LXI. The Bro Code Comes to Power

While some may view Trump's return as an event at a distance, there will be far-reaching consequences for individuals and communities across the nation. When it comes to incompetence, chaos, and self-serving governance, nothing will be left untouched.

Imagine waking up one morning to find that your local hospital has shut down because of an unexpected loss of federal funding, or federal workers who live and work in your community are suddenly out of a job. Maybe it’s the United Nations of people who help care for your loved ones, the aids in the nursing homes and assisted living facilities that disappear for fear of being picked up or misidentified?

This isn't far-fetched under an administration that has shown a penchant for a show of force, impulsive budget cuts, and disregard for public health. Trump's first term saw attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act without an alternative, risking healthcare access for millions of Americans of all ages. The pledge to chase down and deport undocumented immigrants will force many to abandon their work and community. You’ll see it in the price of all kinds of goods You’ll see it in a loss of services taken for granted.

Consider the impact on education. Picture your child's school struggling to provide basic resources because of drastic cuts to federal education funding. This was the direction under Betsy DeVos, whose policies favored private schools at the expense of public education. The new Trump administration doesn't need a DeVos. Just abolish the Department of Education. Let’s have more overcrowded classrooms and fewer opportunities for students in your neighborhood. It’s a win-win. Public services look incompetent, and the private sector benefits.

The consequences of environmental deregulation could come to a neighborhood near you. Imagine discovering that the lake in your backyard has become polluted because of relaxed EPA standards. A rollback of environmental protections marked Scott Pruitt's tenure at the EPA. And while fires grow wild, storms get bigger, hotter hots, and colder colds, the facts of climate change continue adding up.

A second Trump term will muddle the science even more. The withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement signaled a disregard for global climate action and abandonment of the old pride of America being a leader in the world on big things. At a local level, this will cause more pollution, more storms, and bigger insurance bills distributed through the populace.

Or consider the impact on your retirement savings. Suddenly, the nest egg you've been carefully building for years shrinks dramatically due to market volatility. Those threats to Greenland, Panama, Canada, and Mexico? Threats to stability cause people to stop investing and spending. Less trade means less choice and higher prices. And it’ll take jobs away, too. Consider how much it benefits China and Russia to hear us make trouble with our friends.

Words matter.

Envision the fabric of your community fraying as trust in institutions erodes with continued inflammatory and false language. Federal officials no longer assist or wait for one person’s direction. Local government officials might struggle to implement federal programs due to constantly changing directives and a lack of clear guidance from Washington. This confusion, probably purposeful, leads to delays in essential services or the misallocation of resources in your town.

It could also lead to a rise in crime.

Divisiveness could permeate your neighborhood. Trump's rhetoric has inflamed tensions and emboldened extremist elements. In a second term, this divisive approach may escalate, potentially leading to increased incidents of hate crimes or civil unrest in the town next door. Most hate crimes have taken place in everyday America, right in your backyard.

To understand the potential impact of the Bro administration, we need only look at the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Imagine facing a new health crisis with the same level of incompetence: conflicting messages from officials, a lack of coordinated response, and decisions based on political expediency rather than scientific evidence. The result will be more unnecessary loss of life in your community and prolonged economic hardship for local businesses.

This may seem like political hyperbole, but carrying out what's been promised will have implications for average Americans. From healthcare and education to the environment and the economy, the decisions made by an incompetent administration will have direct and indirect impacts for years.

As we approach the Trump term, it's crucial to recognize that what happens in Washington doesn't stay in Washington. It's not just about political ideologies or partisan battles; it's about the tangible effects of covering the health of your child, your children's future choices, your financial security, and the well-being of your community.

This lack of appreciation for truth and decency will stain the American character for years to come.

Be prepared to make good trouble.

• What will the climate feel like where you live in 60 years? Here’s a new tool. Select your city.

• Think you’re smarter than a third grader? How about a cuttlefish? A reminder that we are not the only advanced species around.

• Prepare for what’s to come: a flashback to the subprime mortgage and how communities have historically fought back against unprincipled business practices.

• Lego may create a Mister Roger’s Neighborhood if it gets enough votes.

If you know the history of the South, you know that it was predominately black labor that toiled in agriculture. When black Americans got their freedom, many turned to the one thing they knew, which was farming. At one time, there were many black farms across the South. Unfortunately, laws have been exploited to reduce the number of black farmers. The anti-education movement and right-wing tilt of the Republican party have promoted a backlash of honest efforts. If there is one benefit DEI had, it’s a recognition of having learned from the past; that exploitation of fellow Americans is neither sustainable nor something to be proud of.

For the next four years, businesses will make decisions dependent on your having a short-term memory.

Always remember.

This is a perfect example of something I’ve discussed before. There is no sustainable, long-term solution that does not involve public sponsorship. Most industries will not move toward less wasteful and sustainable business practices unless expected to do so by public policy. I’m a broken record with this. There is no right to pollute. There is no “away” when we say, “throw it away.” As we’ve moved to more disposable clothing without requiring higher recycling content, it’ll be left to our future relatives to figure out solutions.

Unless…

There are more public policies like this one. This is what will move our economic model where it needs to be. Familiarize yourself with it. When we get better leadership in Washington, we will get better national models.

Two takes on this piece. The issues raised here are important because they are seen almost anywhere that is on the outskirts of either a major city or a thriving business.

Can you keep what makes a place distinct while growing?

What we need is a much more federal-level plan of action that targets rural communities who want and need development. Just as the Reinvestment Act has led semiconductor and tech plans for US communities, more can be done, for example, by asking corporations to target facilities and investments in places that need it the most. Think of the coal mining areas, auto plant cities, and pulp mills.

Growing in the right way is hard.

It has always been the kiss of death for any local elected official or public servant to turn down development of almost any kind. It’s a jobs first - community second mentality. We’ve seen a bit of this with the recent wildfires and hurricanes, where homes get built in areas they shouldn’t be. At some point, we need to become much better at explaining and showing the total costs associated with certain types of development, and much better at supporting development that gets it right, or local leaders will continue to find themselves rubber-stamping anything that comes along with little regard for science or community.

A universal sound, no matter where you are, is to listen to the birds.

My wife and I went on several bird counts in our earlier years and I marveled at the bird watchers who were so good at what they do, they had learned to identify birds by their sound without actually seeing them.

Just like the “canary in the coal mine”, birds and other smaller members of our ecosystem are most often the indicators of changes in our habitats. We just don’t pay attention. We have economic and market systems that put very little value on such awareness beyond commercial. Even the concept of roadkill was long ago normalized.

Hopefully, as our civic standards improve, we will remember and realize we do not exist a world apart but live with a multitude of other species that depend upon the same planet.

Special note: ^{the Merlin app} is one of those that kids can learn from and enjoy.

I’ve talked about this one before and the importance of trees and vegetation to our surroundings and our mental health. Local governments working with residents and a nonprofit are getting it done by giving residents choices and having locals develop trust and relationships. Planting trees not only beautifies but maybe one of the easiest ways to cut down on heat and sequester carbon, depending upon the species chosen. The only thing missing is I didn’t see any mention of fruit or nut trees, which would have the extra benefit of providing a food source.

We should always speak for the trees.

I bring this to your attention because climate change predictions are happening entirely as predicted. The LA Wildfires are not a fluke but an outcome of the dryer dry and hotter hots. And of course, there will be less water available for already arid areas.

As with many issues a nation faces, I do not see any option other than to tackle these things from a national perspective. Public subsidy gets roads and infrastructure built, and the public is going to need to intervene to keep insurance affordable. The existing market is a mixed bag with not enough competition to make it affordable and insuring too many things in high-risk areas.

When I returned from Japan as a college student, the difference in public travel options was as stark as the old station wagon taxi waiting at the airport. Some things have gotten better, but the lack of investment in public services has remained low compared to other advanced countries.

With the new administration, crony capitalism will buy up and dismantle many public properties, including those in transportation and mail services. As the author says at the end, do any traveling around the world, and you’ll quickly realize how we have settled for 3rd world options in a 1st world country. We must do better to be serious about climate change and the bonds that bind us together.

If we don’t, the character of the American public will diminish right alongside the loss of its public places.

And Now….

Hope to see you next time. Build up your strength with a good book, good friends, and a bit of good trouble.

Work hard to be a good human. Word for the week: REMEMBER