Many of America’s voters will suffer from political-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) on November 9, 2016.
This election has been nothing short of a disaster. But what did we expect? We have been avoiding our problems as a nation since at least the years following September 11, 2001.
As a people, we have unrealistic expectations for prosperity, success and results without commensurate hard work, discipline and perseverance. Effectively, we've become lazy.
We've also become lazy when choosing politicians and service providers. Moreover, in many of our business relationships, it’s likely many American will choose someone ‘they like’ who is not effective.
In other words (in politics) we fall prey to the same dynamic that results in foreclosure, bankruptcy and financial distress in our own lives. We take the advice of people who are nice, who ‘sugarcoat’ what is otherwise a reality or truth and thereby manipulate us.
In these times, if a politician or a service provider is extremely likable, then they likely are also extremely manipulative. The actual truth we need to hear generally comes in harsh doses especially when it comes to planning for our futures, shaping economic policy and dealing with our finances.
It could be said that the media, most experts in politics and nearly half of the American people find Hillary Clinton likable than Trump, even if not trustworthy.
Donald Trump is like a small forest fire that can be easily contained with reasonable measures. It (or he) is visible, scary to some and sometimes disruptive. That’s not necessarily bad. Control burns are good for the forest and may be good for our government.
Conversely, Clinton is called more ‘presidential’ yet appears to me as more of an invisible, odorless gas that has the potential to harm millions of Americans.
Trump is not likable because we can see his flaws and there is a transparency about his weaknesses and his strengths. Clinton could be more likable because the threats she creates are very opaque and invisible.
Americans must wake up to the truth or America, as we know it will be finished. We can no longer ignore our problems; blame our issues on a past politician or a crooked businessperson. We must take responsibility for our economic, cultural and financial lives by increasing our own personal responsibility and correcting the behavior that's causing us problems.
This election is a choice for a culture that either will cause more poverty, financial pain, healthcare distress and economic uncertainty or a migration back to our founding principles of hard work, discipline, perseverance and responsibility.
Millions of Americans will be distraught if Clinton wins. Millions of others will be distraught if Trump wins. As I’ve described, many people who overwhelmingly make decisions based upon their emotional sensitivities to problems will not be able to see a path forward.
If Clinton wins, I'll be very unhappy. I'll be sad that people who lack business acumen, personal responsibility and discipline have overpowered this great nation. In other words, the least responsible of our citizens will be in control of our nation. However, the most responsible and disciplined people will still excel in spite of it. With chaos (which Clinton will expand), there will be an incredible opportunity for the rest of us to capitalize (if we remain focused and disciplined but not emotional).
With a Clinton presidency, many people will ‘stick their heads in the sand’ because of their belief the ‘country is done.’ The country may ‘be done’ if Clinton is elected, but that does not mean you and I will ‘be done.’ We simply have to accept and adjust to a new reality. For those who don’t, they will have ‘political-traumatic-distress-disorder.’
If Trump wins, there will be many elitists in Hollywood, government bureaucrats and career politicians will become nothing more than shrill ‘actors’ of false outrage. They will be appalled in the experience of observing a president make decisions based upon logic and not incompetence and emotion.
With a Trump presidency, many people in our country will once again have to grow a backbone. They will have ‘political-traumatic-stress-disorder.’
And, with the revelation that the FBI is reopening the email investigation against Clinton to review newly discovered emails, it looks like the left may be more likely to suffer from ‘PTSD’ than those of us on the right.