If You're a Democrat, Trump is Your Hero

A SERIES INTENDED TO HELP THE "LEFT-ALIGNED" SEE WHAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES (LET'S GET THAT BLINDFOLD OFF, MY DEAR FRIENDS!)

Wednesday, November 13th, 2024

Imagine you are sitting in Eden. All around you are gentle animals who will do to you no wrong. The trees and vines hang low with heavy fruit, herbs make the air fragrant, and vegetable abound underground, above ground, in all directions, as clean water trickles down rocks and into ponds, abundantly populated by fish and other aquatic life, all while the air hums with insects and the sky flickers with birds of all types.

Now imagine, someone whispers in your ear incessantly — you are hungry, you do not have enough, you are in danger, you are cold, you are hungry, there’s not enough to eat, the animals are dangerous, the night will be cold, your stomach is empty, you are thirsty, the water is dirty, the fruit is poisonous, you are in danger, your belly aches — and it goes on and on and on. What will happen to your mind? Your perspective? Even your experience? What doubts will be raised, and what will you come to believe is true?

We know what happened to Eve, when she was tricked and Adam failed to protect her. But, what if that same incessant whispering were to happen today? Sliding into our ears, our awareness, our minds, with endless persistence?

We don’t need to imagine what this feels like, because it’s happening to us right now and has been for years — so many messages showing up in front of our eyes everywhere, on billboards, in the mail, postcards, texts, memes, emails, phone calls, lawn signs, protests in the street, posters on windows and graffiti on walls. It is truly endless.

If you (and the people you love) have fallen victim to that sinewy, manipulative, siren’s call — there is hope — and it comes from hundreds of millions of Americans who have resisted the world’s most dangerous mind manipulators ever. These people are not special, and those who have fallen into darkness are not weaker or less than — the truth is, certain characteristics, life experiences, and sheer luck play a role in where we all stand today.

My goal is to share pieces of information that a “True Democrat” would have every reason to celebrate, one Substack at a time, chipping away at the layers of distrust, fear, and radicalization that have entangled so many — because the enemy of the people is powerful, immoral, and willing to do anything to capture our minds.

To get started today, let’s step back in time to the 2016 Presidential Election and the dreaded Trans-Pacific Partnership…

You may remember that most traditional Democrats were staunchly against the TPP, especially if they were paying attention to the core details of the plan.

In fact, when Hillary began to realize her future potential voters were paying attention to the details and were savvy enough to raise their eyebrows at the tremendous damage this multi-national trade agreement stood to cause, she actively and publicly backstepped, desperately trying to distance herself from what she had previously celebrated, pushed, promoted and heavily supported.

To refresh the memories of Democratic Voters, in particular, I’m going to bring in a Snopes Quote, because many people who self-align with the Democratic Party continue to place high trust in Snopes. And, this time, they actually got it right!

What was so bad about the TPP?

Of primary concern to American Liberals (who see themselves as caring about the environment) was the fact that the TPP would create a Trade Agreement Court of Appeals that could circumvent or overpower the sovereign rights of each member nation. In short, if Americans decided they didn’t want to allow DDT to be used by American Farmers, that was fine — but if we passed a law, refusing to import food produced by other member states that allowed DDT as a farming practice, then we (the USA) could be sued by that member state for breaking the TPP Trade Agreement. And, excessive fines or even a court order to allow the DDT contaminated/grown foods to be sold in our country could result.

Did only American Liberals care?

No! This is one of a number of issues where Americans on the Left and the Right are actually in agreement, and often for the same reasons. For example, Americans on the Right (especially those in farming heavy states) were extremely concerned about the TPP, partly because it would create devastating trade imbalances and unfair competition which would directly hurt American Farmers in myriad ways. Most farmers are deeply concerned about their home environment, because they and their kids and their communities also want to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and dig in clean soil. If other nations allowed cheaper farming practices and American farmers (held to a higher if not yet high enough standard) had to compete against those other nations, then they’d be dragged down into worse farming practices by powerful market forces.

No longer can we let ourselves be divided.

What’s terribly sad is that despite this and other frequent “common ground” situations, it has been politically expedient (for the left and right arm of corporate powers) to keep us confused and convinced that we are divided by extreme disagreement. And this is what we, the people, must overcome. This is what each and every one of us needs to focus on, so that we can pull ourselves up, out of the dark morass of political enmity — before it’s too late.

Why bring this up now?

Simple. In 2015-2016, I was completely focused on Bernie Sanders. I mostly ignored Hillary, and I entirely ignored Trump. I was rigorously focused on my goal, very careful to not waste time or energy, and I was unwilling to indulge in the excessive hate-mongering that surrounded the Trump Campaign. When I went to the DNC in Philly, and I saw fully behind the curtain, I was actually traumatized by the depths of deceit and manipulation that made up the Democratic Party and the DNC, and I took a full sabbatical from American Politics. I voted for Bernie, that November, but otherwise I turned off every screen and gave the entire pit of vipers no more of my time.

And then…

Donald Trump was to be inaugurated and, out of curiosity and respect for our political system (and knowing that only a child expects to always get what he or she wants), I took my youngest son to Washington DC for the January Inauguration. I wanted to see the people who were so excited to see Trump elected. Who were these fellow Americans? What were they like? It was like they were aliens from another planet, given that my home community is about as blue as blue can get! How would these people act, I wondered, and what were their goals? Plus, my grandfather lived near there, so it was a great excuse for my son and his great-grandfather to spend time together.

What followed next…

On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order removing the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), declaring an end to the era of multinational trade agreements.

My mind was blown! I, and many people “on the left” had been firmly against the TPP for months if not longer, and now — this new President, painted to be nothing short of the anti-Christ by many, had stepped up and followed through on his promise, in full.

Trump’s immediate and decisive action won applause from the left (that was still thinking clearly) as well as the right, as Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders told the BBC he backed the move because trade deals like this have typically been a "disaster" and cost millions of jobs.

To me, a person who had “ignored” Trump, this was a good sign. But, to the people who had adopted the “I hate Trump & will forever” attitude, it was missed entirely. And that concerned me…

Which is why I’m bringing it up today. President Trump is not an evil, magical creature Hell-bent on doing harm to Americans and the world. He’s just a man, now leading a huge nation, at the behest of a considerable percentage of American Citizens, at a time when the world is facing huge challenges and we — the people — can do nothing better than clear the cobwebs away from our eyes in order to see as clearly as possible what it happening and who are our potential allies.

It is time to work together, across the aisle, arm in arm, with our fellow Americans.

And, if there are enemies of our nation to be found amongst us, it’s not just the wealthy and powerful special interest groups seeking to manipulate the populace. It’s our fellow, everyday citizens who relish, celebrate and trumpet from the heights their pride and arrogance as they throw their friends, family and community members off the battlements, simply because they were brave enough and honest enough to say, “I hear what you’re saying, and I have another view, would you like to discuss it?”

Don’t be one of those people. Seriously.

Such attitudes combine the worst of the old Scottish Clan enmities with Romeo & Juliet familial disputes and the brutal, murderous drug cartel families devastating Central and South America today…

Choose better.

And, in doing so, choose to look upon President Trump, and everyone who’s flocked to his banner, with the clearest eyes you can muster.

Now is the time to learn more, expand our opinions, open doors in our mind, reconsider issues we’ve long considered settled, and do the work of tracking the details.

You have no business offering your opinion if it’s merely based upon talking heads spouting hateful rhetoric and social media memes.

Do better.