Now C'mon How Could I Have Possibly Known
Preface
Absolutely literacy is important, education matters and citizen awareness essential. The guaranteed opportunity to discuss and debate fundamental beliefs and ideas are critical for the well being of all of us.
After all, our very own Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states that, We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Well there you have have it. Education and literacy are all part of this magical stew, this American guarantee? Yes and we have the right to awareness.
Prologue
Some of you may be thinking at this moment just why am I stating the obvious or wasting everyone’s time with shopworn cliches. Give me something to think about you might indignantly demand. How do I shut down the spinning wheels of growing authoritarianism or even creeping fascism for heavens sake? I need the keys to success! Where are they?
Hm-m. I don’t think I’ve ever truly believed that a large majority of Americans actually believe this is so “self-evident” or that there are these rights that are that “unalienable.”
For me, our American history has so often revealed exactly the opposite of what we so casually declare, and so damn often. Wait just a minute you might interrupt; other countries are as guilty and hypocritical as we are. Undoubtedly this is true. But we Americans—being Americans—may have taken delusion and denial to a new level, an art form even.
The Unbroken Thread That Carries Us Along
I came across an article I wrote in 2019. One particular sentence held my attention for a moment: “Whether or not we commit national suicide remains to be seen.” I wrote this before the COVID global pandemic where millions of people died, Ukraine had not been invaded by Russia, Roe V. Wade had not been overturned and the Heritage Foundation Project 2025 hadn’t been handed over to the next president of the United States, among other things.
In 2019 Donald Trump was the President of the United States because we didn’t like that “elitist” and “pushy” woman back in 2016 named Hillary Clinton. The inauguration of Trump, a second time, on January 20, 2025 did not spring unexpectedly from the head of Zeus.
Yes literacy is really important, education truly matters and citizen awareness IS essential. But you have to believe and continually demonstrate this is the case and not merely mouth it when convenient or when it seems appropriate. SEE, The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in the hope ... that democracy would not get there, 12/13/2019
‘Blood & Soil’
Once again Anne Applebaum of The Atlantic has written another excellent article. This one is entitled, Every Election Is Now Existential.
“Nevertheless, the appeal that my friend received seemed to me a particularly striking, almost paradigmatic invocation of the blood and soil nationalism that is now part of Polish politics, American politics, and European politics.” (Anne Applebaum)
SEE, Every Election
David Brooks, a declared “old time” conservative, is a columnist for the NYT and has an interesting piece on the Democrats entitled, ‘The Democrats’ Problem are Bigger Than You Think. It’s well worth the read.
Brooks believes we are now in a global populist movement that began around 2010, which he refers to as a “world shifting movement.” He describes this particular period as a sense of social distrust that is pervasive across the globe and that social systems in general are believed to be both rigged and corrupt, and not supporting the population in general. Some examples of world shifting Brooks offers are the Russian revolution in 1919, the American New Deal in the 1930s and the anti-colonialist movement in the 1960s. SEE, Democrats' Problem
The keys to success you demand? Well, have you searched in all your drawers?
If you wish the sympathy of the broad masses, you must tell them the crudest and most stupid things.
We have to put a stop to the idea that it is a part of everybody’s civil rights to say whatever he pleases.
ADOLPH HITLER
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