The New Republic piece linked here is something worth taking a look at. It emphasizes what we will be left with even if that idiot isn't elected president, and it isn't pretty.
This shouldn't surprise us of course. What else could you expect when irresponsible people pump up bad aspects of our being for personal gain? People are afraid in this country because so much of what supports it hangs by fraying rope: More jobs that don't pay nearly enough to live on. More competition from abroad with labor paid pennies on the dollar compared to us. More people outside our boarders wanting in because, no matter how bad it might be here, it's far worse out there, and with that influx does it becomes easy to blame them for all sorts of things they have very little, if anything, to do with; while all around us, even as we have less to spend, our state and local governments grow ever more desperate to properly fund even basic services and infrastructure. Then consider that our presence in other parts of the world to ensure access to markets and critical resources keeps making our list of outright enemies, as well as perceived potential enemies, growing; for which the tragic backlash distracts us quite beyond the actual personal danger any of us face; unless, of course, it comes to another nuclear war. And finally, add to that the fact that the planet itself is in revolt because of what our industries have already done and continue to do, and for which all we see in response is finger pointing, or outright denial.
At a deep, visceral level, how could people not have at least a good deal of apprehension about this. And doesn't it just make for some fertile ground for an egotistical bully to have some selfish fun in.
If at this point you are asking yourself, as you damn well ought to be, what is to be done about it all, just consider this: Do you really think doing more of the same is any answer? Election cycle after election cycle, resonant speeches ad nauseam, all with the mostly empty promises they know they aren't going to keep. Maybe now you can start to understand why the change that has to take place must be fundamental across the board. This is so because it is long past time to start over and come up with a new way to organize ourselves with. The current economic operating system just doesn't cut it any more and that is all there is to it. The sooner you come to terms with that the better.
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