Where do we go from here?
I haven’t written a whole lot about politics since the U.S. election in which we, as a nation1, elected the convicted felon and treasonous Donald Trump back into the presidency.
Suffice it to say that I’m profoundly disappointed in, ashamed of, and embarrassed by the lack of moral character in this country that has led us back here.
But I’ve been hearing a lot of quips from liberals lately that have me worried.
“I guess I need to focus on taking care of me and mine for the next four years; I simply can’t be up in arms about every disaster.”
Isn’t that the behavior that has gotten us here? People neglecting to care for the rest of humanity and instead paying attention only to what affects themselves?
“Democrats need to take a page out of the Republican playbook and say whatever is necessary to get elected, and then just do what they think is right.”
Aren’t Republicans convinced that what they’re doing “is right”? “Whatever is necessary” sure leaves a lot up to interpretation. And when their actions are motivated by hate and fear, we have seen firsthand that the results are disastrous.
I recognize that these things are said out of a sense of defeat. What we’ve tried obviously isn’t working, so we need a new approach.
Right on cue, here’s Manton Reece, writing today after President Biden pardoned his son, with a subtly different sentiment:
Democrats need to rethink the old rules. Democrats need to say and do what’s right without giving a fuck what anyone else thinks. This pardon might be the first step.
My initial reaction is to pump my fist and give an enthusiastic “Hell yeah!” to what Manton proposes. To jump aboard the idea that we need to stop overthinking, gnashing our teeth, and fretting over every decision. Good on Biden for taking executive action where he sees fit. It’s what we elected him to do.
“Just do what’s right” seems like a simple and solid approach. Who could argue with it?
But I fear this “throw caution to the wind” attitude can lead us down a dark path. A slippery slope. The same one that MAGA/Republicans/Conservative/right-wing folks travel. One where we, like them, act out of self-interest rather than public interest. That we let fear and hatred of those across the aisle motivate us rather than love, kindness, and compassion for our fellow citizens of Earth.
We already call each other “monsters”. Villify each other. Refuse to see the humanity in each other. Do we really want to add another similarity to that list? That we, too, would say whatever it takes to get elected and then abandon any campaign promises to act solely on our gut?
I want to believe that if we all just do what’s right, we’ll make our way out of this mess to a better future. But without some consensus on “what’s right”, I fear we all start acting out of self-interest. And I just don’t believe more people acting in self-interest is going to do more good for the world.2
It’s late, and this turned more philosophical than I intended. I don’t feel like I’ve come to a strong conclusion, either here or within myself. More thought is necessary.
With, it turns out, less than half (49.82%) of the popular vote. You might not have heard since his win is often described as “a landslide”, but Trump got fewer votes than Biden did in 2020, and with a way smaller margin over his opponent. It’s just that he got the most votes out of all the candidates and, of course, the Electoral College win.↩︎
Perhaps that’s just it. Doing more good for the world seems to be fading from our vocabulary.↩︎