Trump's Shock & Awe Campaign On America's Psyche Is Only The Beginning In A Society Dominated By Technology & AI

Reflecting on the first two weeks of the Trump presidency, I've come to the same place as TA Frank, writing for Vanity Fair. Trump's approach, advocated also by his close advisers, is to completely stun us with his actions and also own the media narrative. I'm sick of him taking over the evening news cycle; I don't want to see his sorry-ass -- now sandy-brown instead of his bleached blonde mop -- combed-backward tresses. Still, I see the Trump administration's shock and awe strategy, and we must not fall for it.

It occurs to me that people like our veterans of wars and even people who come from abusive relationships are better able to withstand the Trump assault without losing our minds. Instead of losing our minds, reflect back on the times in your life when were under assault -- whether on the battle field or in the bedroom. If you were a battered child, how did you become the successful, thriving person you are today?

Did you lose your mind and go running around like some beheaded creature? NO. You sucked it in, steeled your nerves and faced the enemy. You calculated not only how to survive, but also how to regain control of the situation. Citizens across the spectrum from far-left progressives to centrists to old-fashioned Republicans must stay calm, deliberate and focused. The new marches are fantastic in their lack of violence and self-discipline.

Trump wants nothing more than that we become wailing anarchists or people dropping to the pavement, blocking everything in sight, every day. Do not give him total gridlock, because we will not win. It's not a long game in today's America.

In a world where 47% of the jobs in the developed world will disappear in the next 25 years (Oxford study 2016), we have massive challenges ahead. Only intelligent minds will keep us from careening off the cliff. THINK, then ACT -- but have a thoughtful view of where you are going. This Big Think article addresses key problems facing us all. While we rail against the 1% and a do-nothing Congress, the challenges of automation and artificial intelligence are equally -- and frankly more so -- the big challenges ahead. 

Do you ever hear talk of a guaranteed national income among our talking heads? I don't. But if we don't want anarchy in the streets because there is no work, we had best put on our strategic thinking caps.

Will someone please tell Donald Trump that old-fashioned textile mills are not returning to America? Sewing factories will not open-up the garage doors -- as Bernie seemed to suggest -- and start humming again, if only we would buy American and cancel our trade agreements. That world is gone, and the question is about the future world that will replace it. The basic Republican argument that cutting taxes will stimulate job growth is baseless, given the lackluster results in job creation connected to the George W Bush tax cuts. American citizens saw no real benefit for handing a plate of tax cuts to America's richest families. As for corporate tax reform, indeed a simplified system is required. 

We have two alternatives -- one is the fascist, authoritarian government embraced by Donald Trump and his cronies like Steve Bannon.  The other is a recognition that our entire social, economic society is based on an assumption that people have work. The current Republican approach of wanting to privatize America so that people are on their own will lead to the fascist America and Trump, Bannon, Conway, Pence and their team desires.

What is the Democratic alternative vision in an America without work? Increasingly, intelligent people who believe in more democratic societies are looking at basic income guarantees. Recognizing that people cannot become disposable fodder to just throw away, Democrats most define a more empathetic and humane counter narrative that makes sense to people with all the money? If societies devolve into chaos, the stock markets will come along for a very deadly ride along with the entire capitalist system of entrepreneurship.

For now we have a president and his posse taking a shock and awe approach to the American psyche. Trump's chief architect Steve Bannon embraces militaristic solutions and an authoritarian government. We must not give it to him, but our solution must be a real one, and not only resistance. I've tracked this growing devolution for eight years now on AOC. The future is a terrible one, unless we get our arms around this looming crisis.

Women's rights is particularly at risk, because sending women home to be wives and mothers, while men are again the providers IS the current Republican solution to the problem. Cut the government-sponsored safety net and return to life in the 50s. I actually believe that Bernie has a similar vision, although he will never say it -- for fear of antagonizing women to such a degree that he loses his base of support.  I also believe that Bernie would trade women's rights for jobs for men in a heart beat. Bernie's big economic plan was infrastructure spending, and 90% of those jobs would have gone to men. That's not the kind of BigThink solution that we need in America.  ~ Anne