Two weeks with family in Idaho and Montana: no newspapers
read, no TV watched, little radio heard.
Another week fishing in the British Columbia outback: no newspapers, no
cell phone, no wi-fi, no radio. Clearing
the head. But now, back in this gruesome
reality of Russians, Repeal, Replace, Resist -- my head is ready to explode
again.
One of my acquaintances, a Libertarian Trump voter, counsels
“Get over it!” Another expresses a
Pollyanna confidence in America: “this, too, will pass.” A third says “I’ll wait; folks will get fed
up and then we’ll be ready for a change.” Basically,
all three are counselling me to sit back and let things play out; it is what it
is.
Sorry; that’s not good enough for me. Don’t misunderstand: these are friends I admire
and respect. We simply agree to
disagree.
Of course pendulums swing over time, but unless given a
shove, unless the spring is wound, pendulums eventually just run down and stop. Entropy can be guaranteed to stifle change
and cement the status quo. And ours is
not an acceptable status quo.
My friend who styles me the Pessimist, the Cassandra, the Alarmist,
who counsels “relax, this too shall pass”, is implicitly saying he expects
the Supreme Court over the next twenty-five years to come to its senses; to realize on its own that
cash is not speech, that legislative gerrymandering endangers representative
government, that corporations and labor unions are not constituents. Fat chance of that. There’ll be no correction
without intervention.
As for my “Libertarian” friend, he will be content with all
sorts of government intrusions into personal and public life so long as he gets
his tax cut and the estate tax is eliminated.
After that, who cares if this administration abdicates renewable energy leadership
to China, intrudes into reciprocal trade agreements (he’s a significant
importer of French products, by the way[1]),
increases the Federal deficit and debt, and puts more young Americans into
danger overseas.
No. To make this pass, to not “get over it”, I need to exert
what little energy and leverage I have.
I start with my representatives and Senators – at both state and Federal
levels. Washington State is an
opportunity. A consortium with other
blue states on emission standards, carbon taxation, health insurance pools, promotion
of multi-state membership medicine, perhaps even drug price negotiations, can
turn “Federalism” and “States’ Rights” – red state ideals, after all – to our
advantage and overwhelm central government mandates. California is showing the way; hats off to
Jerry Brown. Our Governor Inslee just
vetoed a gratuitous business tax cut; hats off to Jay, also. And it’s high time the US Senate took back war
powers and exercised foreign policy oversight.
Lots to be done . . ..
2018 can be the turning point – if we get out and make it
so. It will take money, effort, and
positions on policy that unify and speak to a broad swath of middle America. It will take being seen as working to solve
problems, not mindlessly resisting. It
will take being seen as working – even working with Republicans -- to remove barriers to the American dream of
equity, justice and opportunity.
Now, step by step, I’ve got to turn those lofty words into
action. Stay tuned.
[1] We
run a large and growing trade deficit with France, which Trump will likely spot
after his loss of face with Macron.
I'm with you; sitting back is collaboration! However, we watch a lot less news programs, try to read outside our "silos" and make sure we're in touch with the important things, family, the natural world, creative activities. We look for opportunities to resist respectfully but clearly, participating in every single election to undo the damage of too many years of inattention. Enough of us will take back the institutions of government that we look to to protect our fundamental freedoms and a future for our children. I'm with you on Toynbee and that pendulum, but we've got to wind the clock!
ReplyDeleteGreat piece, Fletch, but boy it's difficult to not give into political fatigue. I've heard from a few activists that one has to choose a single issue (environment, gerrymandering, etc.) and stick with it. Otherwise, one is likely to go chasing after one daily outrage after another. I'm growing closer to choosing one thing to hopefully make a difference in.
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