There is a popular rap song that sums up what could be the theme song of our times performed by rapper Kendrick Lamar (KL): “They Not Like Us!” Even though KL published this song before this new Trump term, it sums up the bottom line of life in America today due to the inability of people being able to share this planet in peace.
In truth, the struggles that we are facing are connected with something very fundamental—the ancient specter of good vs evil. The schisms that exist are partially related to racial differences, but there are other differences that come into play; we are very familiar with the Black vs White struggle, but there is also the educated vs uneducated, straight vs gay, Christian vs non-Christian, male vs female; immigrant vs non-immigrant; and the granddaddy of them all – rich vs poor.
That last point is the one that “trumps” them all in the current situation. There is no doubt that the Trump administration (regime!) is motivated by economic factors. We are, therefore, dealing with challenges fueled by concerns of the billionaire class. This might be seen as the chief underlying motive fueling everything that the Trump team is doing.
An example of this can be seen when the unofficial quasi-president, Elon Musk, is utilizing DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) to allegedly cut down on government waste, fraud, and abuse. Those who are familiar with the situation, however, are aware of the contradictions connected with this strategy. They started by eliminating programs connected with sick children; they gutted USAID, which has resulted in even more suffering; they laid off probationary and career government workers; and there are serious threats targeting Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.
Considering the foregoing, it becomes obvious that the motives of the Trump team are suspect; so far, they have not mentioned the very prominent over-spending of the military budget, which “trumps” the amount of money spent on most of the other programs. People remember the thousand-dollar hammers and other “trumped” up military items in the shadow budget. In other words, the military is the poster child for allegations of waste, fraud and abuse. This is far from enhancing efficiency.
DOGE’s actions have affected programs that have hurt the least among us, i.e., hungry and/or sick children, education programs, and other initiatives that provided safeguards for some of our most needy citizens. The DOGE strategy lends a lot of credence to the idea that money, lots of it, is the real goal. Essentially, they are robbing the poor to benefit the rich—the billionaires supporting Donald Trump.
Yes, the DOGE’s motives and actions are suspect. While people line up on one side of the issue or the other, they are motivated by what the talking heads on television and social media say, as well as the MAGA acolytes. Their propaganda serves to divide the population along whatever lines fit the particular circumstance. Of course, all of the groups seen as being in opposition to each other have gone into puppet mode, resulting in a very divided America.
This is a sad state of affairs because a divided America exacerbates the “us vs them” scenario and the consequent schisms that are the legacy of this stance. If America is to survive and thrive, we need to turn the “us vs them” and the “They Not Like Us” tropes into “we are more alike than we are different, and we can work together for the common good.” And we must ignore the talking heads that seek to divide us all. Aluta continua.
Reprinted from the Chicago Crusader