You pour your soul out to us several times a week. I’m listening and trying to follow through, but many seem to be stuck in their own comfort zone. I’m going to keep fighting until the bitter end!
I guess what amazes me is how, in Trumpspeak, being a "leftist" or a "liberal" has become a dirty word. Meanwhile, trying to find a perspective that is not utterly polarized, I started reading the books of Arlie Russell Hochschild, who, as a sociologist, (with an open mind, and empathy) has been working to understand the mindset of the people who are drawn to Trump. Then I intend to read some books by Mary Trump, in the hope of understanding Trump's psychopathology, which has become such a dominant force. Can we see the whole picture? Meanwhile, if I remember correctly, Professor Eddie's comment to Nicoll Wallace was that at this point, we don't know who we are as Americans. Can we find a unifying vision, while the culture wars continue to rage? Could we find some middle ground regarding the role of government in the nation, instead of gleefully attacking it with a chainsaw (which seems extremely juvenile and shortsighted?) Could we find some way of talking to each other instead of just attacking each other?
Trump sees the world through a lens of bias driven by the childish view that he, and those 'like him' are put-upon by almost everyone, it seems: women, LBGTQ+ people, Black, Asian, Brown and Native people, liberals, immigrants...you name it. His view unfortunately resonates with a large chunk of our population, largely those without benefit of higher education. When he discovered that manipulating people mired in resentment and nostalgia for a day when they were put at the head of the employment line by virtue of their heredity, gender, sexual orientation, etc., he rode that wave of resentment straight into the White House, where his views hardened further into a set of tools to hammer the rest of us with. And then there are the people he is in thrall to, who seem to have no point of view aside from an unceasing demand for more, more, more wealth--enough to protect them from those they exploit on a daily basis. And this is not just a theoretical exercise for me. While am white, middle class, straight and well educated, my child is only some of those things. They have worked incredibly hard to gain enough experience and expertise to do the job they do at a major university, but they could be described as a DEI hire, and cast aside 'just like that.' We ought not to tolerate this, whatever it occurs.
Dr. Eddie,
You pour your soul out to us several times a week. I’m listening and trying to follow through, but many seem to be stuck in their own comfort zone. I’m going to keep fighting until the bitter end!
I guess what amazes me is how, in Trumpspeak, being a "leftist" or a "liberal" has become a dirty word. Meanwhile, trying to find a perspective that is not utterly polarized, I started reading the books of Arlie Russell Hochschild, who, as a sociologist, (with an open mind, and empathy) has been working to understand the mindset of the people who are drawn to Trump. Then I intend to read some books by Mary Trump, in the hope of understanding Trump's psychopathology, which has become such a dominant force. Can we see the whole picture? Meanwhile, if I remember correctly, Professor Eddie's comment to Nicoll Wallace was that at this point, we don't know who we are as Americans. Can we find a unifying vision, while the culture wars continue to rage? Could we find some middle ground regarding the role of government in the nation, instead of gleefully attacking it with a chainsaw (which seems extremely juvenile and shortsighted?) Could we find some way of talking to each other instead of just attacking each other?
Trump sees the world through a lens of bias driven by the childish view that he, and those 'like him' are put-upon by almost everyone, it seems: women, LBGTQ+ people, Black, Asian, Brown and Native people, liberals, immigrants...you name it. His view unfortunately resonates with a large chunk of our population, largely those without benefit of higher education. When he discovered that manipulating people mired in resentment and nostalgia for a day when they were put at the head of the employment line by virtue of their heredity, gender, sexual orientation, etc., he rode that wave of resentment straight into the White House, where his views hardened further into a set of tools to hammer the rest of us with. And then there are the people he is in thrall to, who seem to have no point of view aside from an unceasing demand for more, more, more wealth--enough to protect them from those they exploit on a daily basis. And this is not just a theoretical exercise for me. While am white, middle class, straight and well educated, my child is only some of those things. They have worked incredibly hard to gain enough experience and expertise to do the job they do at a major university, but they could be described as a DEI hire, and cast aside 'just like that.' We ought not to tolerate this, whatever it occurs.