Exploring what has quickly become an American dilemma

Whenever and wherever the flow of accurate information and real knowledge is abridged, the greatest treasures of education are lost.

The empty space created by curtailing what people learn stymies the growth of consciousness, the development of critical thinking. And without the ability to question and weigh the merit of ideas — of perceptions and conclusions — progress is crippled.

It often follows that in the absence of mental nourishment, ignorance gets comfortable, and evil, too, finds a cozy home with an opportunity to rule.

Evil enjoys visiting such barren places, where it is easier for it to scheme and work, to cause and celebrate destruction. It shows up — invited or not — disguised as a prophet or savior, and once inside, insists on staying, weaving its wicked deed of strangling hope with fear.

There are still too many people in this world who live their lives within the confines of that barren place that evil likes to visit. They remain uninformed and unaware of their own deprivation and vulnerability.

But the problem of their stymied awareness is not theirs alone. It endangers everyone. This truth has never been more clear than now, as we find it at the roots of America’s political dilemma — the struggle to preserve hope of our democratic republic.

Fighting for the hearts and minds of fellow Americans who are blind to the real nature of the challenge that our nation faces is much more difficult than taking up arms on a battlefield. The firing of weapons, like the hurling of insults, is easy. Building understanding and trust is hard.

The folks who insist on believing in only that which appeals to their preconceived notions are not looking for truth. They are seeking validation for what they already believe, or don’t believe.

Before engaging them on issues of reality, one must first acknowledge that we are navigating in uncharted waters. Just telling such folks the truth is not enough, because comprehending the truth requires the possession of a frame of reference. A sense of history.

They lack both.

We all know that without the necessary frame and foundation in place, even the best builder in the world cannot construct a stable house or bridge.

We must also concede that some of the stubborn who substitution fiction for fact will always pretend not to understand, preferring to dwell within the comforts of their own delusions. This is what makes it so difficult for the truth to reach into the ranks of groups like “MAGA” or “Q.”

The unparalleled madness of a political party half-drunk with power, and half-paralyzed with an emasculating cowardice compounds the problem.

The new GOP rightists benefit from the emotional and political chaos of an “alternate reality,” so they commit themselves to instigate it, or pretend that it is just another form of legitimate opinion.

With callous disregard for the consequences — and apparent impunity — these opportunistic charlatans use the stubborn defiance of confused souls as a political tool and catalyst to power. They know that their game is a very dangerous one, but are nevertheless determined to continue playing it — some of them convinced that it is the only way they can “win,” and others claiming that they are doing “God’s work” — what they say must be done to save America from increasing influence of “heathens.”

The heathens are those Americans who do not share all of the approved culture and belief systems of “white Christian nationalists.” To further advance their aims, the new rightists have developed a “MAGA movement,” convincing their supporters that it is a “rescue” mission to be carried out by any means possible.

The evidently believe that the truth must be sacrificed for the greater good of achieving their ultimate objective.

They are, of course, players and manipulators. But now the creators of MAGA also have the potential impact of driving the hope that is American into the abyss of fascism.

This analysis is not a conspiracy theory or hypothetical offering made to stimulate debate. In this very moment, as our eyes gather the thoughts of this written message, a new plot to replace the one that failed is in the process of bring designed by the enemies of democracy. It is the centerpiece of a relentless quest for absolute power, and the greatest threat to the life of the nation since the Civil War.

One man has ignited this quest, but it is now beyond the efforts of just one man. Our liberty is at grave risk of being ripped away by autocrats and fascists.

The ignorance they find in stagnant places provides them with the ammunition for their weapons of fear and hatred.

The target of their plot is democracy. The goal? The installation of a dictatorship in America.

This enemy within is not one to be reasoned or negotiated with. Its mind, heart and soul are poisoned with cruelty. It is hell-bent on destroying everything that America stands for, and there is no sense of fairness or humanity in it to appeal to.

We must, as a nation, do everything in our power to stop it.