The manipulation of the American people by the rich and powerful, and by our own government, has become increasingly evident. We are manipulated through social media, through educational systems, and through capitalism. The ability to think and to intuit independently has been mostly erased. Individual power has surrendered into pathetic submission. Far too many people are completely reliant on others telling them what to do, how to live, and even what to believe.
Our history books tell us what the government wants us to know and to believe. Most of the news channels are driven by sensationalism, while truly relevant news (about the dire state of the natural world) is pushed aside. I often watch PBS news in the evening, but even that channel may not be totally reliable. To not watch any news at all would be like sticking my head in the sand. The news that comes across popular social media apps is questionable at best and is often interlaced with fake news.
For the past month, the news has been filled with doom and gloom, mostly depicting the horrifying war between Hammas and Israel. I have listened to interviews from both sides as well as our own government’s justification for its defense of Israel. Israel’s position is that Hammas must be stopped at all costs – and that cost has been astronomical, both in terms of lost lives and the total destruction of spaces that were once home to many. The Palestinians claim that they have been oppressed for years and that they have been denied one of the most basic necessities of life – water. They say that Israel wants to take away their land and their livelihood. So I am asking myself, why is our government backing Israel? Why do we continue to supply weapons to countries at war, when the last thing our world needs is more weapons? I am asking myself, who are the real terrorists in this situation?
It seems that Donald Trump is in the news most every day, although it is never because he has done anything good for the country, or for our planet. Mostly it is for his sneering, derogatory remarks about others, or his self-pity about how unfairly he has been treated. It was revealed that if he is re-elected in 2024, he hopes to have more control over government policies and the freedom to execute executive orders according to his whim. How blind are the people who support him! Do they honestly not see that he is deranged and manipulative, and that he has the makings of a dictator on the same level as Hitler? He needs to be locked away with the key thrown away, and denied all communication with the public.
I am disgusted by our government’s obsession with military strength and wars that do not involve us – yet. America has a collective bloated ego that blinds it to the real needs of our world. The covert manipulation must be exposed and we must demand the truth. We (Americans) may never fully understand the conflict between Hammas and Israel. We must take everything we hear with a grain of salt. Most importantly; however, if the United States is to be a world leader, we should be leading with peace and spreading more light, more kindness, and more empathy – NOT more weapons and more violence.
