Public Comment

Have you noticed that people are getting weird--in a bad way? To me, everyone is not quite the same. Trump's example of how to behave is giving bad people the green light that it is okay to overtly be a bastard, a racist, a sexist, and a money-hoarder.

It is not as though bad people didn't exist beforehand. They have merely decided that now is an acceptable time to come out of the closet with it. Then, there are the militant moral. These are the people who think they follow "the will of God," who believe that they are good because they go to church. Going to church and tithing to the church does not excuse obnoxiousness toward those who do not go to church and who can not afford to give away money. 

Politics and corporate abuses have hit a new low. People who could get by before are being pushed off the edges of society, just as, before Columbus, people believed if you sailed too far, you would fall off the edge of Earth. However, this is not a myth; people actually are falling off the edges of society, and this isn't good. 

Unemployment numbers are low; when people become homeless as a result of being fired, they probably aren't accounted for in the surveys and therefore are not counted among the unemployed. In unskilled work, firing is easily done, and some companies, as policy, fire people who've worked a few months in relatively unskilled positions. Rite Aide began this practice in the past year, if I judge from the turnover I have seen. 

Yet, also, people are acting weird. I mean, bizarre. People are seriously disconnected from facts. This is more so among the privileged. On the other hand, those who are closer to the brink are often more connected, since they have to be in order to avoid an increased level of dire circumstances. 

Many affluent people are out of touch with reality. Despite this, they are able to do well with finances. This, on the face of it, seems like a contradiction. It is analogous to putting blinders on a horse; only what is necessary is seen. If affluent people became aware of the ramifications of their actions or lack of actions on others, it might be excessively disturbing, and they would be unable to maintain their systems. 

The planet is systematically being killed by carbon emissions, by plastic and pollution in our oceans, and by other abuses. The quest for dominance and affluence is in contradiction with a sense of responsibility. People with money consider themselves superior. This is not accurate. 

When someone cries for help, we should help them. We should not put up a psychological, social, or physical wall to keep them out. While it is true that people abuse and slaughter mammals to get our food, this standard need not apply to the treatment of human beings. 

The U.S. President sets an example. This is part of the job description, whether or not it appears in writing, in our Constitution. The President should be one of the best examples of human beings, a role model for kids growing up and adults to look up to. The President should not be a con man, thug, and pathological liar. Trump is like Richard Nixon on steroids. If he believed he could, (and did believe he could, before he got into trouble) he would have the U.S. become a dictatorship, one in which rule could be passed down to his children. 

It is said of the Republicans that they lack spine, since, other than the late George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and the late John McCain, none of them dares defy the President. When the House of Representatives inevitably votes to impeach the President, I doubt that the Senate will do anything of significance. Because Republican philosophy entails serving oneself and not the American people. 

The U.S. needs to have some serious reforms if we are to remain viable as a democracy, or even to prevent more attacks from other countries resulting from Trump's weakness when dealing with foreign dictators. Our Constitution needs to be amended to account for modern-day levels of corporate and political corruption, as well as modern technologies that powerful thugs use to enhance this. 

In modern times, our political, social and psychological systems, that at one time seemed to work, are no longer adequate to deal with what we are up against. Human beings face dire consequences if we can not make ourselves evolve. 

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Jack Bragen's new book, "An Offering of Power: Valuable, Unusual Meditation Methods" is available on LULU.com, and in another month, should also be available from other sources.