Laredo was recently visited by political demagogues Ted Cruz and Chip Roy, who ape political alarmists Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, and Dan Patrick to frighten and coerce followers into unquestioning subservience by lying. They exploit naïve citizens into states of anxiety and fear, human survival traits projected as hate toward others. Persons desiring power over others easily turn to fear as a tactic to elicit control. Politicians, business leaders, and right-wing conspiracy theorists act like tribal high priests, using fear to convince others to follow blindly. Bertrand Russell wrote, “This terror of the unknown, the wish of having an elder brother standing by, allows fear mongers to control crowds.”
Cruz lied about migrants clogging up hospital rooms, as refuted by City Health Department Director Richard Chamberlain. Alarmist Tano Tijerina falsely blurted “leftist” networks ignore the border. CNN and MSNBC have opinion shows, just like FOX News and OAN, but the former avoid promoting veterinary deworming medicines as COVID prevention. NBC, ABC, CBS, BBC, and Reuters report reliably and promote vaccination plus facemasks.
The tonsured politician spoke of “clarity.” Questioning facemask efficiency, he foolishly stated “Prove it to us.” If he has a library card, our public library has science books about pandemics. He’d learn Red Cross nurses a century ago determined facemasks placed over the mouths and noses of hundreds of American soldiers lowered infections and deaths; they realized deadly viral disease was transmitted by sneezing and coughing.
What to do about demagogic deceivers? How do we know to fear something or tell a con or sales pitch? We must avoid authoritarians pretending to be “saviors” when they take advantage of naive people to attain power. We must think critically, question things propounded by authority figures. Insist on the truth and refuse blind acceptance of what political reactionists say. Investigate facts using reliable sources, avoid Facebook, Twitter, or Fox News. Read books by reliable authors and truth-leaning newspapers. Differentiate between opinion and reporting. Make conclusions based on facts, not paranoid fears. Applying critical thinking and reason, citizens understand how fear begets hatred. It takes courage to believe in ourselves and avoid the likes of this week’s political visitors, who try to convince people to follow without thinking.
The more citizens understand our place in nature, the more easily they liberate themselves from falsehoods. Human nature has overwhelming power of imagination, and many fail to grasp the truth leading to worthwhile life. A judicious person wouldn’t force his or her vision of truth on others, much like Texas Republican legislators pandering to their base by passing abominable abortion restriction law. Afghanistan has its Taliban, Texas has its sanctimonious Republican politicians and deluded evangelicals, all with a 7th century mindset. They can pray all they want, but outlawing a legal procedure will not reduce women’s exigency for abortion. Medieval thinkers deny a woman’s physical autonomy and full citizenship. A truly free and tolerant society, unlike organized religions and dictatorial governments, know the truth should not lead to fanatical oppression; state ideology uses non-rational motives to control citizens.
Democratic republics ideally provide citizens safety and security to live without fear and protects civil rights. To prevent authoritarian government, society applies reason to our constitutionally secular government and avoids violent outbursts induced by ignorance, like the insurrection instigated by Donald Trump January 6th.
Liberals must resist extremism as promulgated by rabble like Ted Cruz and Chip Roy. We can be satirical and mocking without being vile. We can face opposition without cursing the opposition. We can be defiant without being lawless. And we must clean up our own liberal house before it is sabotaged by right-wing extremists. Would-be authoritarians practice intolerance, revealing an “assume the worst” tendency to declare war on those who disagree. Most of the Republican base are close to Democrats in joblessness and homelessness; they are our brothers and sisters. This legitimate problem needs to be rectified to affect positive change. The right-wing outrage machine will continue to inanely call liberals “leftists” while frothing about inclusion, the secular Constitution, and non-existent emergencies. They get it wrong. Our Democratic party can do better. We have to remain united and avoid splitting into camps, as is now happening between true conservative Republicans and bleating obscurantists like Ted Cruz and Chip Roy.
Americans need to embrace positive change and avoid the tribalism presently dividing our society. Everyone has opportunity to leave their Fox News bubble, narrow-minded televangelists, radio rants, Tea Party rallies, and daily prime time outrage. That environment is a fear culture discarding good people, good ideas, and goodness; lowering others while raising itself. It constantly divides humanity; Republican versus Democrat, Christian versus non-Christian, white versus non-white, domestic versus foreigner, good versus evil. It preys upon human ignorance and insecurity to consolidate privilege and power.
There are those who take comfort in being told who they are, what to think, and what to do, and they’ll likely follow whatever authority fits their opinions. Clinging to their god and shouting about Satan, some blindly believe in the power of prayer and scoff at medical science. They build up walls and load their firearms. And they’ll remain strangers to those who don’t look, talk, or think like them. This is tragedy.
No one party or platform is perfect. I’m a member of imperfect humanity. But I have examined this world and remain convinced that the liberal position is aligned with constitutional religious liberty, equality for all, with the mission of alleviating suffering on all sides of our subjective borders.
If people take issues with liberals like me, I respect their right to hold that position, and hope their life prompts reflection and consideration. Ultimately, liberals can exist in the same space, exchange disagreeing ideas with benevolence, challenge each other and ourselves, and operate in good faith to see the best ideas win the day.
Of all things I value in life, the friendship of people who value truth is foremost.
