The trouble with thinking is it leads to more thought

In a world where trying to make things make sense seems to be a road to nowhere, it would be easy to stop thinking at all, and that's precisely what Trump wants.

In this war on the very fabric of American society, those of us who have chosen to take this fight to the enemy wake up each day and report for duty in anticipation of more deceit and misdirection. What makes it increasingly difficult, certainly for me, is that tragically, leadership is absent from this conflict. I don’t know about you, but I have never been so fired up about anything as I am about this fight. But something is missing. And that something is leadership.

This is probably the most outspoken piece I have ever written on Substack, and I stand behind every word. If you are a Democratic Party fanboy or fangirl, I suspect this is not the piece for you. However, if you’re a terrified pragmatist who can’t see a way forward, this is likely essential reading. Given criticism of my verbosity from time to time, I have split this into two pieces; otherwise, it would be a very long read.

There is no question that the Democratic base is, as Obama put it, ‘Fired up, ready to go’, yet leadership has left the field of play. America is on the verge of a falling democracy; some might even say it’s already fallen. While I realise some of what follows may seem controversial. I believe we could be standing on the precipice of hope, and that hope is not coming from Democratic leadership, who have decided to circle the wagons to retain their seats on the gravy train. The hope is coming from the American people themselves, and that should put fire in all our bellies in this moment.

Let me try to explain. You can’t fight tyranny in the absence of vision and a willingness to break the glass. You can’t fight tyranny in fear of losing your seat on the gravy train. You can’t fight tyranny with self-preservation and an absence of the audacity of ambition. You have to be all in, and I see that unwavering commitment in the everyday resistance of the American people, to whom I offer high praise in this moment of peril. It’s that resistance—the very foundation of the American dream — a dream that the top 1% have spent decades attempting to snuff out with the sole aim of creating division to achieve it.

Millions of SNAP recipients are literally facing the possibility of starvation as a result of this administration’s premeditated criminal intent to wage war on the most vulnerable in society. They have decided to weaponise the misery of the vulnerable to force Democrats to capitulate and reopen the government, in return for an ACA extension up to the midterm elections, so that if they lose, they can lay the expiry of the subsidies at the feet of the Democrats. Let’s be very clear, even if Democrats agreed to their demands, history tells us there is no guarantee they would negotiate in good faith and would likely insist on further compromise.

What keeps the American spirit alive in my mind and truly represents the values of this nation are the tens of thousands of everyday Americans stepping up to donate to food banks and deliver food to their neighbours who will lose access to SNAP. Trump and his sycophants might be monsters, but the majority of the American people are kind and caring people who understand the importance of this moment and the message it sends about caring for those less fortunate than ourselves.

I believe in Americans and the American spirit, because it’s that same spirit that built this nation before the top 1% decided to steal it. I’ve seen and experienced it firsthand over the years, both in business and when travelling for pleasure to the US. Governments govern by consent, and it’s clear to me that the majority DO NOT consent. It’s time for Americans to use their collective voice and economic power to take their country back from a convicted criminal extortionist tyrant squatting in the White House.

I would add as a side note that every contribution to feed a family cut adrift by its government is welcome. However, if you have the option to donate directly to your community food bank, it will provide more value for your buck. Often, food banks have access to discounts on bulk food purchases, allowing your donation to go further. Now I know that some of those wanting to support families may be struggling themselves, but are happy to make an extra meal or two for a neighbour and be in no doubt, such critical kind gestures WILL make a big difference.

When Martin Luther King said those immortal words, ‘I have a dream’, he spoke for anyone who has known struggle, anyone who believes that we do not have to succumb to the monied class, pitching us against each other, creating a divide never to be bridged again. He spoke to everyone left behind: the persecuted, the poor, the disabled and the vulnerable. History tells us that even in the darkest of moments, hope finds a way to guide us back to the light. As Einstein said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

You can call me an old romantic, but I can personally attest to the fact that within us all is the strength to stand up and say ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’. It may be harder for some people to find, but I promise you it’s there. I could not have survived without the Salvation Army Food Bank. I was forced in that moment of despair, for the first time in 45 years of my working life, to turn to social welfare. Following the collapse of my business during COVID, and the despair I felt at the loss of my home of 20 years, it almost caused me to take my own life. Were it not for the kindness of a complete stranger who recognised my distress, you would not be reading this today.

I felt shame, failure, and a deep sense of worthlessness that comes from a society intolerant of those forced to rely on ‘handouts’ as they like to portray them, despite it being simply cashing in on your contribution after paying into the system all your working life. I tell you this not to elicit sympathy, but simply to say that, with the support of others, while it may prove challenging, there is always a way back. I may live a much humbler life today and begrudge every overpriced rent payment I make, having now been excommunicated from the property ladder for the sin of failure at age 63. Still, strangely, without the privileged trappings I once enjoyed, I am at ease with my life away from the rat race.

The critical point I am trying to make here is that I do understand hardship and despair, and that is what shapes my anger and my determination to always provide commentary and analysis from a place of empathy and understanding. Failure gave me the gift of cautionary assessment, making me mindful of the dangers posed by the loss of even tenuous financial security.

I can tell you without fear of contradiction that the US economy is living on the edge and is being propped up by a fantasy narrative designed to deliberately deceive the American people while the rich hoover up all the money. The US economy is the Titanic steaming towards the iceberg, and we are all trapped in steerage. Meanwhile, Trump is shuffling the deckchairs on the upper deck, preparing to jump in a lifeboat with his rich friends. At the same time, the world goes down in the aftermath of his gross incompetence, resulting in catastrophic failure. If he’s allowed to continue to walk down this path of destruction, I’m afraid we’re all f*ucked (apologies for the expletive).

We should all work on the assumption that Trump does not give a damn as long as he’s filling his pockets with your money and his enablers have no intention of standing in his way because they, too, are busy enriching themselves. I hate to say it, but the Democrats appear to have no intention of riding to the rescue either. The shutdown fight is tragically just a drop in the ocean of the level of action required, and that’s why I believe there is no political solution to this existential threat.

The truth is, there needs to be two revolutions, and the first of those needs to be in the Democratic Party. Now bear with me here because this may well upset some, but please go away and think about what I’m about to say before clogging up my comments with disapproval. (not that I care much if you do, to be honest). What I need you to understand is simply two things:

1. Trump is so far underwater on favourability ratings that he needs a pressurisation chamber.

2. Democrats are so far underwater on favourability ratings that they need a pressurisation chamber.

In the upcoming elections in November, Democrats will massively overperform as they have to date this year, and the DNC will flood the zone with ‘We’re turning the corner’ emails, telling you your money is working. If you believe that, you need to seek urgent psychiatric help, because you would be better off spending your money on a therapist than sending it to the DNC.

What you are about to witness is a massive Trump protest vote, and Democratic candidates will be huge beneficiaries of that vote. Of course, nobody will be complaining, I know I certainly won’t, but this is NOT BECAUSE OF DEMOCRATS, it’s because Trump is failing while having his hand in the American people’s back pockets. People see the rocketing cost of groceries and energy, and they see failure written all over them. They may have been the turkeys voting for Thanksgiving last year, but this time around, many can’t even afford a turkey for Thanksgiving, and Republicans will pay a heavy price in the upcoming races.

The key point is that there is no downside to cleaning house in the Democratic Party right now. A night of the long knives will have no political downside because, tough though it is to hear, too many Americans frankly don’t care and certainly don’t trust Democrats. Even worse, many of them are in their own base. If there were a credible alternative, voters would drop the Dems like a hot coal and not give it a second thought. Right now, Democrats could put up their donkey mascot against a Republican, and it would win. It’s the truth, and there is no point trying to hide it. Hold your horses, though, if you are thinking I’m advocating for a third political party. I’m not; that would, in my opinion, be political suicide.

If it’s one thing we have learned about Democrats, it's that they are nothing if not deaf to anyone having the audacity to suggest they are lost in the wilderness. This is the party that never apologised to the American people after losing the House, the Senate, the White House, and the popular vote. They chose instead to blame the voters for staying at home or voting for a fascist. They refused to take responsibility for the loss and decided to sit around doing nothing, drinking mocha lattes with Peruvian goat milk from sustainable goat farms. Meanwhile, Russell Vought and the undead were finalising their plans to remove them from the political process, but worry not, the coffee was beautiful.

I’m afraid their inability to understand the gravity of their inaction is only surpassed by their audacity —not of hope and ambition, but in sending begging emails to the very people their failure has left in the arms of a tyrant over the next four years. It’s time for a progressive agenda to rise from the ashes of a party that sold its soul to dark money and AIPAC. I watch a lot of podcasts and listen to a lot of public forums to get a feel for the political mood in the country, and I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that the same-old, same-old offering from Democrats is NOT where people are. Those on the right who are in the know also fear where the public are, in their own words, Trump’s actions are driving the people to a socialist agenda.

When the Berlin Wall fell, it took the East German population years to understand what freedom and democracy meant and felt like, because they had lived under oppression and indoctrination for so long; they were like animals being set free from cages after decades of captivity. Forward-thinking Democrats have suffered the same fate within the Democratic Party. They have been locked in cages, branded as socialists by their own party, held out of leadership roles by an ageing politburo that long ago pledged loyalty to special interests.

It’s time to set them free to reshape the Democratic Party and put the politburo out to pasture, with the thanks of a grateful party, as they move on to meet the new challenges of the 21st-century culture war and the political fight for survival. History tells us that the good guys do win eventually, but not until someone dares to stand up, tell the truth, and invite change to the proceedings. You can dismiss my thinking and brand me a political heretic, but without change, tyranny WILL prevail. We are just in the foothills of what Vought and his cabal of social destruction agents will bestow on American society in their quest for a Christian Nationalist state. A state where a theocratic autocracy will set the rules by which Americans live.

This is all about understanding political sentiment in the country and recognising that politics is not binary. Once again, this may ruffle a few ideologue feathers, but I’ve been around long enough to know that capitalism is the only realistic option in a Western-style democracy, and it can work and serve the entire population. A great example of this is the Scandinavian countries, which are capitalist economies with large welfare states, a model often called the “Nordic model”. Fair taxation is not communism or socialism; it’s taking social responsibility in a society that believes nobody should be left behind. That is NOT socialism; however much you might want to paint it as such.

The ‘Nordic model’ is mainly hostile to the concept of corporate welfare, which has become a central tenet of the US capitalist model. Their model is instead designed to facilitate a dynamic market economy while providing a comprehensive social safety net for individuals and employees, not for corporations. I could write a whole series of pieces on this and am happy to do so if people are interested, but my aim here is to dispel the idea that anything that fails to comply with corporate demands in America is socialism. It’s not; it’s a lazy argument, with no supporting evidence, that’s been spoon-fed to Americans since the days of the Cold War.

Don’t misunderstand, I’m not suggesting a transformation to the ‘Nordic model’, the shock would cause capitalists across America to drop dead from heart attacks before they could ship their money offshore. I am merely suggesting an end to corporate welfare and a few things we’ll discuss in my next post. There’s a year to go until the midterm elections. However, all evidence indicates that, unless action is taken, free and fair elections will no longer exist in the US.

In the next post, I’ll be looking at the threat to fair elections. I’ll also examine in detail what I believe Democrats must do not only to save the soul of a nation, but also to restore the credibility of a party that has lost its way at the most crucial time in American history. Unless they facilitate change to offer hope through vision and strength to the American people, I’m afraid it’s game over, and there will be no coming back. I want to leave you with the thought that I genuinely believe America is on the precipice of hope; the question is, will you grab it?

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