Saver's Delight Thrift

News Are TikTok Soundbites

The American Public no longer questions what they hear and read on social media. Instead, many listen to ten-second sound bites and repeat them as talking points. As an American, I am concerned about how much social media has taken the reins of supplanting the mainstream media as a viable news source. This should be a concern to every American because we just had an election in which misinformation was key to the victory of Donald Trump and the Republicans. Misinformation and non-vetting of the mistruths about the state of the economy, tariffs would be paid by China and Mexico, and inflation could be controlled by the President. In actuality, no politician can eliminate inflation because private companies determine the price of goods and services to the public. In a Capitalistic society, this is a fact, no one politician can reduce the price of eggs or groceries. Unless the government took over private companies and nationalized the businesses like in Cuba and Venezuela. Many minority groups like Hispanics and African Americans voted against their own interests because of the mistruths about the economy, fear of Socialism, and anti-immigrant sentiment being fueled about American job losses to these immigrants.

We failed ourselves America

Voting is a sacred duty in America and should be respected and performed in all of our elections not just the Presidential election. Many US voters vote for various reasons, some vote for cultural issues like gun rights, and abortion. Other voters vote for party loyalty regardless of the horrible policies put forth by their political party. One example is the state of Texas, the voters vote for the same terrible politicians regardless of the bad policies ruining the state. Senator Ted Cruz won again despite his lack of concern for his constituents when Texas had an electrical grid issue in the winter for days. He went off to Cancun on vacation instead of trying to get the grid issue resolved as quickly as possible.

The most important factor in voters making uninformed decisions was fake news that led them to make the decision to vote for a political party that does not support their financial interests or their individual civil rights. The tax cuts that President Trump passed in 2017 added more than 1.9 trillion to the national debt and it mainly passed tax cuts for corporations, billionaires, and special interests. In blue states, many low-income taxpayers saw their taxes go up as opposed to tax cuts and many had to pay additional taxes. While in red states, taxpayers saw a tax cut for eight years and a job boom of low-wage jobs being created in places like Florida and Texas. This is why in rural America, the Republican Party and Trump have won favor with certain parts of the country.

It is our duty as an American citizen to be informed and question everything we take in as news. We have to be skeptical and investigate for ourselves what we take as real news. When politicians promise to eliminate inflation, it is up to us to question, how will you do that? If they threaten to eliminate Obamacare and say that they have elements of a plan after years of being in practice. Why don’t we question them and ask what will you replace it with? Yes, for many of the voters who didn’t know that the Affordable Care Act is Obamacare, you may have voted to eliminate healthcare protections for all Americans not just the 45 million on Obamacare. Elections have consequences and we are all due for a rude awakening when the promises are not kept, federal safety net programs are cut or eliminated, federal workers are fired, our voting rights are taken away, and our healthcare is changed or eliminated. Inflation increasing instead of decreasing due to tariffs and Immigrant deportations of hard-working immigrants who toil in jobs that many Americans will not do such as farm labor. When we pay ten dollars for a head of lettuce we will see if this really will be the golden age promised by the republicans.

Lesson learned to question, examine, investigate, and inform yourself properly before you vote. This election was the most consequential election of all time, America may not be a Democracy in two years, if the Republicans install their 2025 manifesto agenda. The Republican Party wants to transform our Democracy into a Christian White Nationalistic Oligarchy society. What was most unfortunate about this was that people from all walks of life in America joined to upend their lives and their own interests. Believing in the lies and rhetoric that a new golden age would emerge. Shame on those who didn’t take the time to inform themselves and who have not only destroyed their own well-being but those who did inform themselves about the truth.

America has to do better as we will all learn in due time when President Trump takes office in 2025.