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| Question: Who is staring back at America when we look at ourselves in the mirror? Answer: Hillary Clinton & Donald Trump |
Barring a federal indictment over her e-mail scandal (which will never happen under a President intent on seeing a Democrat succeed him in power for the sake of his own legacy), or an outright revolution in the Republican party (which would signal the end of the GOP as we know it), America has made its choice.
And you know what? We the People are getting precisely what we collectively deserve.
For good or ill, in a democracy the collective populace ultimately gets the leadership they either want or deserve—or both. And when it gets bad, very few bother to look into the mirror and ask themselves how they may have been a part of the problem. It is always considered to be the fault of the leader, even though the people themselves choose their leaders in a democracy.
If the Republican and Democratic Primary Election Cycles ended today, Americans' choice for Commander-in-Chief would be a decision between DONALD TRUMP and HILLARY CLINTON.
The former is a jejune jock whose vapidly vacuous ineptitude concerning serious policy issues is only trumped by his angry locker room braggadocio and profane vocabulary.
The latter, whose historical reputation with the truth is tenuous at best—and who is viewed by nearly two-thirds of the country as being generally dishonest—is currently under investigation by the FBI for her email shenanigans as Secretary of State.
Rationally minded individuals cannot help but ask themselves the question, "How did WE come to this point?
How did it get this BAD?"
The answer is quite simple: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both—on one level or another—are a reflection of a majority of Americans today. As hard as it may be to look in the mirror and acknowledge the cold hard truth of the matter, the fact is that a better part of our population:
1. Is poorly educated in history, government, ethics, and serious policy issues
2. Generally embraces verbal profanity and crass behavior
3. Struggles with issues of honesty and morality themselves
4. Tends to justify whatever means are required to achieve their own selfish personal or ideological ends
That is why we are at this point. And unfortunately, it may get worse before it gets better. This means that we may very well be looking at either a Trump or Clinton administration through the year 2020 or even beyond.
Click HERE to read about the Dangers of a Trump Presidency, philosophically speaking.
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| Joseph F. Smith 1899-1964 |
"We accuse leaders and we say the leaders have led us astray. We pity the Germans for their disreputable leadership. And, there are unquestionably a lot of good Germans. But, let it be said that before people can be led, in the beginning they have got to be willing to be led. And, I am a firm believer that any group of people get just about the leadership it deserves. I am a firm believer that when in our own country statesmanship falls down, leadership is ineffective, it is due directly to the individuals in the United States who have allowed that leadership to come into power. The peace of the world rests upon the individuals of the world."
He is right!
If Americans really want to see authentic HOPE and CHANGE in America, the first step is to go look in the mirror and begin the agonizing, but oh so necessary process of deep self-examination and analysis that leads to personal change. Again, in the words of Smith:
"Each of us must examine his conduct and he must determine what that conduct will be so that he may have freedom. And each one of us has the right to choose. Not only that, every one of us has the ability to choose, if he will but use it."Trying to change or influence organizations or structures before you have first purified and educated the minds and hearts of individuals that make them up—including YOUR OWN—is like trying to preserve a barrel of apples with can full of worms.
After you have traveled a ways along the journey of self-purification, you will naturally begin to feel a desire to help, lift, serve, and influence others along the same positive pathways you yourself have traveled. Smith gives some good advice about what to do when you get to this point, especially if you feel discouraged by the moral mayhem you observe all around you:
"Not infrequently you hear this: 'What can I do to help ... Here I am one lone individual. I cannot have any influence. I cannot do anything which will help. I am powerless.' That, of course, is just nonsense, for the peace [and welfare] of the world rests upon the collective individuals in the world; it does not rest upon nations; it rests upon the individuals in those nations.
"Do not think for a moment that you can exert no influence because you are young or because you are few. We have got to get away from the foolish notion that quantity is the important thing in influence. You know you can go into [your college] laboratories ... and ... find that [a] very minute amount of particular substances can exert tremendous influence. One individual courageously choosing his own conduct in face of all odds, doing right, can exert a tremendous influence."Everything I have ever done in my efforts with Freedom Focused have been accomplished in the faith and hope that I, as one, lone, individual, can make a difference. Sometimes I wonder a bit about the extent to which I actually am making a difference, especially when politicians, pundits, journalists, and just about everyone else is more interested in cleverly complaining about problems than they are in actually fixing them, or supporting those who are making good-faith efforts to do so.
Nevertheless, despite any discouragement that transpires along the way, I know that faith is about action while inaction is the personification of fear. Because I have faith in myself and in the future of America, I ultimately have faith in Americans themselves, and thus I keep on keeping on in my own mission to make a difference.
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| The Lincoln Memorial Washington D.C. |
Click HERE to read about How to Prepare for Coming Conflicts
But come what may, I believe that America has a bright future. As fractured as we currently stand, and as suicidal as we may yet become, I do not believe we will ultimately pull the trigger on our divine destiny. And according to Abraham Lincoln, this supposition bodes well for our future.
"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? – Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! – All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the Earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."In the spirit and faith of a better future for our posterity, let us, in the words of Smith: "Choose so that every event that comes into our lives will be enriching so that we will be bigger than any event, come whatever calamity may. We can so choose that it will not destroy us. ... We can have freedom each in his own sphere."
This article was inspired, in part, by an OUTSTANDING piece written yesterday for Fox News by syndicated columnist Cal Thomas. Click HERE to access Thomas's article entitled: Why Donald Trump is Like Floor Wax.
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