Why I am concerned for America's future

I have voted in 14 presidential elections. I have voted for Republicans. I have voted for Democrats. I have voted for Independents. I have written in a candidate. On two occasions I voted for a major party nominee that I thought was actually a good choice for President. More often than not I have held my nose and voted for the less bad of two candidates. More often than not I voted for the loosing candidate. On two occasions I watched the voters elect a seriously bad President and watched as the most severe economic recession occurred.

For all of this I have not feared for the future of America. Our society is generally educated. Our principles are extremely progressive and inclusive. Most Americans at least say they support those principles. Our economy is large and strong enough to survive even extreme mismanagement and disruption.

But in this election something fundamental has changed. We have elected someone who clearly does not believe in American principles. A man who is unable to govern his own emotions. Someone who is not just racist (we've had racist presidents before) in private but racist in public. Someone who can not distinguish between his own delusional wishful thinking and reality. We have elected a pathological liar unable to be truthful when the truth would serve as well as a lie. Someone completely enamored of his own importance. Someone who is not just unfit or unqualified but someone who is actually dangerous.

Like many Americans I hoped, notwithstanding all evidence to the contrary, that in the process of forming a government Trump would choose people that while holding different views than I do at least held arguably rational reasonable views. That he might actually be an agent of change and appoint people committed to what is good for the American public. Enough appointments have now been announced that it is now entirely clear that this is not so. Rather it is clear that the same policies and people that created the problems America faces remain in positions of power.

I have watched as over the last 30 years we have abandoned the politics of policy and turned to the politics of party. As we have abandoned the notion that government should act to the benefit of the governed and bought into the absurd obscene notion that government's principle function is to support big business. As we have bought in yet again to the notion that somehow trickle down economics works to benefit the average person; never mind that we have tried it several times and it just doesn't work. I have watched as we changed American tax policy to favor big business and the wealthy arguing that that's good for the rest of us; never mind that we keep doing it and the result is wealth inequality that historically leads to societal collapse.

That's why I am concerned. That's why you should have a good think and decide if you are also concerned.

Just saying.