Continued from BLOG THE HOPE WITHIN 1
The Return of Security
Fear is insidious. When hope is lost fear seeps into the void, our security compromised. To protect ourselves we close in and erect walls.
The last blog post reminisced about the US Nov 8th, 2016 presidential election. Those who voted Republican and gave Donald Trump his presidential mandate included many who subscribed to his politics of fear. But he was the only politician who tapped into the deeply rooted dissatisfaction of many white middle-class Americans. Disenfranchised with elitist establishments and a ham-strung government, lively-hoods challenged, concerns not given enough attention and their voices not heard – Donald Trump listened. And he convinced the fearful that he could fill the void with hope for a prosperous future. The one they were brought up to expect as their birthright.
With the allure of an old-time travelling salesman Donald Trump’s election promises offered a magic elixir, a formula to combat perceived inequalities.
If we build walls, he said, we protect jobs. If we push out others who don’t look like us and they don’t act like us, there will be more for us. Our security is assured.
Security: Independence or Inter-dependence?
But building walls and isolating communities whether shoring up our own or keeping out others does not ultimately serve or reap the expected benefits. The world is far more connected. Evolution of the global family is perhaps what God intends. Rather than being self-reliant the challenge is inter-dependence. The planets population grows exponentially with increasing demands on resources. Self-preservation dictates the need to work together to do more with less.
Interdependence means assuring our near and far neighbours survive too, because they offer things we need to thrive. To insist solely on protecting our own fiefdoms dooms us to slow starvation. Self-imposed isolation removes our communities from essential resources and the benefits of collaboration that are necessary for prosperity. England is already tallying the exorbitant costs of Brexit.
To be continued in the next post.
Can you relate to those who fear the impact of global economic changes and lost security? What attitudes and responses do you see?