People of the world, please know that most Americans do not agree with or support Trump. As the current U.S. administration continues to alienate and insult allies and others around the world, and as a U.S. citizen, I feel the need to send this out to whomever may see it.
First, Trump DID NOT WIN the popular vote for the presidency. The majority of Americans did not vote for him for president and he continues to lose supporters. The outcome of the election has left many of us feeling pretty powerless. Trump's approval rating as of 12/23/17 was 39% (Gallup.) This is high for Trump, but incredibly low for a president just ending his first year in office.
I attribute his rating to the fact that most Americans aren't ignorant, fearful, greedy individuals. We don't subscribe to the belief that the world operates as a zero-sum game and everyone else must lose so we can win. We know that when all people do better - not just the very rich- that all people do better. We believe that dialogue and diplomacy are the path to understanding and solving problems.
Through life experience, keeping an open mind and heart, observation has led me to understand that most people want an opportunity to live their lives, work, raise their children and follow their own religious/spiritual path. Power and greed are the problem. I also see the U.S. brand of capitalism as a big problem. We have been conditioned to focus on amassing "things," to the detriment of our development as human beings. One result of this has been that our technology so far outstrips our ethics, putting the whole world in danger. I don't think the U.S. is the only country in this predicament, but it is the culture in which I am embedded, so I feel a responsibility to critique it.
It would be easy to just wallow in hopelessness and complacency, and I admit I still spend some time there. Much better to get up, get involved in the political process, speak out, be active and contribute to the commons to help give a hand up to folks who are suffering. Goodness know there are enough suffering people in the U.S. and the world who are left behind by the folks with the most resources, leaving the rest of us to do what we can. This rambling post is leading me to commit to doing more positive work, maybe spend less time shaking my fist helplessly at the orange imbecile-in-chief. Anybody else have some thoughts?
