A Matter of Circumstance
Juxtaposition
Looking at two things side-by-side that clash or don’t seem to fit together is what juxtaposition is all about in a graphic viewpoint. The last couple of days seem carved out of intentional positioning of elements for contrast.
I knew the President was going to address the nation. It would be early in the evening on the West coast where I live. I cranked the tube up a little after 5:00 and let it run in the background as I fixed dinner in the kitchen.
Bummer
Since I knew I was early I left it on the History Channel. Bad move. They had moved on from Ancient Astronaut theories to Government Coverups and how much Presidents were told about Roswell and thousands of other sightings to the Mystery of Oak Island.
Apparently, folks believe there is a buried treasure on this island in the North Atlantic and they have spent millions trying to figure out how to get to it through interlocking tunnels that are flooded by the sea. The cofferdam they had built, a kind of steel wall to keep back the sea so they could dig out the bay where the tunnels begin started leaking almost immediately.
The story is one of leaky walls, following partial clues and trying to figure out what is false and what is true.
Dinner viewing
I finished my dinner prep and sat down to watch the speech from the oval office. It was mercifully short. I found myself following partial clues and trying to figure out what is false and what is true.
Just about every claim made was incorrect except several incidents where illegal immigrants were charged with terrible crimes against citizens. The speech was constructed to convince anyone not digging for the facts that the greatest threat to this nation is from people trying to breach the southern border. Those emotional appeals came at the back end.
Equal time disaster
Democrats were given equal time. They were standing behind a podium side by side and didn’t flinch. They were about as emotional as a carved basilisk. They spoke with confidence and surety about the falsehoods in the preceding speech. But their expressions and body language were not linked to their words. There was no passion.
History is a matter of circumstance
We’re told that the victors write the history and that there is seldom, if ever, a minority report. An opinion piece in the Washington Post this morning said, “Trump Won.” It went on to say that the writer believed he had skillfully reached across his base to the rest of America.
The Atlantic offered the opposite opinion and noted that this may have been the last straw with former Republican stalwarts. The article noted the significant difference in his approval ratings between members of the Republican party and the US citizenry—a matter of 51 points.
The Blue Flu
This is going to play out rather quickly as more and more people at TSA call in sick because they are not being paid. They are not the only ones impacted. The one organization that Trump is supposedly trying to get assistance for is Homeland Security. They have been impaired more by his controversial Fascist tactic of shutting off government payrolls than any other department.
But wait, there’s more
Trump is tweeting that FEMA funds for the California Wild Fires should be cut off. He apparently believes that the fires were caused because of bad forest management and that global warming caused droughts have nothing to do with it.
Statutes of Liberty
Reagan compared America to a shining city on a hill. The Democratic speakers last night suggested that the Statue of Liberty should be the symbol of America. For those seeking asylum here, both images apply.
There is another image these circumstances tell me to keep in mind: It is a gate. Fences that have no access deny the nature of the dwellers on both sides. Gates allow passage in a way acceptable to both. Gates accept the law of reciprocity.
This is a country built on the rule of law. That is why the executive is not a monarch or a dictator. There are statutes that govern the representatives of the citizens. The courts are separate from the other branches of government.
Let’s solve the real border problem by fixing our gates. adding the courts, staff and physical resources necessary to cope with the huge numbers of people seeking asylum on our southern border. Let’s deal with the real circumstances.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jerry Fletcher is a sought-after International Speaker, a beBee ambassador, founder andGrand Poobah of www.BrandBrainTrust.com
His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for Trust-based Brand development, Positioning and business development for independent professionals on and off-line.
Consulting: www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com
DIY Training: www.ingomu.com
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Comments
Jerry Fletcher
5 years ago #12
Lyon, glad you decided to join the party. I'd be interested in your views about the political partisanship. You've seen a great deal more of the world than most.
Lyon Brave
5 years ago #11
Jerry Fletcher
5 years ago #10
Nick The man in the white house had one rallying cry that summed up his campaign and touched his base. As a marketing professional I have to give credit where credit is due. That phrase allowed a large chunk of the population to emotionally connect with him. I beg to differ on what president had the most ot do with the current value of the US dollar. Obama was elected at the time when a Republican government had put this country and the world closer to an economic meltdown than we had been since the Depression. His leadership turned the corner. That is fact. A Fascist cannot stand a free press. Thank whatever deity you pray to that we still have one.
Jerry Fletcher
5 years ago #9
Harvey, Would there were more thoughtful people like you engaged in the fray. I agree that we are at a place where real decisions must be made about how we are to go forward. Personally, I have always questioned the huge amounts of foreign aid disseminated across the globe with no verifiable returns (that I could see) while we have people starving in the USA. I'm also concerned about being the World's policeman. Both those things are incredibly expensive and again don't seem to be getting visible results. The problem, as I see it is that there is little concern about the future circumstances that are caused by today's decisions. When a country elects a Fascist how can you expect a democratic result?
Jerry Fletcher
5 years ago #8
Dr Ali, Thank you for commenting. For me this situation is one of watching too many of the people in my country fail to find a way to reach out to each other (myself included) I still believe that this is the greatest nation the world has ever known. But somewhere along the way partisanship replaced diplomacy and statesmanship.
Jerry Fletcher
5 years ago #7
Nick, That is truly unfortunate. I've had the pleasure of meeting some Soviet citizens that migrated here and Russians and Americans share a great deal in individual humanity.
Jerry Fletcher
5 years ago #6
Chris I believe that Trump, from a marketing standpoint has a solid base. But I don't think it is expanding. When you put as many people in financial jeopardy as he has recently people begin to vote to protect their pocket books. It is unfortunate that the Democrats can't seem to get on the same page. As I pointed out in a column here, in the last presidential election, Trump had one position: "Make America Great Again." Hillary had 140 at last count.
Harvey Lloyd
5 years ago #5
Ali Anani
5 years ago #4
Debasish Majumder
5 years ago #3
Jerry Fletcher
5 years ago #2
Pascal, Don't mince words. Tell me what you think!
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #1