cherished view and come to a different conclusion.
Patrick Henry said, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” We have little time to return to democracy and a government for and by the people. Trump’s plans are simple and clear; strip average Americans and political adversaries of their rights, impose rule by dictate, and impoverish America for the benefit of a very small elite who are beholding to no one. The longer it takes us to find balance and justice, the greater the danger grows that the USA will cease to be the “shining city on the hill” as Reagan said. We will become just another rusty relic in the dust of history; a tragic footnote, seeing how close we came to genuine freedom before the ugliest parts of human nature pulled us down in flames. Supporting Trump only takes us in the direction of division, conflict, shortages, and oppression.
We can argue about the policies and their technical aspects without burning the house down and, possibly the rest of the planet.
We need your help and cooperation to address your concerns which the rest of us share as well. Your fellow Americans want to build a prosperous, healthy, safe and just country that is respected by the rest of the world. We want to attain the noble goals that the Statue of Liberty symbolizes. We want to help guide the world towards prosperity and peace.