MAGA manipulation
Some who realize Trump has trapped himself with his own lies, deeds, and political clout, are having a giddy moment while legal teams scour through the debris of a demagogue.
Yet, we should never forget, that the man and especially the sentiment: Make America Great Again, MAGA, is still alive and kicking.
Bernie Sanders has an article today in the Guardian wherein he laments that 160 million Americans have the same amount of wealth distributed among their tattered selves, as do three wealthy American households.
Senator Sanders has been saying this for a very long time. Yet, somehow it is even more true now, than years ago.
It should be obvious by now, that the super wealthy by way of controlling our goods and services, such as media, distribution of overnight goods, food and fuel, and millions of wage-dependent employees, hold an overabundance of power.
MAGA is a way to regain control, even if it is an illusion. But will the exposure of it change American hearts and minds?
We are running on fumes, now
The “patriot” movements for power such as MAGA, as well as the forces for social reform, and justice warriors, all tap into the same energy. A loss of control. A righteous anger.
Everyone wants a say. They see that the ruling class has transformed a nation from one of a dream to prosper and thrive, to a nightmare of “needing to get by.”
Whether you are left or right, you are trying to have a piece of the pie. This wish makes consuming robots of all of us. People can be angry about being puppets, but they are still puppets, as are many ecosystems caught in the wires.
Nature is seen as resource. Our own inner nature, our belonging to nature, has become hi-jacked. We are wired for survival, and sometimes, rest and distraction. We are a social species, yet we are divided and hurting.
More junk and less belonging
An uneven control of wealth and goods gives us more junk and less connection.
Look at what we have to import from China to buy at our local discount store, and who is being enriched by big box stores. Look at the extraction, production, transport, chemicals and packaging, and resources. All of these requirements mean jobs, and jobs mean money to spend.
Nature is lost in all of it. Our precious water, soil, food, air, and even our patterns of weather and seasons are going. Our natural habitats are running on fumes. We still have plenty of fossil fuels, (and some say jobs) because of this system, yet, we have lost touch with the natural systems we once had by living within nature’s boundaries.
Pollution, noise, overcrowding, stench, and frustration are increasing. Lost are open vistas, birdsong, animal corridors, and natural social interaction among these things. Even the loss of the stars, by losing darkness at night and thus our spiritual connection to the universe, is being threatened. We have a lot more satellites now, and thus ways to move products, push media, buy shows, push trends, and distribute distractions.
Those with wealth and power see to it that you have to go to work to make the money to buy the stuff. They also move work overseas to cheaper workers. They are selling fuel, by way of subsidized fossil fuels, food and (non-food-like processed food), and every imaginable device to keep you from missing out, or avoiding a socially definitive trend in sports, entertainment, technology, getting rich, or whatever addiction most feeds your wayward path.
Today, even politics is a product to sell.
Why we do this
MAGA is not openly supported by most of the Mega rich, such manipulation is done in the shadows. Instead, what is sold to most of us is the idea of a sort of freedom of lifestyle that provides temporary relief, and maybe even hope that all the tech and glitz will save us.
Yet, only a sense of global tribal belonging, to the biosphere, can. This is why equality needs to become a global demand, not a ruling class tool for marketing.
When ideas of freedom and expression are tied to the idea of deregulation, and free reins on the market, you know you are being manipulated. When you are so tired at the end of the day that you just want to sink into the escapism of fast food or a mini-series, you are vulnerable.
Then, too, there is a whole layer of green-washing to look out for in this. We all want to be the good guy. Most people are neither on the extremes of left nor right. They are, however, firmly on the side of wanting someone to blame, so binary side-taking becomes the norm.
That is why, although Trump may be circling with swirls of stolen documents down the bowl of a golden toilet, his trumpeting is still heard loud and clear. It is why, although you may be on the side of justice and true patriotism, you are still being manipulated by media and merchandise.
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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.
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