Letter from The Pen
“I woke up this morning not feeling like 2016 but feeling like 9/11.”
An America Citizen 11/6/2024
2024 sure feels a lot like 2016 or worse, politically speaking I mean. For over 100 plus days American citizens desperate for change found much needed respite in their hopes and dreams. Anyone with just enough strength and courage could see the lighthouse on the hill if they lifted their head to the sky. Vice President Kamala Harris carried the baton. President Joe Biden handed it to her after he decided not to run for reelection. She ran with determination. The people powered Harris/Walz campaign was flawless. If anyone says any different, they are either lying to themselves or they are simply just a hater.
To be quite honest though, maybe they frequent corporate media newspapers like the Washington Post. They also watch pundits including Dana Bash and Jake Tapper. Maybe they watch CNN, Fox News, and/or News Max religiously. No, maybe they curate their own information streams. These streams that are filled with snackable clips and podcast anecdotes. They mainline content from the manosphere and platforms like Joe Rogan, etc.
Maybe its a combination of all these things or none at all. Most folks find themselves sharing morsels of information on social media sites/apps such as TikTok, Instagram, Threads and/or X the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a ton of independent platforms getting it right. However, they somehow find themselves dependent on big tech platforms like YouTube and the aforementioned platforms. They need these platforms to attract subscribers and loyal viewership.
Vice President Kamala Harris, a woman of color, a once in generation leader, agreed to be the peoples’ champion and take on Donald Trump and his extreme MAGA movement to be President of the United States. She promptly went to the people. First stop, Atlanta. I believed in this overqualified leader. She reassured the crowd with, “I know Donald Trump’s type.” She was the exact person for the job. It seemed weekly though, one after another American institutions failed us. A journalist angling for a “gotcha moment” or a complaint about access tried to influence a news cycle. Trump is out on bail. He is convicted on 34 felony counts and found liable of sexual assault. He is facing many other cases. Somehow, he was held to a different standard by corporate media and the pundit class.
Day after day his espoused racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric, well when he was capable of conveying a coherent sentence. Once reputable outlets like The New York Times, seemed intent on sane-washing his every move. Pundits inserting themselves into the story, parsed through low vibrational Trump rallies, to cobble together policy positions. Supposed “champions of free speech” claimed to defend free expression. They instead used their enormous platforms to give safe haven to the darkest impulses of humanity. They spread disinformation no matter who it harmed.
Vice President did not fail us. The American people, lulled into submission with alternative facts and promises of trickle down, never gonna happen economics failed ourselves. Meanwhile, the Black community, both men and women, consistently save this country, representing the two most reliable voting blocks of the democratic party. in spite of rampant voter suppression tactics. They lead the charge for change. Yet, they still somehow get blamed. Other groups largely vote against their interests to preserve their perceived privilege. I can get into specific electorate demographics real quick. For example, 92% of black women showed up for VP Harris. Additionally, 80% of black men showed up too. However, these groups represent 7% and 5% of the electorate respectively. No one can do it alone. You see, Black people have had to show up for a country that continually shows open hostility and contempt to us. This sentiment is so strong that this same country decided an adjudicated abuser and a convicted felon should lead it. This choice was made rather than electing the overqualified Black woman of South Asian descent yesterday.
These “leaders” in high places like Bezos own interests in critical companies like Amazon and Whole Foods. These companies have become a convenient part of our daily lives. This status affords them the opportunities to buy newspapers like the Washington Post to control information streams.
Teams of innovators curated by folks like Elon Musk build technology behemoths like Tesla and Space X. These innovators equip a son of South African apartheid with the resources to buy the world’s most influential social media platform, Twitter. He then rebrands it in his image (X), thereby corrupting a burgeoning information ecosystem.
The Mark Zuckerberg’s of the world (Meta) feel safe from the wrath of an unhinged Trump in the White House. They believe they are insulated. At least, that’s what they think. Submitting to a “strongman” never works out well. This type of thinking leads them believe that their wealth, created by your hard-earned coins, will keep them safe. I mean they can go anywhere in the world, at a moment’s notice, right? Wrong.
My fellow Americans, I implore you to take action. Make their convenient silence hurt. Their dark money campaign donations should have consequences. Challenge their willful misdirects. Fight against their censorship and dissemination of mis/disinformation. Enough is enough.
I implore you to research the brands you use in your daily lives and find alternatives to corporate interests. Start that new business. Be radical with your thinking. Bring that next idea to fruition. Support those who are getting it right. Support the voices of resistance, fan the flames of community and feed the embers of creativity. Take a little time to do your extra research and be intentional about the businesses you invest in. Because you very well are contributing to your own demise.
Peace.
thepen@infnitepressure.org
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