(Gold star if you can name that tune)
The other day, a dear friend from across the pond messaged me, feeling sad and angry about the current state of affairs, not only here in the USA but globally. I responded that while I could empathize with those feelings — because I share them — we needed to find a middle ground so as not to become like them: cruel, vindictive, and hateful, in other words, MAGA.
Today, I wonder if it is even possible to find that "middle ground" in this grinding morass of venality we're experiencing. Every single day bears witness to increasing cruelty and inhumanity exercised by this administration and its supporters. The Supreme Court has turned its back on the rule of law, with only Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissenting. They have described the majority rulings as "shameful" and warned that some of their decisions could leave no rights safe.
Daily, we observe vulgarity and white supremacy becoming the norm among MAGA followers. The "shining light on the hill" that we once believed our country to be has now been exposed as a façade for corruption and greed, supported by an oligarchy of venal "robber barons" looking to reestablish the Gilded Age.
"Tax the Rich" is no longer just a slogan of the Left; it has become imperative for the continued survival of this country. There is no justification for the wealth of this nation to be concentrated in the hands of less than 1% of the population. I recently saw an illustration regarding Jeff Bezos's wedding in Venice, which compared spending $50 million on his wedding to a household income of $150,000. The comparable amount for that household would be about $32 — roughly the price of a sheet cake and some champagne! Tell me WHY we can't tax the uber wealthy and corporations that pay little to NO tax! Why should a teacher pay more tax than the president of this country?
The anger that I'm feeling, along with many, many others, across these United States (look at the numbers of people who came out in support of "No Kings Day) must be listened to by those we elected to represent us. It isn't enough for democratic leaders in the House and Senate to raise a fist demanding action, but to use what methods they have at their disposal in the parliamentary procedures of Congress to fight the passage of some of the most brutal and hateful legislation since Reconstruction!
The 4th of July is coming up, and across this country, there will be celebrations honoring the founding. I will be weeping at the slow deterioration of the Democracy we are supposed to be celebrating, and wondering what the future will hold for my children and grandchildren and all the generations to come here in the United States.
This is what happens when Pollyanna reaches her limits of optimism.
