My profound apologies, Trump voters. I do not understand you – why most of you are still backing this man. I didn’t understand why you voted for the man Please understand that millions of Americans who voted against Trump frustrated and horrified that you did. We non-Trump voters have difficulty with what some of you are saying. We definitely have trouble with your apparent vision of what America is and should be. We don’t want to insult you. We really don’t understand why and how you got to this point.
I’ve read various articles on how a person should talk to a liberal, how to talk to a conservative. These have been troubling. The mere fact that I should have to talk “in code” to different groups of people is frustrating. Two groups of people living in a democracy, two vastly different viewpoints with the same information on the same issues. I always assumed that most, if not all people, would accept logic and two plus two equals four thinking.
What I’m learning, what others are saying, is that, somehow we’ve into “two different tribes.” There have always been different opinions; but something has changed that difference in the last 40 years into near-war. Thus a question: can a modern democracy continue to function this way? Can there be two sets of “fact,” one based on “belief,” there other on numbers?
In trying to understand how good Americans could be deceived by deliberate lies I’ve read a number of sources on how people are deceived. In 2007, Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson wrote “un-Spun, finding facts in a world of [disinformation];” in 20l4 John Grant wrote “Bulls*t, How to Detect Junk Science, Bogus Claims, Wacky Theories, and General Human Stupidity;” a recent “Mother Jones” article, “Disarming Disinformation;” before that, in 2004, Thomas Frank wrote best-seller, What’s the Matter with Kansas?,” about how middle America became outraged over lost jobs and unequal wealth distribution, then elected people who could {and did} make things worse. European analysts are also trying to understand this.
“Mother Jones” magazine advises me my task is “about finding something that will make sense to you,” and that ‘It’s about how {you] came to believe it, and whether {you} may have been deceived>” So, can I relate to you about Trump’s past and current behavior that might cause you to think he’d been dishonest? So….maybe……..
Does it make a difference to you that, I believe it was Politifact, found Trump had lied 2,000 times in 2017? And the count was up to 3,000 lies in office in early 2018? Does it make a difference Trump has based policy on campaign “promises,” but what he does is often selective cherry-picking of which promises to keep? For most people, “the swamp in Washington” to be drained was the criminal effect of money on public policy – but Trump has done virtually nothing positive on that? Does it bother you that Trump’s “big win” – the 2017 tax cut is another gift to the top 1% and it’s been said Trump will get a $30 million tax cut? And – this tax cut will increase the national debt by trillions? This will also be used as an excuse to cut your Social Security and Medicare benefits? Does it make a difference that Trump has, often deliberately, alienated virtually all of our 70-year foreign policy allies {the ones we need against China}?
If your answer to all of this is “NO, I still support Trump,” then we are left with only controversial issues – abortion , guns, and immigration. Many non-Trump citizens would be incredulous if this is true. Because, suppose we give in- we give you all three: ban abortions, eliminate all gun restrictions, seal off the Mexican border. You can write any law you want. Now, do you really feel America is now a better place, that these laws solved all our problems – and- more not mentioned above – like the coming robot/automation of nearly 90-95% of all jobs’ the unsustainable health crisis {we’re #37 world-wide}; the massive opioid crisis, and the future American energy system {renewables, which Trump opposes – but the rest of the world is rapidly employing}
I apologizing if this sounds like a lecture – just raising questions in which you might have been “misinformed” by “alternative facts.”
I know all Trump supporters consider themselves real patriots. How do you feel about “The Economist” recently downgrading America from a full democracy to a flawed democracy? What has happened in the last 40 years that led to this ranking? A vast number of books, articles, and programs have discussed this. Some are: Pulitzer Prize-winning Headrick Smith”s “Who Stole the American Dream;? double-Pulitzer Prize-winner Donald Bartlett and James Steele”s “The Betrayal of the American Dream;” Academy Award winner {for his film ,”Inside Job”] Charles Ferguson’s “Predator Nation, Corporate Criminals, Political Corruption, and the Hijacking of America;” and Pulitzer Prize-winner David C Johnston’s “Divided, The Perils of Growing Inequality” [and also “Perfectly Legal,” “Free Lunch,” “Fine Print”]. They all blame the top 1% and multi-national corporations for the cheating of middle America.
Would you believe any of them? The top 1% and the corporations have, in a sense, committed “treason” against America. They’ve weakened us by shipping jobs overseas, by wage suppression, and, in some cases, by giving away sensitive technology for short term profits. The tax cuts for the top 1% have [using GAO & IRS numbers] escalated the American national debt from $1 trillion in 1980 to XX trillions now, and more guaranteed by Trump’s 2017 ta cut. Do you believe these facts? If not, where are we?
Dear Trump voters, where are we as a middle class democracy? You have a vision of a America. What information is behind this vision? Have you been lied to? Has corporate America done the same as the tobacco industry? Have you been told the truth on global warming? Exxon-Mobile scientists knew global warming was real in the 1970’s.
Have you been told the real truth on why your wages have been stagnate? Numerous studies have shown the top 1% has, in effect, stolen from $500-1,000 a month from post-1980 workers, based upon pre-1980 IRS un-spun numbers. The median American worker’s income is now about $31,000 annually. If your income had gone up as much as the top 1%, one study showed you’d be making about $93,000 a year!!!
Dear Trump voters, has the post-1980 rhetoric that most of you apparently believe made life better for you and your family than the middle class statistical golden age of 1947-l973? Is your life more secure, stable, stress-free than it was then? Do you have the same affordable health benefits, decent wages, guaranteed pension as they did? If somebody “is to blame” for misfortune, have you been told the real truth on “who did it?” OR… have you accepted the “reasons” given you by your favorite media sources, and asked no questions?
Are you living in “Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood,” or Donald Trump”s?
Not trying to lecture you! I just really, really do not understand why you are still supporting such a person as Donald Trump. Many of your non-Trump fellow citizens see him as an “all hat, no cattle” 21st century P. T. Barnum. We’re not only horrified, we’re scared over what he’ll do to America, the environment, and the world. WE’re praying he doesn’t start a shooting war in addition to the trade war we thinks he can “win.” We fear the “shaking up” of Washington isn’t going to be what you thought it was going to be.
Dear Trump supporters, we love America as much as you do. That’s why we’re very frightened. Living in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood meant love, hope, tolerance. Living in Mr. Trump’s neighborhood seems to mean hate, fear, and intolerance. I’m sorry. I don’t understand anybody supporting this as the vision of America’s future.
With Justice For All 