SUMMARY
Trust is out the window in America. We are past the fading point and we are now at complete and total loss. People don't trust the government. They don't trust the media. They don't trust the court systems or the agencies. Maybe worst of all is that we hardly trust our neighbors now.
The saddest part? This lack of trust was earned – on both sides. And each year the country sinks deeper into a place where truth depends entirely on which side of the algorithm you fall on.
If a nation can't believe its institutions… What exactly is left?
Who Lost Trust and Why It Matters
The Political Left and Their Distrust of Power
Many folks on the left see government agencies as corruptible, corporate-owned, or too much influenced by conservative viewpoints. I don't mean to paint with such a generalized brush, but this is just how I see it. They tend to distrust police and anyone with big-time money. Years of scandals, lobbying, and political games have added to this distrust so it's not hard to see how it's gotten to this – if you're open minded. Trust is a spectrum of course but once it's been cracked then it's usually irreparable. If you read that and roll your eyes, keep reading – remember perception is your reality.
The Political Right's Breakdown With Federal Agencies
Meanwhile, the right has lost faith in intelligence agencies, the federal election process, the FBI, and practically anything even remotely close to social justice. I know I'm using extremes with these but lately the "extremes" have been made mainstream enough to where we now see them as a representation of a political foe. Perception is reality – it doesn't matter what's true or not, it's how it's perceived.
Government Institutions That No Longer Command Faith
Congress has low approval ratings constantly. Federal agencies contradict each other. Experts change positions yearly – depending on the election cycle. We are getting played as the fools but people prefer to fight it out online.
A government that doesn't maintain any credibility cannot maintain discipline.
Everyday Americans Caught Between Two Distrustful Tribes
I used to work at the shipyard and I remember when Obama was elected. The next day there was a fight between 2 guys over their politics. That's when I realized how bad the problem was for some folks.
I remember when I was a kid and learning about the civil war in Virginia how there were families torn apart by the war. I see it now. There's facebook groups dedicated to not having dinner with family members with different views than you.
This has gotten very, very bad.
What's Actually at Stake When Trust Falls Apart
Why Faith in Institutions Is Critical for a Free Country
Societies function on trust in the institutions. Courts work because people trust the outcome. Police work because people respect the badge. Democracy works because people trust the election process. If we cannot trust the process that builds this country then we are praying for its downfall.
The Erosion of Trust in Law, Justice, and Order
When Americans believe the law only applies to one group, or when the rules are different for the rich, then they stop respecting the system entirely. Far too long politicians have been feeding off of the division in America and now it's how we identify.
Judges, Politicians, and the Collapse of Public Confidence
Judges are picked on how they view the world politically, the exact opposite of how it was intended to be. Have you ever watched the State of the Union address and wondered why those judges in the front don't clap? Tradition and nothing else. Traditionally, just like the elected officials, the judges work for the people and not for a political party so they aren't supposed to applaud a partisan opinion. But how are they chosen?
Politicians are viewed as performers and not delegates. They perform to get reelected not to make the country better for ALL of the people they work for.
How America Reached This Level of Distrust
Real Examples of Broken Trust on Both Sides
Obama's Affordable Healthcare Act. "If you like your plan your can keep it"
Turns out that some people did not, in fact, keep it. President Obama issued an apology on NBC.
Iraq WMD's. The invasion in Iraq, despite what many think, was because we were searching for weapons of mass destruction. We never found those but we did manage to achieve the side-quest of "kill their leader" so there's that. The fact remains that we never found anything like that and many Americans felt betrayed. This led to a huge decline in trust in the intelligence agency and/or President Bush.
Bernie vs Hillary. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is supposed to be neutral in a primary. Party leaders publicly insisted they were treating Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton fairly, and that the process wasn't rigged. Then the leaks happened that proved there was emails circulating about the party pulling for Hillary. Bernie never stood a chance, and I don't care who you are – Bernie Sanders had incredible support. The DNC issued a formal apology to Sanders and his supporters for "inexcusable" remarks that did not reflect a "steadfast commitment to neutrality."
Epstein Files. Everyone was told that the files of the notorious pedo-island host, Jeffrey Epstein, would get released if Trump was elected. Then once Trump got to the seat, all of a sudden "there are no epstein files" – there's not a single person in the entire damn country that believes that lie.
Biden and COVID. Biden's overconfidence in the effectiveness of the vaccines didn't seem to matter to a lot of people, but to others it showed a pattern of lies that we are collectively ignoring. "You're not going to — you're not going to get COVID if you have these vaccinations."
The stolen election. Remember earlier, perception is everything. Facts are not the priority anymore so put those on the back burner for now. What happened as a result is what matters here. The "stolen" election led to a bunch of maniacs illegally entering the capital building. Depending on your algorithm it was either a coup to take over the government or a protest turned to a violent riot, but that's not quite as important as the fact that people felt betrayed. Trump's own Attorney General, William Barr, publicly stated that the Justice Department had found no evidence of widespread fraud that would change the outcome.
Why aren't you mad yet?
From intelligence failures to government cover-ups, politicians have been promising Americans the world but delivering on nothing.
Distrust didn't just happen overnight – it built up over the years.
The "Carrot on a String" Election Cycle That Never Changes
It's the same song every 4 years. Abortion, gun rights & immigration. Instead of trying to figure out solutions to these real problems they dangle these hot topics over our heads like proverbial carrots to keep the donkey straight. Why not try to offer ways to solve these problems? Because it's what keeps us angry and motivated to vote. This way we know who the real enemy is.
The country keeps chasing carrots it never gets to eat.
Endless Broken Promises and Political Vanishing Acts
We elect these people based on the things they campaign for and we should expect them to uphold their promises. And if they do, they do it via executive order to get reversed in courts later; that's another slippery slope that I'll touch on another time. They get our votes and then they get the power they wanted – nothing changes though. The same problems that existed 4, 8, 12 years ago are still problems today with even more problems added through the years.
Campaign promises are even expected to be lies at this point. We mock them as being just empty promises to get votes.
COVID Missteps, Mixed Messaging, and Institutional Whiplash
Covid was a hot mess in particular that needs addressing when talking about the lies. If only we would hold our officials accountable we may not get ourselves into these positions.
From President Biden's lies about vaccination effectiveness to suppressed debate and poor transparency. We were demanded to "trust the officials" after the snowball of lies was built to insane proportions. People lost jobs because they dared question the efficiency of the vaccination virus. People died alone in hospital beds, without family by their side, because of a pandemic that was mismanaged from the jump.
Trust was going before covid, it's gone now.
Why the Trust Crisis Exploded
Outrage Algorithms Built to Keep Americans Angry
Social media has a business model designed to keep you online. Once they found out that people's engagement spiked when they were angry, the entire social media landscape shifted. Groups started forming, some from America some not, and the hive-mind mentality took over. The echo-chamber got further from opposing voices as the wedge was driven between the 2 parties.
Imagine the world we could have if social media had algorithms that united us instead of divided us? Unicorns and leprechauns. The more divided America is, the more profitable it becomes.
Manufactured Hate as a Billion-Dollar Business
Division drives ad revenue.
Engagement skyrockets when people are mad.
Peace does not make profit.
Foreign Nations Profiting From American Division
Russia amplifies chaos through their troll farms. China exploits weaknesses. Iran stokes the fire with fake news and groups that influence our country. All of this lack of trust is highlighted by these foreign countries. The fires of division grow bigger as each side gets played by foreign nationals.
The Outcome of a Nation That No Longer Trusts Anything
Hate Becomes a Marketable Commodity
Now influencers rise that build their entire identity off of hate. They try to brainwash their followers to hate anyone that doesn't vote like they do. Violence becomes content. Political fear becomes currency. The outrage machine is now self-fulfilling and their mission is complete.
Team-Sports Politics and the Death of Nuanced Thinking
Politics is like the NFL now. Your team is right and the other team sucks. You make excuses for losing but you keep rooting for your team because like I said at first, your team is right. There's no in between, it's my way or the high way. No more negotiations, just dunking on the other guy.
Nuanced thinking is gone too and I blame that on just 2 parties. It's one extreme or the other extreme, you have to pick a side while the media reports on all the negative stuff the other side does – even though you aren't as extreme as those crazies. Absolutely nothing in life is so black and white, there is always a gray area that we need to stop overlooking.
We End Up Electing Leaders Who Don't Even Like the Country
This outrage machine is now rewarding people with votes. The more you show hatred to Trump the better your chances are of getting elected. Inverse to that was the more hate someone gave to Hillary Clinton, the more likely they would get that conservative vote. Now we just elect people that hate America and don't care about the future of it.
Outrage wins, competence loses.
Trust is still dead.
How Americans Can Rebuild Trust Before It's Too Late
Local Outreach and Real Conversations
Instead of shunning someone that doesn't think like you do, try to understand them. For the liberals out there that overuse the fascist/racist terms, you especially need to do this. So much false information is out there that now some people legitimately think that anyone who voted for republicans is a racist – giving real racists a free pass on their hate.
Talk to people outside your bubble. There's a reason we are civil towards each other offline. Most people are good people.
A Peaceful Cultural Revolution Against Manufactured Outrage
We need to start a peaceful revolution.
It's time to:
- Start having conversations.
- Stop allowing people to be silenced.
Hold Leaders Accountable and Stop Rewarding Dishonesty
If we want honest leadership, we have to stop electing actors and arsonists. We the people must stop allowing hate to be what gets someone elected. We have to rise above that. Regardless of the party we need to hold our leaders accountable. There should NEVER be a guaranteed win in any electorate district, but there is. There are some politicians that have had an entire life of politics in DC and the only thing that's changed is their bank account. It's way way past time to wake up, America. I'm practically begging you at this point.
PLAN OF ACTION:
Stop doing the thing, start thinking.
