Thanksgiving 2018 Part 4

Conclusion


It has been over 100 years after WWI. A lot of things have changed with society having a more  service economy and dealing with information technology now than back then. Yet, some issues remain even after one century. Trump didn't want to go to one cemetery in France because of the rain which is disrespectful in my eyes. Also, while Trump praised nationalism, WWI existed in part because of nationalism, militarism, alliances, and capitalist markets competing against each other. WWI occurred because imperial powers wanted to lust after resources in Europe, Asia, Africa, and other places of the world. Marcon talked about patriotism being antithetical to nationalism, but Marcon also praised the pro-Nazi enemy named Petain. Also, Marcon said racist comments about Africa. You can Google this too. Therefore, Trump is no hero and doesn't deserve respect. Likewise, we have to look at the bigger picture about how xenophobia is throughout both Europe and America. Hate crimes against immigrants including black people exist in Germany, Italy, and other places of the world. Trump's radical nationalism is only permitting more trade wars and agitation that doesn't equate into international peace. Because of Trump's actions, we have Marcon saying that he wants the EU to have an army to try to act as a buffer against Russia, China, and even America. Trump questions elections, hates the press that disagrees with him, and abhors the rule of law. So, we must be firm to defend democratic rights even when Trump is an enemy of democracy. We have to be abreast of domestic and international affairs, so our minds are comprehensively grown.

The extreme right wing person Jair Bolsonaro is the President of Brazil now. In Brazil, many Afro-Brazilians and the poor suffer in favellas. The police is replaced with the military to monitor the favellas. There is also a serious problem of Afro-Brazilians being murdered by the police or military forces in Brazil. Also, we have to realize the threat to democracy by Trump. Involving Puerto Rico, he has failed to advance an adequate federal response to help the people in that location. He has revoked the immigration status of black and Latino immigrants. He once allowed the splitting of families and their children at the Southern border. He refused to strongly enforce civil rights enforcement and he has promoted an immigration ban involving many majority Muslim nations. He is a stone cold racist and xenophobe. That is evidence about his profane tirade about majority black nations and his words that a Mexican American judge can't be involved in an immigration case because of his Mexican heritage (which is the textbook definition of racism). He defended white neo-Confederates and Neo-Nazis in Charlotessville, Virginia by calling them "nice people." This isn't new either. Woodrow Wilson segregated D.C. America itself was founded by slavery and the genocide of Native Americans. Chinese people were once banned to go into America. Black slaves were split from their families constantly during the antebellum period. Many of my immediate ancestors were slaves like Esther Brickhouse Bailey (who was born in 1862 and she was my 2nd great grandmother). So, we have a long way to go. Yet, we have hope. I believe in black liberation and we should unite with working class people, the poor, and any oppressed people in achieving justice for all.

It is essential always to have hope. You being born during this time is a miracle. The reason is that we are all made up of DNA including millions of cells with specific functions. Also, many of our ancestors experienced societies a whole lot harsher than our time. We are blessed enough to witness advanced technological developments and other improvements in our standards of living regarding ways to increase life expectancy. Industrialization caused more urbanization, and it inspired the labor rights movement to fight for the legitimate reforms of collective bargaining and higher wages. The Industrial Revolution also had a price with massive pollution during the 20th century. Tons of New Yorkers and Londoners died as a product of air pollution during the 1950's which is why environmental regulations existed to improve air quality. Likewise, we have other issues or problems from economic inequality to outright poverty. That is why we have to maintain the faith in our souls. Faith without works is dead. So, we can have faith and get out to work in favor of the principle of justice too. Life merits our participation, therefore, we will humbly be part of the solution. We know the problems of our world are. It is also essential to develop solutions since we have imaginative minds as human beings. We can form abstract thoughts, we can invent, and we have the capacity to self-reflect.

Part of the solution is a working-class coalition with the poor including other oppressed communities in fighting for living wages, universal health care, a stronger infrastructure, better education, the protection of our civil liberties, a stronger environment, compassion to the poor, and other progressive aims that represent the best of our ideologies. Yes, this requires a radical redistribution of political and economic power as the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has said and written before. Not to mention that we must always continue to confront police brutality. We have to embrace the truth that progress is more than about individual pursuits. Progress deals with the collective benefit of communities as a whole. In order words, we must confront systematic oppression and other evils for us to build up society. That means that inanimate objects, which are used to kill, are not superior in value to human life. There is nothing wrong with our individuality, but we also need to embrace the collective power found within us to establish a better civilization.


By Timothy