In 2018 I woke up. I’ve watched politics from afar most of my life. I kept it at arm’s length because it wastes time, and it still does. However, when I saw Donald J Trump as a threat, I had no choice but to become politically active. I started this blog and posted what I learned. I scoured books and waded through articles with facts, opinions, and everything else. I became a political sponge.
I wrote articles as therapy as I watched my country traverse the Nazi path. I reeled in horror as Donald Trump led people to hate and divide themselves as he decimated the fabric of our society. All the history classes about the holocaust came flooding back, so I kept learning. I educated myself until I found the root cause of America’s sickness.
Trump’s Ego?
At first, I thought the root cause was Trump himself., Unfortunately, like most complex problems, the first logically identified cause is usually not the root cause. Much like healthcare, our political system is mired in numerous issues, compounded by the root cause I discovered.
No, Trump isn’t the root cause; he’s a symptom.
We Don’t Need No Education?
Later down the road, I believed a lack of education was the root cause. While it’s a core contributor, it’s not the root cause.
Our society has access to more information than any previous society in human history. We have the libraries of Greece, Rome, the British empire, and any other library we can imagine. We can and do educate ourselves.
No, education is not the root cause.
Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps?
Laziness is a quick answer. Most Republicans will say, “You must pull yourself up by your bootstraps. The real reason our society is in shambles is a lazy generation raised by the greatest generations ever.”
No, millennials are not the root cause of America’s illness. They’re not even the cause of their ills. Boomers essentially raised millennials and created the trophy generation; they were the ones that diminished the value of achievement by handing out participation trophies. It isn’t their fault some asshole compelled their parents to believe their children must feel like special snowflakes to achieve greatness.
No, it’s not a lack of motivation at the root of our crumbling society.
Then What Is It?
I thought long and hard about this. I mulled it over with friends and family. I wrote about it multiple times. I’ve created countless social media posts on it. I want to blame Republicans, but they’re a symptom of the root cause.
A systemic lack of responsibility and accountability is the root cause of America’s decline. Power centers like Wall Street and Congress are filled with corruption and a lack of accountability for their power brokers.
I have an 11-year-old daughter. My wife and I recently grounded her for lying for the fourth time. The previous grounding was for three months. I’m hoping the fourth time is a charm. We’ve learned that punitive justice isn’t effective. However, she will remain responsible and accountable for her actions no matter how often our family fails to learn the lesson.
Contrast what I hope to be a semi-regular family drama with how politicians are treated when they lie. Not only are there no consequences for lying, but they are rewarded with special appointments, cushy gigs, and a free lunch paid for by the US taxpayer. They join their friends on Fox News and CNN, or whatever opinion rag needs the money to whine about societal problems. Today it’s about Newsmax being “banned” from DIRECTV, and tomorrow it will be about the color of skittles.
What in the fuck has happened to the United States of America?
If you’re young and have never heard of Bill Clinton, let me tell you about this guy. Bill was the 42nd president of the United States of America. He was impeached for lying about having an affair. While in office, the republican party dogged him about his extramarital matter incessantly.
I thought it was horrible that Bill cheated on his wife; cheating is also unacceptable in our household. However, I thought he was doing an excellent job at the time and wondered why his personal affairs were front-page news. As the impeachment trial commenced, I learned that Bill Clinton lied directly to the American people when he said this:
“I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”
— Bill Clinton
My goodwill for Bill Clinton fell to the wayside. Lying to the public as a leader in any position, let alone as President of the United States, is unacceptable behavior.
So what the fuck happened to the United States of America?
It isn’t easy to fathom when we weigh the past with the present where people like George Santos lie repeatedly and get a seat in Congress as a reward.
In the last 25 years of US history, there’s been a steady decline in responsible and accountable behavior across every facet of our society.
It starts when people lie, cheat, steal, do drugs, and inflict suffering on themselves and others without consequences.
It begins with a grandma that doesn’t hold their grandchild accountable for lying under her stead.
It starts with a school Principal that doesn’t hold children accountable for screaming in class and treating others with utter disrespect.
It begins with the person who cuts in line at the post office or shoves in front of you at the grocery store.
It starts with the person who cuts you off on the road, almost causing an accident right in front of you.
It starts with the police, who receive zero punishment for killing innocent people.
It begins with a president who incited an insurrection and is forming insurrection 2.0 while the department of justice drags its feet for God knows why.
It starts with a live-and-let-live mentality gone wild.
Be Accountable and Responsible
In my home, lying has a consequence. I don’t care who your parents are. I don’t care where you came from. If you’re in my house, you’re either out the door or will have immediate consequences if you’re a liar.
I won’t put up with bullshit, and I won’t have my 11-year-old daughter believing she can do whatever she wants with no consequences. She’s accountable and responsible for her actions.
Until every American home follows the same standards and holds our leaders accountable and responsible at the ballot box, The United States of America will decline into a truly shithole country worse than the ones Donald J. Trump described. Until we summarily reject people like Trump and other assertive liars we’ll reap what we sow, not in a biblical sense but in common sense.
Let’s save the republic by exposing liars and bringing facts to the dinner table!