Day: February 21, 2017

America is a divided nation. Deeply divided. The political/ideology divisions that exist today started a half century ago.  Donald J. Trump is simply the ultimate end to that which was set in motion in 1968.

Division has gradually made our government institutions less effective in resolving important issues,  government has become less representative of the people, party has become more important than country,  and fabrication has become more important than truth. Party and party agenda, as determined by the ideologues in power, now drives whatever might remain of the mythical American  dream.

Journalists and the press are now under almost daily attack by an administration more concerned with its leader’s own self image than with truth. Trump’s methodology is rather common to an authoritarian leader.  He is repeatedly and  methodically denigrating the credible media to convince the American people it presents fake news so a large share of the public will summarily dismiss everything it says. Especially anything thing negative about him.

We’re reminded of two well known phrases, Divide and conquer and United we stand, divided we fall. For the last half century there has been an increasing focus on, and shift towards the former rather than the later.

Near absolute power is the sought after crown jewel in politics. The party most effective at  controlling the machinations of the  power structure reap the reward of almost total power. Power to force their agenda and enact law enforcing it. Since 1968 the republican party and conservative movement have, by and large, been the party and ideology shaping the national political landscape. The result of this was the election of Donald J. Trump to the most powerful office in the land and across the globe. Division provided the results desired by the conservatives and the GOP.

The Trump presidency exists in a bubble, an article in The Washington Post today highlights the issue of division in our country in the present.