What Happens When Truth Slaps You in the Face; When Did We Lose Common Sense?!

During the last presidential campaign, I was tempted to voice where my head was, and more so, my spirit that invariably found closure as I analyzed and dissected two radically different campaigns styles. I elected not to make public social media pronouncements. As my spirit settled on one area of concern (similar to what I felt as I watched the conclusive results of  a losing 2016 effort to win the Office of the President.) my 2024 focus was pointedly on the street-level, boots on the ground practicality of what was occurring within both political party’s campaign and strategic thinking. Once again, as in 2016, the Democrats could not shake its intellectual arrogance. Democratic strategists empowered by powerful funders cloaked their national campaign within a privileged ambiance. And that non-populist mentality failed miserably to compete with the everywo/man’s candidate, a prior president who had the savvy to hold a political rally in “Da” South Bronx and also did a photo op on a Trump decal-laden garbage truck in Green Bay, WI. So, in two radically different geographical locations, a former president pulled off two vastly different successful political performances. It did not take much to understand that these poignant optics became embedded in the minds of far too many American voters. There was a presidential candidate who was a man of and for the people. However, such optics are not necessarily reality.

Throughout the last presidential campaign, political hacks, apologists, and Monday morning commentators routinely failed to understand that star-studded rallies to appease multi-million-dollar donors and tout celebrity supporters were off-kilter for the average person. Such events had little significance for folks who continued to struggle to make ends meet, put food on the table, work menial paying part-time jobs, and had more important family matters to deal then be engaged by political rallies attended by those who did not have to “struggle” to survive one day for the same ole thing the next day, and then ad nauseum.  Notedly, one presidential campaign failed to understand that most Americans are one paycheck short of facing homelessness and not being able to manage their staggering monthly debt obligations. Ten months after the 2025 Inauguration, a re-tread president purposely ignored that same reality.

            Retrospectively, back in the day, there was a misplaced solace in citing the importance of the popular vote when it played second fiddle to the stark reality of the Electoral College decision. And then, there was the off put need to find more solace by blaming the number of voters who purposely sat out the election and did not vote as if that negligence would have avoided the election outcome.

            Understandably, the losing party cowered behind vague PR attempts. Those mundane efforts sought to downplay the overwhelming feeling that far too many democratic voters were exhausted of the same ole tired Democratic Party BS routinely taken out of moth balls every four years expressly for a presidential campaigns. Once again, the Democratic Party post-election results was a myriad outpouring of shoulda, woulda, coulda jargon as the discussion shifted towards what to do for the 2028 presidential elections (soon to be followed by the people’s fervor surrounding the 2026 midterms) as those pointed discussions went into overdrive. Now, where are we?

Several months into the 47th’s spiraling downward slide with an all too willing disappointing ill-placed administration, the opposition party, with no elected power in DC, ponders how to recoup some respectable coming together with its base and independent voters. Truth and common sense are still meandering clouds the DNC and its congressional leaders cannot readily fathom. There is a quagmire falsely centered around traditional centrists vs. progressive political activists. Old heads versus the younger generation. Digital savviness versus pre-scripted statements in front of a Senate podium or in the halls of the Capital where TV cameras are pre-set up for such “spontaneous” political pontifications. Is it the dismissed cultural, racial, class, gender nuances, or the ongoing intransigency of the stalwart  MAGA folks that continue to uphold the pillars of the 47^th’s power? And how does the opposing party construct a viable, definable, and long-lasting counter movement? Is the simple or complex answer to…

Give the people, the base, what they want?!  

As the party in power continues to unabashedly solidify even more power under a charismatic, ego-driven leader who appears to be politically ruthless, somewhat amoral, self-centered, thin-skinned, and an unabashedly vengeful president, 47 keeps his swollen ankles on the neck of American democracy. The result? The Constitution is in a state of erosion and denigration. Forty-seven is vigorously supported by staunch adherents, followers and righteous minions who fear his retribution, so they follow his direction without question, lack political courage, or basic common sense. And as the indecisive opposition party continues to ponder myriad approaches, its leaders remain hopelessly perplexed as to what they can and need to do. And though the people are stealthily focused on building a massive national resistance movement, a single  leader is yet to emerge though a few blue state governors (most notably Gavin Newsome) and congressional representatives (more than a handful especially women) are making in-roads providing real talk and preliminary resistance solutions to the nation’s citizenry while strategizing measurable opposition possibilities.

Similar to other times in the country’s history, marches, protests, the media (and in a strange way TV commercials) supplemented by individual acts (hunger strikes, civil disobedience, jail time) have made a difference in re-shaping the realpolitik and singlemindedness of the majority of citizens. And often those generational efforts have led to changes in federal or state laws and ushered in newly elected representation in DC intent on changing the prevalent political landscape.

The ”No Kings Day” supporters, activists and the “silent majority” who are beginning to find their public voice. They desire and demand an urgent need for proactive bold leadership that is not cloaked in fear, apprehensions, and have the fundamental ability to transition their words into real proactive change that emboldens national actions.

Give the people what they want. Listen to them and act. Engage them and act with them.

One political party understands these rudimentary facts and are purposely enacting them without apology or fear of what might happen if they lose power to the opposition. The other political party (yeah, think Democrats) who continue to be willy-nilly in any unified stance continues to be engulfed by an albatross of inaction and meaningless platitudes as it tries to rein in what happens when truth smacks you in the face and common sense disappears. At this point in time, it must be noted that regardless of a needed change in Democratic Party leadership at the highest levels …

The people will take what they want. And making America great again, may not be the clarion call that it used to be. Cases in point…Let’s…

            Make American Great Again by giving Argentina 30-40 billion dollars while not providing full SNAP benefits to Americans, a 47^th  decision  that was reinforced by a recent SCOTUS decision. At best, when the dust settles, 47 may capitulate and sanction a payout of half of the average $188 monthly SNAP to citizens in the majority of the “united” states. And if that presidential action is not onerous enough, 47 plans to import Argentinian beef and castrate the potency of American cattle ranchers. Make America Great Again is allowing the erosion of the American shrimp industry and loss of a livelihood for shrimpers due to imports that account for 94% of shrimp consumed in America. A recent 47 tariff of 10% for Ecuador and Argentina may be too little too late since the American shrimp industry has already been decimated. Unbelievably, American tax dollars to the tune of billions underpin foreign shrimp aquaculture development. I suspect that is what Makes American Great Again. So…

            Make America Great Again by publicly stating that masked ICE agents need to be tougher in their actions by arresting teachers in a classroom with children and parents watching; by breaking car windows to get to the defenseless person inside; by chasing down day laborers who are trying to earn meager wages to provide for their family; by terrorizing students at all levels of the education spectrum, and by not going after the predator gang members, rapists, and criminals that were promised to be deported as part of a presidential campaign. Maybe, the reason is what had always been the mark of a punk, a characteristic germane to many current ICE agents. Punks reign uncontrollably within the ranks of poorly trained ICE personnel, far too many who failed the basic competency tests to become an ICE officer. If society pines for honesty, the fact is that many ICE agents routinely torment and terrorize those who cannot fight back while avoiding gangbangers who will bring the same weaponry and savageness that ICE punks use on those they bully. ICE understands that Tren de Aragua will not fight back by throwing sandwiches. Let’s go on to…

Make American Great Again by taxing working class Americans to further enrich the top ½ of 1 % via tariff schemes that strip away a critical power of the Congress.

 Let’s accelerate Make America Great Again by manipulating election districts throughout the country to ensure Republican control of the national government in upcoming state and national elections and worry later that such actions will subsequently empower redistricting methodologies in blue states.

Make America Great Again by destroying the integrity of the White House grounds to replicate a Mar-A-Lago styled ballroom that may be named after 47 and not serve the partying needs of most Americans. We will persevere to…

Make America Great Again by throwing a lavish Great Gatsby Halloween event while Americans have been furloughed, fired, and forced to feed their families through the graciousness of still operating local food banks and make essential federal employees work jobs without a paycheck. Let us  wonder whether or not those federal employees will still have usable benefits without  necessary deductions from a paycheck? Some will continue to Make America Great Again. However,…

Just remember, the people will eventually manifest what they need.

            While the DNC continues to be fraught with too many “cooks in the kitchen” debating what to serve the people, the people have made it clear. They want an affordable life style to raise children and support grands, protect seniors, have adequate health care, and facilitate equitable well-paying  jobs to enhance one’s socio-economic status in life regardless of race, culture ethnicity, gender, religion. And furthermore, to empower America to transition back to being America without its ingrained generational social ills particularly attitudes pertaining to race and the validity of non-white cultures. Regardless of political party, elected leaders are destined to give the people want they want; what they need. And that is not a complicated agenda. It is only a matter of time and who will stand with and for the people.

            Simply, leaders must enable the people to remain the bulwark, the pillars, the foundation to continue to create a more viable and inclusive American society.

As for those people denied, what happens when there is no longer affordable health care nor access to rural or community-driven hospitals or clinics? No individual or family financial resources to have access to available child care? No affordable produce for food shopping, or worse, the lack of staple products  on grocery shelves (re-visit the COVID period) and the eventuality of closed food pantries even with  usable nutritional staples rotting in governmental warehouses.

Make America Great Again or Make America First…minus….

Continued Hunger. Starvation. Sleeping in the streets. Stealing to survive. The proverbial “dog eat dog” mentality pumped up by disillusionment with no real choices for a decent life. What happens when there is no hope, desperation, or giving up?

What will the people resort to do? The Haves? The Have Nots?

Global and American history have taught of us dire lessons as to what happens when desperation is deeply rooted in one’s or the collective community’s psyche?

            What happens as America Is Made Great Again?

 

 

<><><> 

This essay is the initial sharing of “Meanderings,” an every so often glimpse into the mindset of  aaduna’s publisher, bill berry, jr.

 

An Afterthought for readers, #1:

The question is not what you look at, but what you see. – Henry David Thoreau

 

An Afterthought for readers #2:

Here is a supposedly Thoreau story that elected leaders, progressive activists, and community allies may want to ponder:

Thoreau was arrested for protesting an injustice. While in prison, Waldo Emerson visited him, and Emerson asked, “Henry what are you doing in there?’  Thoreau replied, “Ralph what are you doing out there?”

 

Some lessons are easily learned; others require a different type of mettle, maybe an adopted profile in courage.

-bill