I’m Okay, You’re Okay, We’re Okay!

When I see youngsters upset – and some even crying and convulsing – after losing a sports game, I always tell my grandchildren: “If two teams are playing, one is going to win and the other is going to lose. They can’t both win! And, if you are competing in a story-writing contest, let’s say, one student is going to win First Prize, and the rest of the class will not. So, buck up and accept reality!” That does not seem to be happening, though, especially after our recent election in these United States.

I was outside the grocery store trying to get a cart. As I backed up to maneuver it in the right direction a woman steering her cart close to mine says:

“Oh, sorry!”

“You’re Okay,” I say smiling.

“Yes,” she says, looking at me knowingly, “I hope we will all be okay!”

Of course, I knew that she was referring to our elections, and to the fear and anger gripping the nation.

I did not vote for Donald Trump. I would not have voted for Hillary Clinton. I supported Bernie Sanders until he sold us down the river. I voted for Jill Stein. That should make my politics very clear. I also realize that after every election the losing side wallows in its defeat and disappointment. However, I have never seen or heard this level of vindictive vitriol and outright hatred that is being fuelled by the shameless mainstream media and what is being termed as The Opposition whose leaders are dishonest, opportunistic and hypocritical. And that some are talking Impeachment and Assassination when it hasn’t even been a month since Donald Trump became President is way, way, way beyond the pale! It is, in fact, shocking and shameful.

Donald Trump campaigned on certain issues and policies and, whether we like them or not, he is executing his promises. None of his actions should be of any surprise at all. In fact, if people aren’t damn hypocrites and liars they would consider his living up to his promises to be admirable. He is doing what he pledged, after all! Moreover, some of those actions, policies and orders are going to be ameliorated as time goes on. It is simply the nature of politics and our system that they would do so. And, if they don’t, then maybe we are not really the “exceptional” democracy that we pride ourselves on being.

Yes, the Trump Administration is making mistakes; they are faltering on some of the issues; they have misspoken and misstated, and, yes, mis-done. They will probably do more of that for a while. Call it the Learning Curve. Most of them, including the President, are not seasoned politicians. We need to cut them some slack and not swoop like vultures on every utterance!

I definitely do not want to sound as if I am defending this Administration. I am not. Our future might – might! – be in grave danger. We do not know. Unpredictable is the name of the game. However, I refuse to go along with the manipulations of a corrupt mainstream media, or the corrupt organizations and individuals stirring up their robots to even more hysteria, melodrama and hatred. I have been through this during my long years; I have seen it happen time and time again; I know how easy it is to direct frustration and to whip up the sincere masses!

Surfing through the inane mainstream channels, I hear one hypocritical so-called journalist after the other gleefully condemning Donald Trump, his cabinet choices, his executive orders, his policies and all else. It is the same with some of the mainstream and alternative press sites. In summation, what they are saying is that this is the end of life as we know it, and the beginning of our plunge into hell. Flying around in this Opposition World (made up of Democrats, Progressives, Liberals, Independents, Greens, sore CIA and FBI agents, agents provocateurs, et al) are a few facts and much that is truly brainless exaggerated hysteria.

It is the same when I hear that in London there were protests against Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to England. I have no idea why Londoners would be twisting their knickers over this visit, rather than protesting their Prime Ministers saying in all candor that she wouldn’t mind dropping a nuke on some country and killing hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings! In Heaven’s name, which of these events is more threatening to humanity, and more deserving of protests? As to the protesting Israelis against Donald Trump’s Immigration Ban and the Injustice and Discrimination, all I have to tell them is that they should be marching every day against the Injustice and Discrimination being perpetrated on the Palestinian people by their own King Bibi!! Who is pulling their puppet strings, anyway? As for you over there in Lebanon, your President is a known thug and a criminal, so zip it up! Unfortunately, and in the absence of wise leadership worldwide, we seem to be flailing with misplaced indignation and paltry nonsense, while the real damage is digging itself unflinchingly into our lives. This applies to the sorry Right and to the sorrier Left who have all been sleeping at the switch for decades while real Peace, Justice, Equality, Civil Liberties, Legal and Human Rights are neglected!

A sensible, dignified, intelligent, protesting Opposition is absolutely required if we are indeed a democracy. Peaceful protests, letter-writing to officials, phone calls to elected representatives, blogs and articles are certainly within the realm of our democratic rights (so far, at least!). Moreover, we have systems and methods in place and within our government with which we can counter and reverse unlawful Presidential edicts. The world, too, has its mechanisms for countering Trump’s international policies. Hysteria, lawlessness and brainless words and actions are pathetic, pointless, inane and spiteful.

It is said that when the King of the Jungle, the mighty Lion is wounded, he goes deep into the forest, lies low and licks his wounds until he heals. Maybe it is time for all those supporting The Opposition to do just that and to cool down and plan a smart strategy for the future. For starters they can choose New, Honest, Principled Leadership rather than the same-old, unethical and posturing bunch that they now have.

For all it’s worth: I do not think that the bedrock policies of the US will change drastically. They hardly ever do. Think of it as merely the changing of hands that takes place every four, or eight years, from one set of one percent-ers to another set of one percent-ers. And shouldn’t this essential issue be where our protests, indignation and marches are focused?

One thing is pretty sure, there will probably be a war that this nation will be involved in. Somewhere. Someplace. Every US President has followed this script. In just the same way as cowboys used to notch their gun after they killed someone, US Presidents, it seems, need to notch their guns by going to war! It is almost inevitable. Would the vehemence of The Opposition manifest itself then (and did it manifest itself over Obama’s multiple wars? Seriously? Really?!), or would it be just another event that we pay lip service to while not really giving a rat’s ass about another war, over there, far away from our shores? And more innocent people being murdered? Again, and yet Again? President Trump was spot-on when he answered Bill O’Reilly’s accusation that he should not defend Putin, “the killer.” He answered: You think our country is so innocent? All the hypocrites rose up in arms! Moral Equivalency, they yelled! You cannot compare us to Russia. Really? Why not? Is it because we are the “exceptional” nation? How delusional! Bravo, Mr. President, I say. You spoke the unvarnished Truth on this one!

This country, and the World, have survived much, much worse than Donald Trump. At the end of the day, we will probably all survive this Presidency – or else we might possibly be at only two and a half minutes to nuclear midnight and to blowing up this planet, as some have predicted. In either case, hysteria and knee-jerk reactions are futile, silly and irrational.

I’m Okay. You’re Okay, and we’ll probably all be Okay.

www.depictinglife.com
703-963-0354