Several years ago, I had to go through the baggage claim routine. My luggage just wasn’t there. There is a sinking feeling as you wait in the line with other anxious passengers. Alas, you find your bag really isn’t there. There are promises to deliver it to your addesss when they locate it. Eventually it gets delivered, but only because I was at the address long enough for it to reach me. Another time, a worse situation happened. Someone had taken home the wrong bag, mine. Now I was at the mercy of fate. Would this be a local person who could deliver my luggage back to the airport? Fortunately, the good samaritan delivered my luggage the next day. From these two incidences, l try never to check in luggage. The whole experience is frustrating, scary and expensive. It seems you have become an innocent victim of a dysfunctional system. Sort of like now. We are all in baggage claim, frustrated, frightened, angry and at the whim of a dysfunctional political system with performing politicial leaders, the inflationary economic system and a financial system that puts many people into a nauseating carnival ride.
If you want something better, we all have to get involved in making it better. Various polls are stating that the number one priority for Americans is saving democracy. This was not the case even a month ago but as America grows its over 223 militia groups and loud politicians shout for more crazy theories and conspiracies, the threat that our democracy could be destroyed is finally settling in with people. Remember, America is a number 5 country and it has a real challenge to stay balanced between numbers 1-4 and 6-9. It can go to the extreme as it did with the Civil War. The number 5 is always about constructive change and the assimilation of its people. The more we lose our freedoms and the more we refuse to assimilate the races, the more the door slowly closes on America.
An interesting characteristic of the United States is that it doesn’t like to make big sudden changes. The overturning of Roe vs Wade did two things Americans don’t like and won’t stand for for very long– sudden big change and the big loss of personal freedom. By issuing an overturning of a law that the citizens wanted (as shown by all polls) and doing it suddenly, will bring down the decision over time. Those, the Republicans, who pushed this law are now faced with impementing it. The states who have ushered in harsh, punitive reproductive rights on women, will see the worm start to turn. Eventually, and many lawsuits later–as well as tragedies, one by one the states and their legislatures that voted for these harsh laws, will see their support dwindle. There are always unintended consequences for actions taken and those consequences will begin to make the headlines. Medical schools, companies trying to hire employees in restricted states, threats to women’s reproductive rights are all going to be in play. Kansas was a headline grabber.
The overturning of legal abortions is only one area that is being focused upon. There are many more to come as the judicial system becomes more and more conservative and the judges more political. There is an enormous campaign going on to subvert the judicial system and support and increase conservative gubernatorial and legislative candidates throughout the country pushing states to tighten voting laws, oppose the teaching of critical race theory in schools– basically honest history– and financing organizations pressing states to remove millions of Americans from the Medicaid rolls.
The leader of the Federalist Society, Leonard Leo, has recently been chosen as the sole trustee to administer the funds for the $1.4 billion fund set up by reclusive billionaire Barrie Seid. He is 90 years old, with no children, and established the Marble Freedom Trust fund. It saved him $400 million in taxes by doing so. Now Leonard Leo, who helped Trump choose all of his judges as well as the Supreme Court appointees, has this money to dole out to all parts of our democracy. This is focused on extremely Republican and conservative causes, including less separation between church and state. Trump managed to place 200 judges in the various levels of the judicial system. Leo was able to put together $28 million from his donors to block the appointment of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. He was also instrumental in getting George Bush’s Supreme Court nominees through the approval process, Alito and John Roberts. https://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-leonard-leo-barre-seid
Census reports the following:
- Only 45% of 30-year-olds will be non-Hispanic whites in 2040. And minorities will become the majority in the U.S. by 2045, according to Census projections.
- There will be more old people than children for the first time because of the falling fertility rates, the Census data shows. More than 1 in 5 Americans will be over the age of 65, putting a new level of stress on the nation’s Social Security and health care systems.
- Immigrants will make up a record-breaking share of the population and will have a crucial role in carrying the economic load created by the elderly Boomers and Gen X-ers.
“Why it matters: The white evangelical and non-college educated male voters who helped propel Donald Trump to the presidency will likely be losing their power. But having minorities in the majority doesn’t necessarily mean racial discrimination and inequality embedded in laws, society and power structures will disappear. That’s going to be an ongoing conversation, and an increasingly urgent one.” Axios
As the country grows more brown and black, we expect the white evangelicals, non-college educated male voters will cling to power so I would expect more churn in the population going forward. We can’t stay in the baggage claim too long. We will have to work with the luggage we have or don’t have. We will have to recognize performance politicans and shabby legislation and vote against them. If we care, we vote. Although the fog of chaos has descended on the USA, we must do our best to overcome to not go insane. We are coming to the end of the Pluto in Capricorn transit of the last 14 years with 2 years remaining. This is the “hail Mary pass” time. Remembers, Americans do not want their freedoms taken away. There is always a backlash and it is in the making. Since females are represenative of the number 2, (2,000 to 2,999) as she grows stronger, her say will mean more. Once you tell Americans that the government is going to enter your bedroom or your medicine cabinet, the heat is on. Remember, the number 5 rules the 5 senses, that includes sex. This recent Supreme Court decision was a huge wake up call. Stay tuned.
thank u Gail!