Most conservative politicians know the game well. Spouting nonsense about socialism, demeaning and scapegoating people who are desperate to immigrate to the U.S.A., demonizing social justice activists who attempt to make real the promise of the Declaration of Independence, or spouting big lies about voting and elections is a way to convince a cynical and susceptible minority in our nation that empowering other people
means losing, that a dollar supporting someone else is a dollar less for you, that life is a zero-sum game.
That is nonsense.
The conservative unwillingness to accept reality, unwillingness to govern responsibly, their effort to suppress the right and opportunity for people to vote, to maliciously impede the work of government in order to undermine the legitimacy and integrity of our American institutions is the end goal.
This goal of demonization, lies and grievance is purposeful and well funded by those with interest in maintaining wealth and power by hamstringing governmental oversight.
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Socialism is not the problem. Immigrants are not the problem (and by the way, they are not taking your job. Have you seen the job market lately?). Social justice activists are not the problem. Most individual Republicans are not inherently the problem.
Improvement in our lives, community, state, nation and world requires self-reflection, thoughtfulness, living in a factual reality and a pinch of curiosity and humility.
A minority of conservatives seem unwilling or unable to remove themselves from their echo chamber long enough to accomplish any of the above. Mercifully, the majority of our nation can.
Progressives are here to remind our society that “we all do better when we all
do better,” to quote Paul Wellstone. If we allow so many to live in economic and emotional
despair, we all lose.
Our societal challenges surrounding multiculturalism, race, racism and poverty should become history and that happens when our system is equitable, corrects for past injustices and disparities, and becomes just and democratic.
“As we (as a society) become wealthier, the floor below which no one should be allowed to fall
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has to be raised,” said Sam Harris.
We have to transform the system to eliminate cracks through which people can fall; that equitably provides boots to people who can then pull themselves up by the straps thereof. Progressives have an understanding that in a nation of great wealth, the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness cannot only be available to those with the greatest wealth, but to all people. Voting without barriers is a right that must extend to ALL citizens.
