We assume all is well in the world, but more specifically, the United States of America. After all we are the beacon of democracy and everybody wants to come to America.
Screech!...Go the brakes on that thought. This country is on the precipice of disaster and is more divided than even during the Civil War.
In short, social media has changed everything. It has opened new worlds of thought and thoughtlessness on the part of the nation.
We blame leadership for deceiving us, for everything from the price of gas, inflation and immigration, but fail to understand the actual reasoning behind our downfalls.
In short, the enemy is US. We allowed the government to go afoul of the Constitution by allowing money to define government.
How, you ask?
Imagine a conflict in the Middle East.
It doesn’t take a soothsayer to expect the very unstable stock market to respond in falling prices, which in turn, affects the price of oil. This is followed by headlines in the media that exacerbate the stock and oil news to excite Americans into chatter and fear that the sky is falling.
That, in turn, turns news into speculation on social media that the economy is bad and it is obviously the leadership that is failing us.
Actually, the economy is chugging along nicely, but that does not mean we will not join the stock folks in panicking. Currently, unemployment is at an all time low and overall wages are up. But the news and social media paints a different picture as inflation, mainly caused by the COVID experience and reaction, sends mixed messages.
Once the bad news ball begins rolling, people lash out against the government and leadership. The old knee-jerk reaction takes hold and news and social media is only too glad to help.
What people need to understand is that the stock market panicking usually turns around within days, but the long-term effects continue, until the next breaking bad news day.
Just a few years ago the stock market Dow Jones average was hovering around 11,000 area. Today it is at close to 35,000, yet to the untrained, the sky is falling.
We have allowed, through our own greed and politics, government lobbying to be set free.
A recent report shows that social media giant Facebook splashed $20.1 million into lobbying in 2021, a 2% jump from the previous year.
Amazon joined the fray in second place with $19.3 million. Other big tech and energy companies are big spenders, donating billions to the coffers of politicians and would-be politicians.
All that moolah buys heaps of political influence and either diverts the common good, or launders true expression of thought by people wanting change.
Once again, we have met the enemy and the enemy is us! Good politicians either quit in frustration, or join the gang in assuring reelection. Money talks, people walk the line. So, how many poor politicians do you know?
Social media only adds to the pile of problems we have allowed to grow. This Republic we know as the United States is trembling and tumbling towards the black hole of non-existence.
We ignore the true problems and prefer to complain about the insignificant and define our lives on social media.
