It seems each day, there is yet another something that makes me shake my head in disbelief, outrage, or fear that we’ve crossed some line from which there is no return. Do you also have that feeling? If so, this article is for you. Instead of being filled with many ‘hard facts,’ this article takes a nuanced view of anecdotal beliefs and observations. Let’s try to find, if not closure, at least some internal peace!

People I speak with and who write to me have at least five major concerns that keep them angry, scared, or confused.  Those are:

The Border Situation:-

The border situation — border crossers are invading us; let no one tell you otherwise. Virtually everyone with a brain understands that our borders are completely open. Millions and millions are surging across, for all purposes, like some invading army. No one can accurately tell you how many or even who is crossing. While we are indeed a nation of immigrants, the current volume of gate crashers is unsustainable and unprecedented. We are told that it is the fault of Congress. If that were true, why was it not a problem under Trump? People want to understand why Biden invited the world to come. But there’s not been an answer. People want to know why Biden is not trying to make a case consistent with his actions.

The Economy:-

The Economy—the number of people who think the economy is poor or very poor is 63%, according to poll averages from RCP. Biden tells us the economy is roaring, and according to some metrics, it is. But anecdotally, it’s not. I asked a group of people to share some anecdotes with me. Here’s what they said:

• I paid $0.45 a can for Friskies three years ago, and yesterday, I paid $0.80
• I used to pay $240 interest on my credit cards, and now I’m paying close to a thousand
• Orange juice used to be $2, and now it’s about $5, the same kind of increase for beef
• Italian bread from the Walmart bakery that used to be $1 is now $1.49
• Walmart wheat bread.  It was $0.52 a loaf, now $1.32
• International branded Nestle instant coffee.  A year ago, it was $2.97; it is now $3.38
• My house insurance was just under $3,000 a year.  In September, I had to pay over $13,000 (not a typo!)
• We purchased a car earlier this year, and there was absolutely no discussion on price, pay a premium above the sticker, or you don’t take the vehicle home
• Electricity costs have doubled from two years ago

Increases like this have unnerved people who wonder what or who did this to them. According to experts, the “feel like” inflation for the typical American household is closer to 30 percent, well above official figures.

Donald Trump:-

Donald Trump —Love or hate him, former President Trump influences almost all other debates. From abortion to energy, from lawlessness to the rule of law, Trump’s positions and history tend to keep all of us motivated, but not necessarily to the same end!
What is misinterpreted by many about Trump are his motivations and proclivities. I know people who think Trump’s in it for the money. I don’t see it that way. Well, then, it is undoubtedly about power, right? Anyone who wants to be the President of the United States has to be egotistical, perhaps with the sole exception of Jimmy Carter, at least in modern times. Yes, power is a component. But how many are divided on how they feel about Trump on this specific issue? Millions believe that Trump may be the only living person who has the potential to use the power of the presidency to reclaim essential American ideals and liberties that have been squandered, devalued, or abandoned. Americans are discovering we can’t successfully move forward as a country without first reclaiming what we have lost. A lot depends on whether Trump can defeat the administrative state and restore constitutional guarantees.

Washington’s Dysfunction:-

Washington’s Dysfunction—recent polls show a vast number of Americans agreeing on at least one thing: Washington doesn’t work anymore.  People used to respect our institutions. Part of that blame goes to the current victimization crowd that sees nothing good with America and has zero respect for our systems. But beyond that, hundreds of thousands of federal bureaucrats believe they can tell us how to live. The Library of Congress doesn’t know how many laws and regulations there are! Their best guess is in the hundreds of thousands, and those laws and interpretations are unmanageable, inflexible, inconsistent, easy to manipulate, and ultimately unfair to the people they were meant to govern. They’ve become a trap and frequently just another reason we don’t trust our government.

The Future:-

The Future—without massive change, our country will continue its decline. There is nothing magic about us that guarantees us the success and prosperity we created over our first 200-plus years will continue. Divine providence only goes so far. At some point, we must accept that actions have consequences and that we’ve allowed the wrong kind of actions for too long. Why? Because doing nothing or the wrong things is often easier than doing the hard or smart things that don’t come easy and won’t please the largest number of people.

There’s an old adage I love and was taught early in life. “When you are in command, command.” Being the leader of the free world is the most challenging job in the world. It is impossible to please everyone, nor is it the correct choice to do a mob’s bidding. We are a representative republic with a constitution that lays out the metes and bounds, in specific detail, of what the federal government may be allowed to do. They have exceeded that mandate catastrophically.

If our Founders were alive today, they would see our massive expansion of powers at the Federal level as a failure of their intent. They would look at many of our leaders as failed politicians, not statesmen. We are lost without solid leadership that stays close to the tenets of our founding. Without an abiding faith in God and strict morality, we became lost. Without a return to that foundation and a commensurate belief that America is uniquely exceptional, we can’t be the essential leader the world needs.

Either you believe in our important history of essential liberty and self-reliance, or you, too, are a prop, pawn, or lover of shiny things.  Which have you chosen?

God Bless America.

Allan J. Feifer—Patriot

Author, Businessman, Thinker, and Strategist.  Read more about Allan, his background, and his ideas to create a better tomorrow at www.1plus1equals2.com