An Ugent Call To Think

In the book, To Fight Against This Age, by Rob Riemen we can clearly develop our thoughts around the crisis encapsulating the American Democratic ideals. Riemen writes of a lecture given by one of my favorite authors, Thomas Mann, at an American university in Los Angeles in 1940. Mann described his personal observation of changes being reflected in German society, how the shift in political climate emphasized following someone who was believable simply because he did not belong to the "political infrastructure", someone who promised to be true to the common man because he understood them, would do everything to keep their needs, interests, and freedoms at the forefront. We all know how blindly following these words can have profound and lasting consequences for humanity, yet...here we are in America...blindly following someone who spews these exact words, who foments anger, promises to take care of everyone, yet backs everything up with lies. Wake up America, the country depends on people in the Republican Party to actually THINK for themselves, to not be brazen enough to believe this person can "be controlled" once the power has been given, to see the handwriting on the wall, to effectively understand what history lessons can tell us and not operate in fear-mongering for personal or political gain. Sadly, we have not raised such an informed political elite, we have raised those who follow only their ideals - only what creates a name for themselves - what inures to greater power for themselves, yet to THINK, really consider as independently as the human brain has the capacity to do so, seems to sadly and unfortunately for America be out of reach. Mann, in his speech warned America that if Fascism ever came to America, it would come in the name of Freedom....I am cautiously optimistic that this resonates with the real thinkers in America.

We must also turn to the political maneuvers occuring in the highest court in America, I never would have believed America could fall so low, overturning Roe v Wade, allowing a "discussion" on whether a President can be held accountable....what? Why is a discussion necessary to hold anyone accountable for crimes? Let the facts suggest the action to be taken, not a diverse think tank of lawmakers who cannot get over their alliances and biases to apply the law without manipulation.

Each political party has their own agenda, that is true, but the people must actually think for themselves and apply logic, not false hopes and dreams. Equality for all does not mean, nor should it ever mean, that people need to have exactly the same "everything" that the next person has, what a false way of understanding what personal freedom and equality is meant to stand for.

Civil unrest in America has reached a crescendo the last few days, academic campus demonstrations have erupted causing media coverage and various statements about anti-semitism have risen, yet again, to the top of this conversation. While there are some who display this ideology, it must be stated unequivocally, the majority of Pro-Palistinian protesters are not anti-semitic - they are against the actions of the State of Israel, whose reliance on the word "war" seems to make it OK as a justification for their acts of decimating an entire population of people whose only crime is living in Palestine. The same can be said for those supporting Ukraine's efforts, it is not an ideology of anti-Russian people, it is anti-Russian government logic - this forces one to observe how media and leaders manipulate what actions are being displayed to spin them into something that creates chaos and fear. THINK....is supporting the continued eradication of a certain people the right, just, and moral objective, should we speak out or simply observe?

Should people across the world simply turn their heads - once again - and allow the forces of Fascism to turn a fundamentally good people into blind followers of promised "greatness" for all? These prophetic statements that everyone who actually THINKS can understand as an unacheivable ideal, but many desperately want to believe can happen for them are the breeding grounds of something far more sinister, far more undermining of a democratic infrastructure crumbling while the masses embrace the fall. We allow what happens to us, it is time to stop, educate ourselves and THINK.