DONALD TRUMP AND RELEASING THE RACIST GENIE OUT OF THE BOTTLE

The attempt to normalize a Donald Trump presidency was something people flirted with perhaps as a means of coping with reality. Given what we know now can we still entertain that idea or we are now skeptical. That's a question we all have to ask ourselves because it certainly weighs on those with some sanity that it could all come crashing down. I will predict that if things are allowed to go on this way, the world will go through a difficult turmoil.

 Bare in mind we almost avoided such a tragedy in 2008. The financial crisis is still a problem that has not been solved entirely yet given that debt levels on the consumer, private companies and government sector is significantly high. When you do not get into the details of the numbers you might not know how serious the challenge is and you might be easily carried away by the feel good stories. Some have called this period the 'quiet before the storm' which should leave us all uneasy.

The president was elected by a group of electorates whose true motivations for voting him into office is speculative to say the least. But his past statements and his style of campaign should have tipped us all perhaps to take the election seriously. Mr. Bernie Sanders could not have said it better when he called the election very important election in a lifetime. People took it for granted and now here we all are trying to manage through what is already looking like a disastrous presidency. 

The electorates had a choice between 3 aspiring presidential candidates and even if change was needed, Bernie should have been the obvious choice. Some how working people had a disconnect with reality on who will best serve their interests. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in my estimation did not have the right ideas to govern the United States for obvious reasons. Both Trump and Clinton view money as the end all be all and that in my view disqualifies one from public office. There has to be a sense of purpose and service to societies welfare if governance will prove successful. We all here now and lets brace ourselves for a roller coaster ride with not being sure how it may all end!

AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICS AND WHERE COLIN KAEPAERNICK FITS

Mr. Kaepaernick will not be the only athlete in black America to use his platform for social activism on behalf of the community. Muhammad Ali and others have played a role in the past and it is refreshing that Colin and Marshawn Lynch and other athletes are following the right foot steps. In a society where celebrities are held in high regards, it is important that they show a sense of awareness about issues affecting regular people.

The political climate at the moment is polarized and to make it worse the issues are laced with racism and xenophobia. Working people are finding this as a form of escapism for the harsh reality of not being able to make economic gains in their personal lives. We have seen this movie before so many times one will think policy makers will be a step ahead to prevent the nation from going down a road to misery and abject poverty.

The black community seems worn out from constantly battling the same issue only to witness their economic gains lost amidst racial tensions. But this is a different time the 21st century to be exact, one that is supposed to be a century full of hope and promise for young people especially millenials. So how is it that past problems are very much alive as we saw in recent scenes in charlottesville and else where. The young protesters regardless of the side you were on looked like millenials. How did the pendulum in American politics swing from Barack Obama to Donald Trump literally in a blink. 

During Baracks farewell speech to the nation and his supporters he made a profound statement "reality has a way of catching up with you." He said his mother told him that and it resonates really true with American society and its politics. If America wanted to match forward all it had to do was to vote both in th primaries and at the presidential election for Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders is very much a progressive and was ready to build on progress where at least some of us taught the nation wanted to move which is in a progressive direction.

The nation was barely out of the global financial crisis which brought depression/recession to both the developed and developing economies around the globe. We have to be practical when it comes to whether Barack Obama should have spent his time addressing Americas problem with racism. His presidency was once in a life time experience for black America and the rest of the world. He personally tried to advance race relations in America but the GOP made it a point to frustrate his socio-economic policy regardless of whether they agree with him or not. Eight years later we are here talking about black America protesting against racial injustice when it should be rebuilding communities that have been significantly impacted by an onslaught of racist government policies. The way forward is by doubling down on the work of social activists and never taking those efforts for granted.