Trust the expert.
That's the advice that most of us, on some level or other, were taught to believe growing up, right? At least to some extent, we abided by that. In fact, there was a time in American history when it seemed that people were far too trusting of the powers that be. Quite literally, those days felt more black and white than our modern age, and in more ways than one.
But then, something changed. More and more, people seemed to wake up. They grew more skeptical. Questioned things more. Challenged the status quo.
All good, right?
Well, at first, perhaps. The 1960's remains controversial. Yet everywhere, young people challenged the old order, the status quo, and won. They forced change. Official, state sanctioned Jim Crow segregation officially ended in the United States. Women's rights made some major inroads. Even gay rights made progress. And the Vietnam War, which most people initially supported, grew more and more unpopular. Ultimately, American politicians had to pull our troops out of the conflict.
Yet, skepticism remained, albeit buried for a bit. There was still activism, but it seemed to die down over time. By the 1980's, it seemed that political activism in the United States was largely over. And we elected a president who urged people to be forever skeptical of government. That might have sounded good to many people. However, it ushered in a new age of politicians manipulating the public with skepticism of government, and then illustrating why their should be skepticism towards government officials once they themselves assumed power.
But people did not seem to get it. Over and over again, Americans voted against their own best interests.
The result?
A noticeable decline in our overall standard of living. It began with wage stagnation and attacking benefits in the 1980's, but it grew momentum. Now, MAGA has imposed a horrifying allegiance to blatant corruption at the very top of government. They cheer as democracy erodes. Now, our leaders actively seem to do things which compromise our standard of living. But they can always rely on MAGA support, can't they?
This cartoon illustrates that point. I did not mention any names of prominent politicians here. But I feel like I don't need to.
Everyone knows who this cartoon is about.
Political cartoons 24 March at 09:59 ·
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1521575743301413&set=a.279206474205019
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