The Major American Divide Is Between The Responsible And The Irresponsible Among Us
Sure some of the American divide is between political parties, between the educated and the ignorant, between metropolitan and rural regions, between the religious and the secular and of course historically between the races. Our years of pandemic, however, have shown that with foolish folks willing to risk their own lives and the lives of others by refusing to be vaccinated that the issues of responsibility is now the major dividing line among Americans and perhaps always has been the case.
Democracies are always a fragile form of governance whose purpose is to see to it that all citizens receive a fair chance in life. It thus depends on a large segment of the citizenry exhibiting a utilitarian spirit to want to see to it that the most good is done for the most people. These types we call responsible, fair-minded, adult personalities.
On the other side of the divide are the irresponsible, immature egotistically selfish folks that threaten the true spirit of American democracy. They want what they want, and they want it now by any means possible even if it requires attacking the United States capital. The way they look at life is that all good things that come to them in life is fair and proper, but advantages that flow to others unlike themselves is evil and somehow un-American. What they call personal choice, freedom and liberty is nothing more than a childish egotistical tantrum — self above all else.
In their world these adult brats are terrified of a multicultural democracy because in their stunted immaturity it is beyond them to comprehend that the success of others is not automatically a threat to their standard and status of life. Unfortunately when such immature folks make poor choices in life that harms them they feel driven to look for external reason for their setbacks and failures.
This is the opening to power that demagogic, vicious reptilian brained personalizes like a Donald Trump see to gain personal power over that of democratic people power. They exploit and identify with the self-indulgent needs of the resentfully immature and ruthlessly greedy to find scapegoats for what they see as a spoiled life. Such politicians in effect are fostering a societies’ sickness to gain power and wealth. And of course there are other social elements like rightwing media and sometimes entire political parties that profit big-time off the nation’s infantile citizenry.
Alas, such a juvenile, immature sickness is a tough nut to crack when it reaches the true believer stage. At that level of emotional intensity no amount of science, facts or grand truths can penetrate an ego drive mindset hell bent on blaming others for their life’s troubles. They are willing to sacrifice both life and country to their twisted thinking and behaviors.
