In America today we are witnessing what could be called an uncivil war; one in which a massive divide exists between elements of this government, the business sector and the people of America; where little to no common ground or compromise on key issues can be found and the opposing factions are aggressively battling each other.
Within this government the two major parties espousing two distinctly different political ideologies, are constantly battling over key issues and the direction this country should take. Opposing elements in this society have developed seemingly irreconcilable differences on a wide variety of societal issues. Then we have the business sector, whose objectives and actions are largely at odds with those of the people.
So let’s examine further just how this war is wreaking havoc across this country:
There could be no better example of the great divisions in America than the recent violent protests in Baltimore over yet another incident where police used highly questionable and overly excessive force against an African-American citizen. This follows in the wake of many other similar incidents in various parts of the country that are indicative of the wide chasm that exists between law enforcement agencies and African American citizens.
Both sides need to work on reducing societal violence, while at the same time, making certain that rogue elements of the police agencies are brought under control. We don’t need to see more and more cities burning and neither do we want to see this country become a police state. But, so far, it seems to be an exercise in futility with neither side willing to work with the other to significantly improve relationships and reduce tensions.
This is only one example of many that illustrate how various opposing factions simply cannot reach common ground and are determined to have it their own way no matter how much harm and destruction they bring upon this country. Here are the areas of greatest concern that threaten this country’s stability going into the future:
*Republicans versus Democrats; the two simply cannot co-exist; their ideology and philosophies are totally incompatible.
*Corporations versus American workers; Corporate America divorced itself from the U.S. workforce after it fell in love with Chinese workers. U.S. workers want reconciliation, but the masters of Corporatism have no such intentions.
*War hawks against anti-war activists; those who facilitate endless war are winning this battle hands down as the U.S. government continues to operate under the influence and control of the Military-Industrial Complex.
*The richest Americans versus those that they consider to “occupy a lower station in life.” In America today there are some 536 billionaires and nearly 10 million millionaires enjoying a lavish life while some 47 million people on food stamps struggle to just survive.
*NRA against gun safety/gun control activists; the firearms industry is easily winning this battle.
*NSA against the American citizens and their rights to privacy, as the government’s spy agency listens in and collects their communications. President Obama, in the role of Big Brother, fully supports those actions against the people of this country.
*The Justice Department and President Obama wage war against whistleblowers and are determined to restrict journalists’ ability to bring government abuses to the attention of the American people.
*Climate scientists under attack by climate change deniers; scientists who are trying to save this planet and its inhabitants from a future catastrophe are under siege by ignorant, corporate-controlled politicians who say climate change is a hoax.
*The Christian Right against the LGBT community, gay marriage, and a woman’s right to choose. Why in the world do they call themselves Christians?
*Rising anger from racists and bigots against those of the Islam religion. We are seeing more and more intemperance and hatred toward others rising to the surface and becoming embedded in this society and culture.
*Aging, paranoid Caucasian men against minorities; old fossils absolutely terrified at the prospect of minorities becoming the majority in America, something which will happen in the middle of this century.
*Declining ethics and morality versus rising unethical practices and immoral behavior.
*Americans fighting against the fracking industry; people trying to stop this dangerous, toxic extraction process for oil and natural gas that is contaminating water supplies, causing dangerous air pollution, destroying streams, and devastating landscapes.
*Wall Street versus laws and regulations designed to govern their operations. Many white collar criminals who continue to scam the American people who should be in prison are being allowed to operate above the law.
Now there are those who will dispute that such an uncivil war is taking place in this country. They will say that conditions are no different than they’ve always been, that it’s not all that bad, and that there is nothing about which to be concerned. Well, just look at the headlines in your newspaper, the breaking news on the radio, and the constant conflicts and confrontations seen on TV; this is real, it’s happening day in and day out.
I recently picked up a copy of Time Magazine in which the cover stories illustrated exactly what I’m saying. One was, “The Attack on Gay Rights.” The second was “The Attack on Believers”, which included a sentence in the accompanying story that stated, “Traditional Christians find themselves under siege.” And then another article in the magazine was entitled, “The Battle of Indiana.”
When I try to understand why all this divisiveness is going on, why it has become so pervasive in this country, it seems to be due to a variety of very obvious reasons; the population of America, especially that of its minorities, is growing far more rapidly than that of Caucasians; LGBT and gay rights are advancing, the U.S. manufacturing sector has totally collapsed taking millions of well-paying jobs with it; and, above all, the inequity of wealth and income in this country continues to escalate.
Many people living under this kind of stress and frustration can take only so much before they begin to unravel. This government is doing absolutely nothing of any kind to even begin to address the underlying causes of the massive problems that are tearing America apart. I’m reminded of the words of Rodney King, shortly after he was beaten to a pulp by Los Angeles police in 1991 when he later said, “Can we all just get along?” However, I would change his remark slightly to, “Why can’t weall get along?” Who knows? But the fact is that we seem to be largely incapable of getting along in the America of today.
In most all European and Scandinavian countries the people bond together for the common good. As difficult as it is for Americans to understand and accept, the people in these countries have no problem with paying higher taxes because they know that they will be used for the benefit of all people, both the rich, the poor and those in between. That’s why so many of these nations have universal health care, either fully funded college education or generous government assistance. The people seem to really care about each other and the divisions are minimal compared to the deep ones we find here in the U.S.
Here in America we have an entirely different philosophy. We believe strongly that “it’s every man for himself”, it’s the “survival of the fittest”; we often hear the remark that “if you don’t work, you don’t eat.” And here’s a quote from a story I ran across on the internet: it goes like this: “I’m safe here in my lifeboat, there’s no room for you; so you can swim to save yourself.”
And so this highly destructive war rages across America, pitting American against American. Every one of these conflicts and battles between the various opposing factions serves to weaken the foundations of America. As Pogo, the comic strip character once said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
Let me refer to this famous quotation that I often use from one of America’s great Founders, Benjamin Franklin, who said, “”We must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
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