Diminishing Democracy

We have had almost six months of Donald J Trump as President of the United States of America. It has been a wild ride of fake news alternative facts and epic tweet storms. It has been rather appalling to witness how divided the US is right now. This in know way is an accusation toward President Trump. Trump's election has maybe shined a light on this division and or empowered some to finally shout out their views. Maybe it is the power of the internet with its wealth of information and the user's ability to go and get just what he wants from it. Anyway you slice the division it is here and in your face a good amount of the time. But this division did not just pop up this November or January. It has been around

The division is so great that neither side has any morals to stand behind. They simply dig their heels in and wish to either silence or shout over the other side.  There is no discourse, no logic no attempt to understand the opposition, only attempts to discredit ignore or bash the other side.

I am stunned at the current pervasive narrative the the Russians have hacked the election. This is primarily sourced from the party on the left. They would have us believe that without the Russians we would have the blue lady with as President.

This is contemptible on many levels.  It undermines the very process that makes our Republic great. A fair election. Without that basic premiss that our elections are fair destroys the very basic and long lived principles of Democracy itself. This is so far reaching and dangerous it paints a picture of a country not of laws but of lies.

Now I am not so dull to think the Russians did not try to influence the election. In fact I am sure they did, as did the interests in the UK and EU, Middle East, the Orient, Latin America and etc etc etc. Of course they tried to influence, all of the above. One of the most important political races on the planet and anyone can donate toward the mega media orgy know as the US Presidential Election. To think that foreign national have NOT been trying to influence the election now that would be news. Of course they did.

But was it the deciding factor? So far  those that argue it was are doing so with one and only one agenda. Discredit the election of President Trump. While there might be a crusader or two that is headlong in this becuase of defending democracy, bravo to those that are. But this narrative so mirrors the birther mentality of eight years ago. By going with the narrative they are either wittingly or unwittingly undermining Democracy itself. If there is no faith in the election process there is no Democracy. If you do not agree with the results the winner is not my leader.

This is a travesty and should be viewed at as just so. Our elections are fair and yes someone is trying to influence your vote. But when in the voting booth I am alone in a safe environment. I am able to vote for whom and for whatever I chose. So was every other American.

Next I would like to present the News. The Fake News You can't trust the News. Biased Liberal Media This narrative from the those on the right is equally if not even more dangerous than the election “hack”. Now do I look at news as the ivory tower disseminating events and pushing them down to the public in it purest and truest form. Of course not. Can I agree that there has been a slant in the media toward the left for sometime. I can and there still is I would add.

One can just look at the election of Obama and Trump in their first terms. Obama it was ballons confetti smiles and joy everywhere you looked from station to station. Fast forward eight years you see solem faces disbelief and overall sadness everywhere you looked from station to station.

But is all news fake? Or only the news that does not write your script. Now I have always liked my news from multiple sources. I have always looked at facts as something to be shot down rather than taken at face value as indeed a fact. Seen it happen too many times. But all news is fake? Then whom are we to believe. This puts the Occupy Democrats or Breitbart News or even Facebook as the ultimate sources of News. And what is fake and what is not relies heavily on your opinion and little to do with facts or reality.

Drawing from a narrow well of only those that share your view is dangerous place to drink. But that is the message out there right now. And you can only trust fox or cnbc whatever. It is not a good message at that. Being able to totally control your story tailored to those that love you and chastise those that oppose you is a dictator's dream or often enough sadly a reality.

There is good news out there you just have to hunt and peck. Google is your friend as you can just highlight it and left click and boom you're searching for it. You can check the other articles out see if there is a consistency. If you rely on one source and one source only expand your view. If you are only reading from outlets consistent with your view get out there and roll around a bit

Without a free press we have no free society. The ability to report is necessary for a healthy nation. Sure some secrets will come out and some untruths and smeers. But we must demand more of the press not polarize and go to our own sources.  

So at this point the blue team is trying to undermine the election and the red team torpedoing the free press. Both of which are needed for our great system to work.

But how does this help the Red White and Blue team? It does not.

It diminishes our Democracy. Maybe this is something that both parties want and are in fact colluding with one another to achieve. Having a captive political base only willing to listen to their perspective side and discrediting anything from the opposition. Never dreaming of voting against the party line. Discrediting any loss as an unfair process and thereby no need to accept it. A quagmire in the Capital because the other side is so damn stupid on every level and just plain fundamentally wrong.

This is the road we are traveling right now. We should turn and quickly from it and find a better path

We have had almost six months of Donald J Trump as President of the United States of America. It has been a wild ride of fake news alternative facts and epic tweet storms. It has been rather appalling to witness how divided the US is right now. This in know way is an accusation toward President Trump. Trump's election has maybe shined a light on this division and or empowered some to finally shout out their views. Maybe it is the power of the internet with its wealth of information and the user's ability to go and get just what he wants from it. Anyway you slice the division it is here and in your face a good amount of the time. But this division did not just pop up this November or January. It has been around

The division is so great that neither side has any morals to stand behind. They simply dig their heels in and wish to either silence or shout over the other side.  There is no discourse, no logic no attempt to understand the opposition, only attempts to discredit ignore or bash the other side.

I am stunned at the current pervasive narrative the the Russians have hacked the election. This is primarily sourced from the party on the left. They would have us believe that without the Russians we would have the blue lady with as President.

This is contemptible on many levels.  It undermines the very process that makes our Republic great. A fair election. Without that basic premiss that our elections are fair destroys the very basic and long lived principles of Democracy itself. This is so far reaching and dangerous it paints a picture of a country not of laws but of lies.

Now I am not so dull to think the Russians did not try to influence the election. In fact I am sure they did, as did the interests in the UK and EU, Middle East, the Orient, Latin America and etc etc etc. Of course they tried to influence, all of the above. One of the most important political races on the planet and anyone can donate toward the mega media orgy know as the US Presidential Election. To think that foreign national have NOT been trying to influence the election now that would be news. Of course they did.

But was it the deciding factor? So far  those that argue it was are doing so with one and only one agenda. Discredit the election of President Trump. While there might be a crusader or two that is headlong in this becuase of defending democracy, bravo to those that are. But this narrative so mirrors the birther mentality of eight years ago. By going with the narrative they are either wittingly or unwittingly undermining Democracy itself. If there is no faith in the election process there is no Democracy. If you do not agree with the results the winner is not my leader.

This is a travesty and should be viewed at as just so. Our elections are fair and yes someone is trying to influence your vote. But when in the voting booth I am alone in a safe environment. I am able to vote for whom and for whatever I chose. So was every other American.

Next I would like to present the News. The Fake News You can't trust the News. Biased Liberal Media This narrative from the those on the right is equally if not even more dangerous than the election “hack”. Now do I look at news as the ivory tower disseminating events and pushing them down to the public in it purest and truest form. Of course not. Can I agree that there has been a slant in the media toward the left for sometime. I can and there still is I would add.

One can just look at the election of Obama and Trump in their first terms. Obama it was ballons confetti smiles and joy everywhere you looked from station to station. Fast forward eight years you see solem faces disbelief and overall sadness everywhere you looked from station to station.

But is all news fake? Or only the news that does not write your script. Now I have always liked my news from multiple sources. I have always looked at facts as something to be shot down rather than taken at face value as indeed a fact. Seen it happen too many times. But all news is fake? Then whom are we to believe. This puts the Occupy Democrats or Breitbart News or even Facebook as the ultimate sources of News. And what is fake and what is not relies heavily on your opinion and little to do with facts or reality.

Drawing from a narrow well of only those that share your view is dangerous place to drink. But that is the message out there right now. And you can only trust fox or cnbc whatever. It is not a good message at that. Being able to totally control your story tailored to those that love you and chastise those that oppose you is a dictator's dream or often enough sadly a reality.

There is good news out there you just have to hunt and peck. Google is your friend as you can just highlight it and left click and boom you're searching for it. You can check the other articles out see if there is a consistency. If you rely on one source and one source only expand your view. If you are only reading from outlets consistent with your view get out there and roll around a bit

Without a free press we have no free society. The ability to report is necessary for a healthy nation. Sure some secrets will come out and some untruths and smeers. But we must demand more of the press not polarize and go to our own sources.  

So at this point the blue team is trying to undermine the election and the red team torpedoing the free press. Both of which are needed for our great system to work.

But how does this help the Red White and Blue team? It does not.

It diminishes our Democracy. Maybe this is something that both parties want and are in fact colluding with one another to achieve. Having a captive political base only willing to listen to their perspective side and discrediting anything from the opposition. Never dreaming of voting against the party line. Discrediting any loss as an unfair process and thereby no need to accept it. A quagmire in the Capital because the other side is so damn stupid on every level and just plain fundamentally wrong.

This is the road we are traveling right now. We should turn and quickly from it and find a better path