Why is Donald Trump so dangerous? Because he's sexist? Racist? Because he's ill tempered? Whether or not you believe any of that, none of those characteristics make him a danger to anyone. What makes him dangerous is the fact that will soon be President of The United States in all its authoritative glory. Thanks to Congress, The Courts, and the American people allowing previous presidents to push the boundaries of executive power unchecked, President Trump will have the authority to imprison Americans indefinitely with no due process. He'll have the power to collect information on anyone and everyone. He will be able to use the IRS to target political enemies. He will even have the ability to kill american citizens with no chance to argue their innocence. He can send the CIA in to undermine foreign governments, and install puppet dictators of his own. He will soon have the power to bailout his cronies with tax dollar driving our debt even higher. Most devastating of all, he will have the ability to wage war without a vote from congress, or consent from anyone. My worst fear is that he somehow might be as murderous as Bush, and Obama.
Is this the kind of authority we want anyone to have? Do we want to give infinite power to a central authority and cross our fingers hoping our next dictator will be benevolent? Do we want to be forced to physically, and financially support the en-devours of whoever can convince the small voting population they're "not as bad" no matter how disastrous the ramifications? Whether you like it or not, your money will go to whatever the next administration chooses even if it goes against every moral bone in your body. If they choose to deport thousands, then you financed ripping families apart. if they choose to torture Muslims, than you pay for the facility and the monster waterboarding another human being. Do we want to protest and scream "not my president!" or do we want to make a psychological change and reject all presidents, or anyone claiming authority over us as individuals? What if we decided not to support anything we are morally opposed to? What if the only way to get us on board with your "change" was to convince us to join voluntarily by exhibiting it's value with actions, and evidence, not just rhetoric? What if we weren't afraid of what our own government will do? Well, then it wouldn't be government.
Every single one of us is a free, unique, independent human being. Their is no banner of central authority in which we can all gather, because our beliefs, and ideas are not the same. 300 million people will never be able to agree on the best course for humanity, which is beautiful! Instead of conforming under one set of ideas, we can each plot our own course, apply our own ideas and let the world judge their value by our success and happiness. This way we can have millions of experiments testing ideas for a more prosperous world. Is democracy bringing us a more peaceful, prosperous existence? Or does it steal the hard work and energy of millions who are trying to make the world a better place? Politics focuses all effort on resisting the will and ideas of the opposing party, rather than working to achieve the goals of your own party, or yourself as an individual. What if we spent all that energy implementing changes is our own communities that other communities will voluntarily replicate once they see our success? I see so much passion for change being stifled in the political process. I see so much work being put into pushing or blocking legislation, campaigning, protesting, and all I can think about is how much good could come from such money, passion, and hard work if it wasn't sucked into the black hole of politics and recycled into hate.
We need to be making changes in our communities, in our homes, but most of all, within ourselves. We need to purge the thoughts from our head telling us that the world would be a better place if we could just force our ideas and beliefs on everyone else. We don't need to agree to live in peace. We just need to accept that we don't agree, and that's what makes us beautiful individuals. I hope this election gives everyone an opportunity to reflect on the political process, and whether it will ever produce the change so many of us are searching for. I will join in the chorus of "Not my president!" but i will scream that not only to Donald Trump, but to anyone who thinks they are my leader. I'm a beautiful unique individual. I'm the leader of my own life.
-Daniel