Nostalgia
Nostalgia
Tens of millions of voters wake up every day frustrated with the status quo. Rising prices, unaffordable housing, high taxes, uncontrolled immigration creating polarization in many communities, perceived and real corruption, and wasteful government spending are just some of the causes.
Many tend to look at the past nostalgically and while many things were better for many, it’s a past that was not as good for many sectors of society.
Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
And neither is the past always what we remember it to be.
This is why whenever I hear a political candidate call for a return to a “simpler past”, or to make the country “great again”, I know that they are referring to a past that they feel can tap into the frustrations of many voters to their own political advantage.
In the minds of many conservative white Americans and Canadians this past refers to a time when white middle-class families were better governed, surrounded by similar neighbors, paid fewer taxes for better services and had infrastructures that generally met their needs.
Objectively, it was also a world where corporations were less powerful and paid higher taxes rates and where governments used the funds more wisely to invest in education, health, and infrastructure.
However, at the same time, the reality for some may have been different.
People of color faced severe discrimination in both countries. I recall driving in the South of the U.S. in the sixties and stopping at gas stations and restaurants where blacks were not served or had to use different facilities like toilets and water fountains.
I am old enough to remember Ku Klux Klan lynchings and the murders of civil rights leaders and workers who only sought respect for the principles outlined in the U.S. constitution that had left many by the wayside.
Women cannot wax nostalgic for an era when they had fewer rights, independence and even full control over their bodies. When abortion was banned by men, where birth control was frowned upon or banned by Church and state, and where a professional working woman was perceived to be an aberration.
Fundamentalist Christians can pine for the days when churches ruled directly or indirectly and set the tone for social legislation and education.
Most professions were closed to women and minorities in these “good old days” and the right to participate in the economy and labor market was won through hard fought battles.
LGBTQ citizens were not only ostracized but jailed and sometimes even murdered for their sexual reality. They really lived in fear of being “outed” and they often married into compromised marriages to camouflage their sexuality.
Workers are now the targets of those who would eliminate unions and reduce or eliminate such hard-won rights as safety measures, pensions, health benefits, paid vacations, and others that raised the working class to the middle class.
I am and have always been a centrist liberal as parties that espouse those values get my vote.
But I do see reality that many voters can clearly perceive the poor leadership that has led to the current polarized state of our politics.
We need leaders who will not reach for the past but who will instead fashion a vision of the future that addresses the frustrations many voters feel and will entice them to support their candidacy.
We need leaders who instead of scare mongering about their opponents, can share a fresh, detailed vision to unite and motivate us.
Leaders who can make all feel motivated to pay their way (including large corporations) and ensure that they run the economy to the benefit of the many while not sacrificing the possibilities for future generations.
This means finding leaders who don’t squander taxpayers’ money on useless vanity projects or on “initiatives” that only enrich themselves and their colleagues in terms of money or votes. Leaders who plan and govern for all citizens rather than for their own narrow political base.
Leaders who focus on real results that resolve voters’ needs and add real value to voters’ lives.
Leaders who can ensure well administered education and health systems to ensure that all start from a common playing field and enjoy equality of opportunity so that each can achieve the results that they work for.
We can decry the decentralized uncontrolled social media and cable news for propagating untruths. We can also hope that voters understand that now more than ever, critical thinking is important in the choices we make. With that said, the potential for the frustrated vote to win can best be minimized if those leaders currently in office, media leaders, and opinion makers simply wake up and do better!
We are all responsible for improving our lot and creating a nostalgia for future generations that will encourage them to espouse responsible governance, humanistic values, effective use of taxpayer dollars and systems of governance that address the needs of the many while encouraging the active participation of all in creating a better future.
The good old days are not a roadmap of where we should be heading but they can serve as a reference point of what we want to avoid re-living while dealing with today’s challenges and creating tomorrow’s promise.
Bye bye