How his Hoax & Hate Hurts His Herd

I'm off of most social media and online forums right now, except for YouTube. I still hang out there because I get something good out of it. Mostly, I use it as an education resource and tool; to educate myself and, at times, to educate others.

I stopped putting up indignant posts on FB about politics and injustice and quit comment battles with diehard supporters of the twice-impeached former President years ago, but I still engage with strangers on the other side of the ideological spectrum on occasion. Why? Because I'm in a better place to more effectively engage with Americans who vehemently disagree with me. I no longer wish to prove them wrong or change their mind. If I'm lucky, I get new insights on where they're coming from. But mostly I just share my perspective and in my own way spread a little understanding. Perhaps their bubble doesn't include people like me; so, I chime in as lovingly as possible.

Folx I engage with can take what I have to say or they can leave it; it's all the same to me. All I'm trying to do is stretch my own empathy. To be clear, I'm not recommending for people to do this because it can ruin one's day if one isn't not in a good space. This is just something I try to do so that I don't become another jaded and disaffected American who succumbs to my worst inclinations.

Not always, but on occasion, my supposed enemies on the other side of the divide, respond with appreciation for not going down the usual rabbit hole that devolves into personal attacks and disparaging name-calling. That's always nice, but it's rare so it's not at all what drives me. Human connection and resonance with all kinds of people is what propels me forward.

You see, I believe we all need to practice talking to each other across lines of difference and YouTube is a great place for me to do that. It's where I find folx from all over the country and the world responding to specific content we're interested in and with whom I may disagree. Engaging strangers helps me take the pressure off of the people in my life who are tired of so much real-talk or heavy conversations about politics. I get it! But, like I said, I think it's important to engage in dialogue about all sorts of things and learn to communicate about the hard stuff.

Now, I'm not talking about engaging the trolls online; that's pointless. I'm referring to folx who think their perspective is right and want others to hear them out rather than chastise them or shut them down. And that's what I try to do; I try to listen. It's not easy, especially since I usually have a lot to say, but the effort alone helps me get better at listening to things I may not want to hear.

I watch a lot of Progressive content on YouTube, but because of the way algorithms work, I also get to see what the RIGHT feeds its base and, from where I'm at, it's pure poison! It infuriates me, for sure, but it also helps me grow my compassion for my fellow Americans who are victims of the same liars and thieves in power - self-serving politicians!

Without trying too hard, we can connect the dots from the media pundits and political hacks who sell lots of fear-based lies to every day people, which they buy without checking the facts or considering the implications. These folx play to their base's fears and grow those fears for their own purposes - to keep themselves in power and keep all of us, including their base, in our place. Now, you can say that's what the political class does across the board and you'd be right. They all gaslight us to some degree and overpromise and don't deliver, but what the GOP has been doing since 45 took office is beyond comparison. It's a constant assault on our collective psyche; we're living through a serious mental health emergency!

The way in which 45's lies have perverted the Republican party and turned their base into pawns hyped up on HATE, is disturbing and enraging. I mean, I've always disagreed with Republicans on most issues, but I never saw regular Republican people as my mortal enemy. Republican politicians, on the other hand, have been a problem all along. But when they allowed 45 to join their ranks, they made a deal with a sociopathic narcissist who cares about himself and that's it. And now the party of law and order bows down to a criminal and stokes the flames of discontent. They start culture wars and say ridiculous things in an effort to 'own the Libs' and tell their following of armed warriors that the LEFT wants to end America and it's on them to "save" it.

45 filled the minds of those most vulnerable to being brainwashed with grievances and encouraged them to embrace violence under the illusion that they are true PATRIOTS defending the constitution and 'making America great.' Of course, beyond slogans, nothing they say needs to make much sense; logic and reason go out the window without an ounce of shame or regret. Even during a global pandemic, science and experts, lost their place in society. And those on top, didn't care to stop all their lying even as data made clear that Republican people are faring worse with COVID and dying.

Many Republicans don't shy away from expressing their disdain for people like me (immigrant/queer/Brown/non-Christian) who, according to those they listen to, are taking over their precious America - a WHITE nation above all, that's Christian and cis-het too. To many who think this way, I am an imminent threat because they believe propagandists on Fox News, like Tucker Carlson. Their white nationalist views, like 'the great replacement theory,' are spread through inane segments full of incendiary questions that pretend to be based on thoughtful analysis and informed arguments, when they're actually intended to sow doubt and spark anger about everything and blame a certain few for all the problems in America.

They dog whistle and like to pretend it's not the racist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynist, exclusionary mindsets or systems that are the problem; it's those they hate that are bringing the whole country down. They blame the Left for our supposedly RADICAL positions that are pulling the US too far and too quickly towards a place they deem to be hell - a pluralistic society where white men are no longer the ruling authority. That's why our demands for equality and equity fall on deaf ears and our efforts fall flat year after year.

The GOP and the RIGHT wing media bombard those who'll listen with extreme ideas about the 'RADICAL LEFT' taking over and taking what they believe is theirs, even though we all know AMERICA is the stolen land of the First Nations people built by and made rich by the labor of enslaved Africans and sustained by labor of immigrants of all colors, documented and undocumented, from all over the world. They sanitize and rewrite history, refusing to see the patterns we can all see if we simply open our eyes. But since few of us truly know history and we quickly forget, we fall for the same tactics again and again.

Fomenting distrust and hate is what 45 and his cronies do best. They twist things around and create such confusion that more and more people get caught up in the mass delusion they' design. 45 is not our savior like his devotees claim. He's the one most hurting the herd of our Good Shepard, Jesus. After all, he's the one attacking God's children in the foulest of ways for nothing other than his personal gain. And although he's out of office; others have stepped in to do the same. It's disgusting!

Consider the way some GOP senators approached the confirmation hearings and attacked Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson. Consider how the three Republican senators who voted to confirm her were called PRO-PEDOPHILE by MTG while conveniently ignoring their own perverts. They do this because they know which buttons to push with their base even when their claims are not only unsubstantiated, but outrageous. To many, saying you're Progressive or a Liberal is like saying you're a communist, anti-American DEVIL, which is definitively NOT true.

But if the 'chosen one' is 45 and he's called everyone awful names and made baseless claims without consequences then that's what his klan of heretics will continue to do. Chose one? Please!!!! 45 is no Jesus, no Muhammad, or Buddha. He's no master teacher; he offers zero wisdom. Did y'all see the golden idol statue of him at the RNC? Tell me, how are Republicans the purveyors of Christianity? I may believe in God and in Jesus, but religion has no place in our government. Separation of church and state; our democracy was purposely designed that way, but somehow we've forgotten and insist on following false prophets.

We already know that 45 created a permissive environment for those who harbor racial resentment, anti-queer views, and sexist positions to come out of the woodwork and have a platform to spread their hatred. But now what? The GOP establishment couldn't get rid of the insurrectionist President and we have more hateful and anti-democratic legislation trying to get through. And still, the Democratic establishment continues to try to placate Republicans who've proven to be obstructionists and insurrectionists. How can that be? I mean, really; how much more do we need to see?

Yes, there are still people who believe Biden isn't a legitimate President and that the 2020 election was stolen. But that's on us for not putting a stop to 45 early on. And now the January 6 Committee is uncovering more and more evidence that proves that it was definitely a coup, but facts and data don't seem to matter much anymore. Many people simply don't believe in objective reality because it counters the narrative they cling on to even though it's chuck full of fantasy.

The political Right likes to scream how the Left is against Free Speech and are trying to cancel Conservative voices while simultaneously encouraging the banning of books and passing laws that are trying to erase some of us. They incite violence against their own colleagues in Congress without the slightest condemnation from their superiors and don't see the hypocrisy when they call the cops on a comedians. And somehow the people in the highest offices can't put a stop to any of it; they refuse to hold their political class accountable for their abhorrent behavior.

And then there's us - the us who serve our nation, the US Armed Forces. We're just another set of pawns in the games the powerful like to play. We, too, are quite susceptible to political manipulation. We've been told that it's Republicans who're looking out for us; they're the ones who support the troops. Well, while it's clear they're pro-military, the troops wellbeing doesn't factor into the equation; not really.

I served in the military with many Republicans under a Republican President I did not vote for, believe in, or support, but political affiliations didn't keep me from engaging with my fellow service members back then. I wonder how it is nowadays. I feel for our troops and fear the ways in which they're being recruited by white nationalist groups to serve anti-democratic causes. We know that former and current uniformed service members are joining militias to take down elected officials they disagree with and we're doing very little about it. Instead of dealing with this reality, we're turning a blind eye to our homegrown terrorism and blaming individuals rather than looking at the system.

I remember how sick I felt about my role in a war effort that was founded on lies. The more that came out about the propaganda post 9-11 that catapulted our nation into war, the more ashamed I felt for being involved. I was already uneasy and had to do mental gymnastics to deal with my cognitive dissonance and I was a just support troop. I wasn't burdened with thoughts and feelings those who served in the frontlines and participated in the violence of war; I don't have the trauma they have to endure.

Whether it was in defense of self and others or because they were given orders to destroy the "bad guys," we have countless service members out there with PTSD who are struggling to move on; struggling to turn their training into skills that will render good civilian jobs. They're struggling to stay alive; to stay present and sober. They're looking for ways to make sense of it all and to feel useful. Instead of getting the help they need, too many become easy targets for groups who seek to use them for their own politically-driven and terrorist agendas.

I see this neglect, disrespect, and vulnerability and take it personally because although I may not agree with a lot of how we do things in this country militarily, I am NOT, nor will I ever be, anti service member or anti-uniform. I know what draws people to serve in the armed forces. There are a lot of reasons, for sure, but killing innocent people is NEVER one of them even though killing innocents and war crimes do occur. Nobody is thinking about the atrocities they may partake in when they're an eighteen year-old kid; we're thinking about the opportunities and a chance to do some good for our nation and for our families.

I know that the large majority of people recruited are very young and eager to prove themselves in some way; eager to belong and be part of something greater than themselves. But we take that desire to serve and warp it with hateful ideologies that pervade reality, weaponizing our human tendency to see the world as being made up of ingroups and outgroups. We're taught that we have to pick a side and be willing to die in order for our side, our people, to survive; of course, we only ask that of those in society we see as expendable. 45 never served; he had money and ways to get out of military duty.

But we, the less fortunate people, buy into the bravery and honor of military service! We psyche ourselves up and put our faith in our leaders and follow orders. We're trained to do what we're told and as a result, too many of us lose our ability to critically think and question what's happening around us. Instead, we opt for shortcuts and prefer diversions; we tune into abbreviated or piecemeal versions of the truth that make us feel better about what we think, what we feel, and what we do and ignore the rest. It's how most folx cope because the whole truth is too devastating to face, especially when we're facing it alone.

Look, I have felt like an outsider most of my life. I understand the desire to belong; it's human, which is the one thing WE ALL are!! We must remember that and exercise our empathy wherever and whenever we can. We must acknowledge that we are sick nation with systems that don't meet the basic needs of its population and given the added stressors of our times, it's no surprise that mental illness is on the rise.

I get how group think works; how cults of all kinds can pull you in. What I don't know is how we begin to heal and repair the damage. Still, I'd like to try. And so I challenge myself to find ways out of my own bubble and attempt to really listen to my fellow humans beings who are on the "OTHER" side of whatever line of demarcation is causing the divide.

'Hurt people hurt people' and it's obvious that our country and our world is in a lot of pain. That's why I advocate that we grow our compassion for our brethren. Compassion seems to be in short supply and in high demand. It's something we can each try to do regardless of where we stand. So, please join me if you feel ready to bridge the empathy gap or mend the cultural split in our nation. Our democracy needs more of us, the people, to believe in it, and I think it's our faith in ourselves and each other that will bring about our salvation.