Living

Most reasonable people assume that governments exist to support people and provide the infrastructure to make sure commerce provides whatever is needed to keep people safe and healthy. Sadly, a lot of people who are not reasonable, ethical and moral tend to rise to the top of the power structure in many countries.

When that happens, all of the documents and policies in place become meaningless. The founding fathers of the American experiment wrote a number of documents to guide the new country that was breaking away from the tyranny of King George III. The hope was that they could provide more freedom for people in a new country.

It’s not the first time in the history of the world that a power-hungry deranged head of state is trying to take as much of the world as he can grab. It is the first time this type of leader is from the United States. It makes me sick, and it is not only causing Americans to be fearful in their own country, but it is also causing the rest of the world to worry if their country will be his next target.

Fear is the weapon of dictators and autocrats, and Trump is using it here to make people feel unsafe in their own country. If we really had a functional system of checks and balances the legislative branch would have the ability to be guided by a moral and ethical compass. Instead, Washington republicans are following a severely mentally ill leader in lockstep for fear of personal retribution. The lock on domestic power is almost complete.

I have been reading Russian dissident Alexei Navalny’s memoir and the similarities between Russian and American politics are frightening. It’s no surprise to anyone in this country that we are living under a repressive regime that disrespects free speech and the rule of law. That is the case in many countries around the world today, but I believe most Americans never thought it could get this bad here.

As Navalny outlines political events during his short life, it becomes clear that Putin and Trump have a lot in common. They both are intolerant of any viewpoint not supporting them and they both will do anything to hold on to and increase the power and wealth they have.

When egomaniacal oligarchs assume power they are not satisfied simply bending their own people to their will. Their disease compels them to move to the next level. That means trying to take over countries beyond their borders and starting wars for no other reason than to give them more personal power.

When fighting an unconventional war you have to think out of the box and develop new strategies to defeat the enemy. The war that is being waged in this country by Trump and his people defies logic, morality, ethics and common sense. But he has the ultimate power and, so far, he has been able to do whatever he wants. The only sensible counterattack requires new strategies.

One of the impediments to having a government that should be fair and just for the majority is the two-party system.

The world is hardly black and white, yet we expect our country to operate within an unrealistic system that only offers binary choices. Life is not like that.