Politics

It is not just that the size of the government has been reduced intentionally. It is not just that many cabinet level appointees are unqualified for public service. It is not only that our government policies have been revised or in some cases re-interpreted or eliminated. Similarities to conditions in Germany that led to the rise of Hitler are hard to miss – the nationalistic, boastful tone; the harsh and unrelenting attacks on a free press as “fake news;” the key roles that members of the military play in the current administration; the endless insults and sparring with other countries; the deaf ear turned to hate speech; and the pitiful, narcissistic, and whiny tweets from the nation’s highest elected official.

The idea of an “enemy within” is so gut-grabbing and scare-mongering that it has been used many times for book titles. The title has been used for an entire haunted house full of closet enemies. I would like to nominate yet another candidate for this menagerie of enemies.  It involves a mortal threat to our democracy. It is the combined result of a confluence of corrosive forces, and bad actors – an imperfect storm. What needs to be changed?  The answer is, all of the above.