Being a good citizen can be as simple as being a good person. In the United States, where I live, being a good person is becoming a lost art. Inconsiderate people saturate political arenas twenty-four hours a day. What can we do about it? Can we be better? Can we understand the value of being a good citizen? Reputation Do you know someone with a bad reputation? Have you ever heard one of your friends say: “Stay away from them; they are toxic.” If you have, you know to avoid this person. Toxic people will typically have low-quality connections that are limited to friends and family that tolerate them. Having a bad reputation will limit your ability to succeed in your pursuits and diminish your happiness. ...

Groupthink is dangerous. When humans decide to think blindly, Bad Things Happen. ™️ In the United States, we are often extremists. We don’t like other extremists encroaching on our territory. It’s one of the reasons we fight extremists in other countries. I noticed our extremist tendencies when I lived in Austria back in 2008. Becoming aware of this truth is as simple as looking at the food choices in Euro Spar VS Safeway. ...

The Trump cult appears to be shrinking despite Trump receiving more votes in the 2020 election than in 2016. Look no further than Rupert Murdoch jumping ship to prove that the cult’s days are numbered. Cults rise then fall; that’s what they do. The cult of Trump was fueled well before he was sworn in as president. Trump consistently spreads lies and conspiracy theories. Trump, along with Micheal Cohen, started promoting the lie that Obama isn’t a U.S. citizen in 2010. Using this conspiracy, Trump clawed his way to the top of a pack of Republican presidential candidates in 2016. ...

How do we change the system when many believe we need strong leadership to pull us out of our moral slump. The political system has been ripe for change for many years, and we still haven’t fundamentally changed it. How do we change a system when the system doesn’t want to change? The United States of America took a detour from its rightful place as a free world leader between 2016 and 2020. While the United States is far from perfect and arguably party to terrorist activities at home and abroad, it is largely a beacon of hope. ...

In the United States, we are witnessing yet another cult in action. Trumpism is a cult, and people that support trump are cultists. Trumpism has all the hallmarks of other cults like Scientology, Jehovah witnesses, etc. The difference with Trumpism is that it’s operating out in the open for all to see. What Is A Cult? Per Wikipedia’s definition In modern English, a cult is a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or by its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. ...

When someone lies to you, how does it feel? Do you feel betrayed? Does it make you lose respect for the person that lied to you? Have you ever been lied to by a business? Was the product packaging misleading? Did you get scammed? Did you buy another product from a company that lied to you? Would you support someone that lies to you every day? Lying Politicians Americans have become complicit in the steady corruption of political systems within the United States. We have decided that it’s normal for politicians to lie. Many of us vote for people that lie regularly. If a lie helps a politician’s case against their opponent, it is considered fair game by many. ...

Drain the swamp is a catchphrase directed at the special interest boogeyman that intends to destroy the lives of U.S. citizens. In 2016 Donald J. Trump made a closing argument that the American people can save themselves from The Swamp by voting for him. It was a compelling argument coming from an outsider that appeared to have signed up for the President’s job out of the kindness of his own heart. ...

I’m angry. I’m tired of the double standards in our society. If you’re rich, if you’re a woman, if you’re a man, if you’re white, if you’re black, all of it. Equality will never exist. It’s an aspiration; it’s an idea; it’s a desire. There is no finish line for equality. Once equality has emerged immediately afterward, it’s off-balance. We must spin plates to make an equitable society for everyone. Unfortunately, we are way off balance in many ways. ...

Half-mast for the Republican party is well in order. It has been a long time coming, and we witnessed its death on September 29th, 2020. Republicans will be hard-pressed to recover from Trump’s representation of the party as a racist, lying, fear stirring, and a combative party of disgusting behavior. The flag is set to half-mast in the United States upon the death of principal figures of the United States government. The Republican party has been a fixture in American politics since 1854 and up until Trump took it hostage in 2016. The Republican party will not run on fear, hatred, lies, and division a second time. The population of the United States is trending away from having a white majority and a large contingent of religious zealotry that will vote for them. ...

Fascism is becoming a reality as I write these words. Much of the rhetoric from many Trump supporters is the language of an Ultranationalist. I never thought I would have to learn that word in my lifetime. Honestly, I had no idea this word existed until today. To: Trump Supporters If you are a Trump supporter, you won’t like what I have to say about you. I don’t like saying it any more than I like these observations being accurate. Please know that I’m providing this information to people you love so they can help you break the spell Trump has put on you. ...