by Dr David, Editor / Publisher

Despite my tendency to avoid political discussions, I can't help provocatively asking certain of my leftist acquaintances, "When has there been a better time to be a woman, gay or a minority in the US?"

Now, I know that there are assaults on our liberty, and that vigilance is required, and that there are important advances that still need to be made. But it seems to me self evident that there has never been a better time to be a woman, gay or a minority in the US.

If that does not seem self evident to you, then I suggest that you have been caught up in the crisis mentality that inflames and prevents public discourse in the States.

I think that it would be nice to fly the Gay Pride flag over our embassy in Botswana. But just because you disagree with me does not make you homophobic.

Fascism is worshiping the State, not "draining the swamp." Trump is worthy of a great deal of criticism, but he is not a fascist. And it does harm to serious anti-fascism to call him one.

I was waiting in a line at an airport bathroom in Atlanta Georgia. I spoke up saying, "Hey, there's no line at the women's bathroom. If we identify ourselves as women, then we can use that bathroom, right?" Several guys laughingly agreed. Then a cleaning person told us there were plenty of unoccupied urinals in another alcove of the men's room, so the point remained unpressed.

The morning I was to fly back to Mexico from New Orleans, before breakfast, at the house of my ex-wife, National Public Radio was on, discussing a report, by the Office of the Inspector General, on the conditions at immigrant holding facilities. I asked that we turn off the radio, stating that I find the media very inflammatory. The volume considerably lowered, my daughter emotionally informed me that, "Trump is murdering immigrant children." I informed her that that kind of super-charged, over the top language plays into Trump's hands. My ex, very wisely, informed us that if we are turning off the political discussion on the radio, then we should turn off our own political discussion. We did. The eggs were served.

I am not defending Trump's immigration policy. I understand and am upset that bad things are happening to children in detention facilities. But children are not being murdered in them. (See the report in question: "Agency watchdog slams conditions at ICE detention facilities".) Nor, as my daughter amended her comment when I pointed that out, are children being bullied into commiting suicide, despite bedsheet nooses being found in detainee cells. (See "Fifth child dies in US custody after being detained at the border".)

Don't get me wrong. There is a lot wrong with the Trump administration. It's just that exaggerated rhetoric makes it difficult to discuss what is wrong and easy to dismiss valid criticism as more of the same exaggerated rhetoric. There are a lot of people who need to be swayed and hysterical critiques will not do it; quite the contrary.

I'm sorry that the Democrats are wasting so much political capital on identity politics, on issues of gender and race. The poor black woman has more in common with the poor white woman (or the poor white man) than she does with the rich black woman.

Old guard feminists are being deplatformed at universities for insisting that there is a difference (biological and otherwise) between men and women.

Martin Luther King would get shouted down on campuses, if he were to declare there today, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

It may make Hollywood celebrities and other rich folks more comfortable to signal their virtue by speaking up for this or that victimized group (and where does victimhood end?). But the real issue is a more equitable distribution of the wealth. The real divide is class, not race or gender.

Well, thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Communication is the key. There are a lot of people with much more political saavy than me, and I would like to hear from any of you out there... civilly, please; my email is below.

Everything is not going to hell. And even if it were there would still be no reason to abandon rationality. (See a rational approach to the problem of climate change at the Copenhagen Consensus Center.)

You need to win over the people who disagree with you. That's democracy. Ridiculous posturing and pronouncements won't help. Or if you say you want a revolution, remember what John Lennon told us, "If you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow. And you know it's going to be, shooby-do-ah, alright."

Stay hopeful.

**************

photo: Alessandro Bo (cropped)

Dr David welcomes you to San Miguel Sunday. Anyone with any interest in contributing articles is heartily encouraged to contact him at the email below. The "Best City in the World" deserves a good lokkal magazine.

You must register and log in to write a comment.
Please use the "login" link at the top (right) of the page.