The government shutdown and Trump’s declaration of war against Americans at home are bad. But dire warnings and slinging insults aren’t solutions.
I find it increasingly difficult to describe the peril America faces.
It’s not for lack of effort by me to sound the alarm over norm-bending efforts to distort our constitutional democracy into a rule of “law” that first serves the president. I’ve been writing about this for nearly a decade.
And I’ve fumed and ranted aplenty over efforts to derail the Affordable Care Act, his thuggish efforts to trample perceived enemies at home (check his recent address to American generals and admirals for context), cozying up to foreign dictators, etc.
You’ve heard all this from me numerous times, and the results remain the same: an uptempo march toward a breaking point in our society.
There is already no shortage of anti-Trump voices bleating on social media about the rise of fascism and the conversion of ICE into a jack-booted and masked intimidation force meant to quell any dissent.
That brand of hysteria has become a booming, new-economy industry unto itself, raking in countless millions for those who take to their YouTube channels, TikTok, and other social platforms to monetize our fear while masquerading as selfless truth-tellers keeping the light of freedom burning.
If I’ve ever come across that way, I apologize. It’s not my intent to proclaim “the sky is falling” for clicks. That’s not why I started Postindustrial.
Instead, Postindustrial was created to be a place where we tell stories from communities grappling with deindustrialization and other challenges, while highlighting those who are working to improve our lives and other amazing folks in our midst.
I also want Postindustrial to do its part in helping to narrow the growing divide among Americans by being a community where we can engage in meaningful conversations, rather than merely hurling insults.
It’s not something we’ve always done well – starting with me.
However, we will continue to work toward our goal of being part of the solution. I can promise you that much.
