Perception v. Reality

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In many minds, the American Dream seems to be fading. The nation and its leaders seem to have lost the will to make corrections to broken concepts or come up with innovations to take the nation forward. There seems to be a lot of fighting, both political and social, on topics that seem to have a clear impact on our way of life.

These battles force us to confront the promise and the reality of the American Dream. Can there truly be a century or centuries of unmatched personal gain and happiness? Is the dream promised to all Americans, or is this dream available to a select few? It also forces us to confront the realities of what it means to be American, is there a collective American mindset, and is there a collective or individualistic set of American goals?

The current climate reveals stressors that should be reduced and solved. Great men and women still live in America. There remains a can-do sense of things. Yet, those activists are no longer in the public eye-we have silenced their voices and outlawed their thoughts.

Example of these conflicts occur on a daily basis, and usually, issues of existence are contrasted with expenses. And in every case, money takes precedent over human lives. The Amazon HQ2 disaster in New York City, for instance, is something that should have never happened. New Yorkers need jobs and Amazon was offering. So, while some parties were willing to bend over backwards to bring Amazon to New York, others thought the price in terms of government subsidies and gentrification was too great. Rather than to deal with the circumstances created by its “sweetheart deal,” Amazon left. And in its departure, the chaos caused by the “deal” still lingers.

One should hold Amazon in contempt for leaving New York in the lurch. However, New York’s loss can be another city’s gain. There are numerous cities vying to replace New York, and equally willing to offer more incentives to bring 25,000 to 50,000 jobs to their communities.

The perception is that Amazon is wrong and opportunistic, however, the greater reality is that our ethics are confused.

Michael Cohen’s testimony before Congress is another example. It should be considered a national tragedy. This is the third time in less than 50 years that politicians are considering the impeachment of a president. That is a clear sign that democracy in America is waning and that we are not electing our best and brightest. We know that many of the things Cohen said are true, but the politics of the minute are overwhelming common sense. Grandstanding politicians are more concerned with attacking or saving the president than listening to Cohen’s words. Especially, his closing comment that if the president lost an election that there would not be a peaceful transfer of power. Cohen, is not the enemy. Rather he is the bearer of a condition-a national sickness of greed and lies.

In the same way, only an idiot would not acknowledge that something is happening in relationship to climate issues. The weather, particularly in the United States, is extremely unpredictable. In the course of a year the nation has endured heat waves, cold spells, tornados and twisters, hurricanes, forest fires and droughts. Yet, Americans are fighting over the language to define the problem and doing very little to protect themselves from these reoccurrences.

How long can we ignore the obvious? We know that since 2000, the number of annual weather catastrophes has increased. So, should we divert funds that might go to addressing these conditions or assisting people in various locations to build a wall on our southern border?

And this list of controversial topics is lengthy. It includes items like immigration, P-12 education, higher education tuition and student debt, gun control, health care, criminal justice reform, Internet regulation, infrastructure development, tax reform, and deficit reduction. In so many ways, America is imploding and neither Congress nor the White House seems to have the mechanisms to begin honest discussions on the topics.

Of course, it does not help that the presidency is under attack, but this too is another subject where Americans cannot agree. Because the administration’s approach to major issues is not fully developed, it appears that the president has a helter-skelter way of leading.

I believe that this approach was effective in Mr. Trump’s business practices. In that environment, he knew exactly what he was doing. Unfortunately, I think that the president has not accepted the rules of the political world. And because he is not willing to accept those rules and values, his actions suggest he is trying to impose his will on others until he gets what he wants. In essence, he knows what he is doing and he does not fear the consequences. However, this is not how democracy works. His actions place great emphasis on what is occurring throughout the nation.

President Trump has a limited view of things and is not willing to deviate from his key positions. However, the president is not an expert on global financial, trade, terrorism, or world peace. Even when experts give him advice, he typically ignores it. On most subjects, the president has no or minimal interest so his positions on these topics are usually ill conceived and implemented.

As a result, the president must waver when his advisors push back or try to modify his actions. As a boastful man, President Trump constantly makes statements that contradict things he has said in the past or actions denied that seemingly were made.  Critics accuse him of lying about everything, and defenders make excuses for his actions. This increases a sense of distrust and heightens views of an imperial leadership. Such behaviors cannot go unchecked and yet the Republicans gave him free reign for two years. Now that he is being challenged by the Democrats, the pendulum has swung to the other side. There is still chaos, but a different type of unrest.

The President of the United States is supposed to provide the nation with a sense of stability and security. He is the symbol of power for the nation and he should stand for the values of the nation. During the course of his recent “performance” at CPAC, the president hugged the flag, cursed the Democrats, spoke ill of countless enemies including the press, and promised nothing. It amounted to a lengthy two-hour rant that thrilled his audience. And on the surface, while that might seem like a good thing, he alienated the other half of the nation. Divide and conquer works well in the business world, but not in terms of governing a nation. A cursing president, especially one that denounces the press, the Justice Department, and National Intelligence Services does not provide a strong foundation for future generations.  It only increases those simmering tensions. A nation at war with itself is clearly headed towards some type of national disturbance or worse.

The perception is that Trump is either a terrible president or a great one. The reality is that his presidency is extremely problematic. We have overlooked moral scandals in the White House by the president and members of his cabinet. We have overlooked the number of good people who have retired from political life rather than fight for what is right.  Even our First Lady is tarnished by the president’s behavior. She is a champion against bullying, but her husband is the leading bully on Twitter.

Yet, in spite of the obvious, I think that President Trump can win re-election, even if the Mueller report indicates a degree of criminal or treasonous activity. However, another victory through the electoral college does not bode well for American democracy. The Trump presidency is the greatest test to our system of government not because of the president or his personality, but how Americans in wisdom or ignorance are responding to his actions. He is making a divided nation, more bitter, distrustful and confrontational.

This presidency is becoming a threat to the order of things. It continues to push people to the brink, and then suggest that it is the new normal. And as nothing of substance is occurring in the realm of the common man, it supports the socialistic notions supported by a millennial generation that worries about student debt, health care and retirement. It supports individualism over the collective good, apathy over concern, and ignorance over intelligence. It promotes the fear of immigrants (mostly black and brown people), it promotes racism and sexism, and it reinforces a false cry of nationalism. America is witnessing a generational strife that is comparable to the turbulence of the 1960s.

History can be used to inform the future. It is clear to see that Trump’s America is on a path to self-destruction. The old order has failed. True liberalism and conservatism are dead. America and its people are in unfamiliar territory where the rule of order no longer exists. The tragedy of civil wars are that they usually begin in the seats of government and then spill out into the streets. The very people that we trust and respect are the ones that fail us first. And if they cannot save us, who can?

Some dark perceptions become tragic realities. Whether you support him or not, another four years of a Donald Trump presidency spells the end of America as a respected nation and respectable world power.