Normal Life

For the unfortunate few of us who pay close attention to the news, it seems that the country we know and love is being systematically destroyed day by day. In a matter of weeks, we have ceded the global leadership role that created a level of prosperity unmatched in the world's history. The institutions that made us the envy of the world are being dismantled, threatened, and undermined for no apparent purpose other than the ego of a malignant narcissist. The suffering is just beginning. It is as depressing as it is stupid.

And yet, if you are evaluating the impact that these destructive actions have on your day-to-day life, it is easy to look past them and assume you are not affected. It is easy enough to shrug your shoulders and go on about your life in the normal world. This is by design. The authoritarian playbook relies on keeping the masses placated while taking over the institutions and instruments of power. By the time you realize that these actions affect you, it is too late. They want you to continue living your life unbothered by their destruction.  

We wake up in the morning, make the coffee, and do our thing untroubled by kids dying in Africa, migrants disappearing, government being dismantled, universities being shaken down, law firms being threatened, or the media being sued and beaten into submission. You probably don’t need that cure for cancer today anyway. As average citizens, what can we do about the moral imperative to defend freedom and democracy? It is understandable that this is all just too much to contemplate. We’ve got our own normal shit to deal with.

But the damage is being done, and it will not be easily repaired. By the time we take back control of our government, we will be looking at a multi-decade process of repairing our economy, rebuilding our institutions, restoring our international relationships, reestablishing the principles of our republic, and bridging the divides that enabled this tragedy. We will come out of this, but we will be weaker, poorer, and less well respected than we were just three months ago. The federal deficit will be higher, the debt will be larger, and we will need to recreate the country out of the ashes left behind by a tyrant.

That will be the job for a new generation of leaders. Your normal life is not safe, and you are not protected. Let your voice be heard. This is your country, and you can take it back.