• home
• about
• new
• essays
• AI
• book

Brad Reynolds did graduate work at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) before leaving to study under Ken Wilber for a decade, and published two books reviewing Wilber's work: Embracing Reality: The Integral Vision of Ken Wilber (Tarcher, 2004), Where's Wilber At?: Ken Wilber's Integral Vision in the New Millennium (Paragon House, 2006) and God's Great Tradition of Global Wisdom: Guru Yoga-Satsang in the Integral Age (Bright Alliance, 2021). Visit: http://integralartandstudies.com

To the People of the World,
From One American:
“I’m Sorry”

Brad Reynolds

Tyranny of the Majority: How the Elites Take Over

O ne thing about democracy: the majority rules, more or less. “The will of The People,” as they say. The reelection of Donald Trump in 2024 reminds me of the warning from Tocqueville (from Democracy in America, 1838), one also uttered by some of our Founding Fathers, about “the tyranny of the majority,” for even Hitler was elected. This is why human rights—the Bill of Rights—were amended to the U.S. Constitution to ensure people's rights no matter who was President or what party runs Congress. But now, with Trump being nearly immune from prosecution for his actions as President (upheld by today's SCOTUS), everyone who did not vote MAGA—which is almost half of the population (at least 48%)—has to worry about the tyranny of the majority, especially minorities. That is what happened on Tuesday, November 5, a dark day in American—and probably world—history.

As one American with a “minority” viewpoint, to the people of the world, “I am sorry” for the actions of my many fellow Americans in choosing this new (actually old) President and far-right administration. Of course, this is not the first time I have felt that way: from Nixon to Reagan to Bush-Cheney to Trump 2016, from the Vietnam War to the invasion of Iraq, to all of the misguided, illegal meddling in foreign affairs, from black ops to black sites of torture, I despair and have always been critical of the Ugly American. Sorry. That is not representative of the America I support and love. I support the founding principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence (written by one my favorite writers, I know, also a slaveholder) and instituted in the U.S. Constitution and Federalist Papers, and summarized most eloquently in the Gettysburg Address: “That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” High ideals, indeed, yet so difficult to attain. History marches on, even if it steps (temporarily) backward, as it will do on January 20, 2025.

Nevertheless, this vision of a constitutional republic of the people, by the people, and for the people—meaning a multicultural, multi-racial, multi-religious nation, what I and many Americans (including Jefferson, Lincoln, et al.) envision—is not one ruled merely by the majority but by human rights and justice. This is why we have a Constitution with Amendments and the Bill of Rights, in which all elected officials swear alliance to the rule of law (above their own self-interests). Obviously, we're not there yet. On November 5, the United States slipped backward, I have no doubt. The evidence is overwhelming. I believe nations should be built upon the legal protection of human rights and justice and the freedom to thrive as individuals in a collective community without fear of hate or violence. Only in that sense am I proud to be an American.

Mainly, I consider myself a Global Citizen, a member of the human race, a spiritual being tasked with the responsibility of holding allegiance to the two “commandments” pronounced by Jesus Christ when he said, “Love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart [emotion], all of thy soul [mind], and all of thy might [body]. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'.” This is the great message of love given to all by this remarkable Adept-Sage of Galilee (as does Buddha. Lao Tzu, et al.). Yes, I do love my fellow American neighbors, even the ones I call “idiots” (in this essay) for voting for Trump. Because I do love everyone and have compassion for all, I will criticize the Trump voters with a shout from the heart and speak truth to power. Don't worry, let's come together.

This enlightened view taught by Jesus works for me. However, my “God” is not a deity in the sky or in heaven separate from the world, like the God in the Bible. The God I know is the Ultimate Condition and Source of all universes and possibilities, the Ground of Being (and becoming), so to speak. God IS Love-Bliss and Conscious Light. God is Real (and Reality). This “Real God” is also the essence of my (and your) very consciousness, which is how I know God is real since God IS Consciousness. For me, God is the Matrix and Origin of all interiors and exteriors, all the way up, all the way down, appearing as the Many arising as One Divine Reality. This is Divine Enlightenment or Awakened Awareness, as primarily taught in the East (and in the mystical traditions of the West).

However, I also adhere to the Western Enlightenment, proposed by Immanuel Kant in the Latin motto: Sapere aude! or “Dare to think for yourself! Dare to know! Dare to be wise!” Kant explained, “Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the guidance of another.… Have the courage to use your own understanding… For Enlightenment of this kind, all that is needed is freedom…. Freedom to make public use of one's reason in all matters.”[1] This means being free from religions or religious persecution, free from governments, free from political parties and ideologies, free from cultural movements led by charismatic cultists, and instead acting on the basis of one's independent conscience. However, Kant also noted, “Only a few, by cultivating their own minds, have succeeded in freeing themselves from immaturity.”[2] In other words, we must keep growing by participating in the evolution of consciousness.

Consequently, America has a lot of growing up to do. Alas, this brings me to Trump's decisive reelection, built in large part upon a cultic adherence to a corrupt charismatic leader (and narcissist). But that does not give him ultimate power, regardless of what any “tyranny of the majority” in any election says. Trump did not get a mandate to violate the U.S. Constitution.

In the days after, I have noticed everyone wants to point blame: blame the Democratic Party for deserting the “working class,” blame the media, blame the Gaza war, blame Kamala Harris or Joe Biden, blame the economy, blame inflation, blame the southern border and a failed immigration policy, blame identity politics and transgender extremism (which is, in fact, a large part of the problem, as are the other issues), in other words, blame everyone but the real culprits: those Americans who voted for Trump! That's right; I am tired of bending over backward to defend these bigoted fools as if I'm supposed to be tolerant and compassionate to their redneck, racist, misogynist, traditionalist ignorance. I am done with that; it is time to speak truth to power, especially white power. I have lived among these “white people” all of my life—for I am a white middle-class American man—so I know what I am talking about. Sixty percent of white men voted for Trump; I am the 37% who did not—in my age group (65+), 55% of white men voted red. Sure, most Americans and most people worldwide are friendly and kind, tolerant, and helpful to everyone they meet in public. But that's not what I'm talking about; I'm talking about core beliefs, the “center of gravity” or worldview that many Americans reside at or operate from, which are, in this case, operating from lower rungs in the spectrum of consciousness.

In Wilber-speak or integral terms, this means the ascending worldviews and levels of the magenta-red (tribal, gangs, militias) or egocentric self; the amber (traditionalists or mythic religionists) or the rule-role and ethnocentric self; the orange (modern secular scientists) or achiever self; and, perhaps at best, the green (pluralistic postmodernist) or empathic self. Sure, ALL of these worldviews are active in everyone's psyche at one time or another since we all develop through them during our lifetime. They are also part of our cultural inheritance (as Gebser pointed out). In other words, we are in these worldviews as much as they are in us.

In this case, there is usually a “center of gravity” or a predominant worldview that most people are attached to and identify with most strongly (thus generating our ego or self-identity). Many postmodern pluralists despise this “coloring” hierarchy, but the measurable evidence is so overwhelming that it's unscientific to deny this spectrum of existence, both individually and collectively. There is much to learn from this approach because it untangles the web of cultural wars and political battles, which are more accurately a war of worldviews. And, yes, hardly anyone today gravitates into the higher, transpersonal, or genuinely spiritual stages of consciousness development, although everyone has that innate potential (and urge) deep inside. Even Trumpers. Henceforth, that is our predicament, my fellow citizens.

Reality-Check: Pointing Fingers

In this essay, I'm just going to spontaneously riff and ramble on what I think happened this past week, not do a detailed analysis, so I can post quickly. As an American, I have some insights to share. I grew up in the Midwest; Indiana was the first state to go red for Trump last Tuesday, although Indianapolis (my hometown) was the only blue spot in the state. My grandparents, on one side, were hillbilly Christians in Ohio (friendly people, for the most part), and on the other side, large land-owning farmers who grew corn and soybeans and raised cattle. I learned how to use a gun and obey my elders. I grew up in suburbia going to an all-white high school, so I know America and who voted for Trump and his MAGA madness. In my experience, the vast majority of Trumpers are basically uneducated “hicks” or country folk and biased, ill-informed middle-class whites, although Trump surprisingly made gains with Hispanics and young black men. This goes to show how our population has been compromised by social media and misinformation (to Russia's delight). Yet, like all people, even Trump voters are good people for the most part (especially if you're white like I am).

Alright, admittedly, calling Trump voters—or Trumpsters—names like “idiots” and “rednecks” is no way to make friends. The only one who seems to get away with this type of talk is Trump himself. But honestly, half of America thinks this way about MAGA Republicans (including my mom). Therefore, I'm saying it out loud, fighting fire with fire. so to speak. It's not that the MAGA people themselves are bad; it's their ideas and ignorance (or “not knowing”) that I criticize and call “idiots.” Mostly, I'm complaining about the horrible person—the Biggest Idiot—they just elected President who is the madness at the center of the storm, the fire behind the choking smoke. He's a dangerous demagogue, meaning “a political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument.” Is that not exactly who Trump is? Okay, maybe I can be more generous and say MAGA folk are confused. They're like Plato's underground prisoners chained to a rock, watching dancing shadows on the cave wall, thinking that's reality. Similarly, Trump's MAGA supporters are just as deluded or heavily misinformed. But accurate information counts in a democracy where not only the majority rules but reason does. Consequently, I laughed out loud when my brother, who is living in Europe (close to Ukraine), sent me this map:

Honestly, I do not mean this critique to be derogatory, but it is grounded in facts: 63% of Trump voters never attended college; people with advanced degrees voted 59% for Harris. White men (college or not) voted for Trump by a resounding 60%, whereas black men voted for Harris by 77% (even if Trump made slight gains among young black men). In my experience, many Trump voters (a majority being white) are close-minded racists deep down, even if they generally treat black and brown people cordially to their faces in public. They may even call a few friends. But I know what they say behind their back. I see that same hate, anger, intolerance, and ignorance on the faces of the jacked-up MAGA crowd, with Trump egging them on. Many Americans find this practically unbelievable, including a majority of women (53% Harris to 45% Trump). Now, the MAGA zealots, and even some moderates, have voted for their Fuhrer or “the leader” to become the next President of the United States. How many warnings of “fascism” and “authoritarian fascist,” meaning an ideology that “exalts nation and often race above the individual,” do people need to hear before they open their eyes? Warnings from America's four-star generals weren't enough? Are your groceries and gas really worth it? To the world's people: I am so sorry for this sad state in the (dis-)United States.

Some Americans—but only a SLIGHT MAJORITY—mostly living in red rural counties are die-hard Trump supporters (aka Trumpers or Trumpsters). They are rural “hicks”[3] and “working class,” high school-educated laborers and consumers, and they are mostly white folk, by far. Whites still make up 62% of America's population (down from 72% in 2010), Blacks are only 14%, Hispanics are almost 20% (and growing), and Asians are 6.5% (according to the 2020 U.S. Census). America has a race problem; you might have heard that before. It showed up last Tuesday. For example, white rural folks voted for Trump at 64%, while only 34% voted for Harris. Only 38% of urban dwellers voted for Trump (with 59% for Harris). Suburbanites, primarily whites, tilted towards Trump (51% to 47%, Harris). Even white women voted for the sexual-assaulting misogynist (53% to 46% Harris), showing they voted more for race than gender. That means most country folks and white Christians tipped the scales, with a little (but significant) help from Latino men (55% Trump to 43% Harris), especially in the southern border states. This is shocking (considering the mass deportation threats), whereas Latina women decidedly went for Harris (60% to 38%). Not surprisingly (and wisely), black women overwhelmingly voted for Harris (at 91%).[4] Nonetheless, Trump made slight gains among non-whites.

On the other hand, it's obvious Trump appealed almost exclusively to the whites, while other races went heavily for candidate Harris. Nonetheless, Trump's inroads with other races helped tip the election in his favor. According to which exit poll you use, Whites voted for Trump 57% to 41%, men preferred Trump 55% to 42%, women favored Harris 53% to 45%, and Harris captured 85% of the black vote. Hispanics/Latinos favored Harris 52% to 46% overall, but that's because Latina women heavily went for Harris since a slight majority of Hispanic men went for Trump. Asians supported Harris 54% to 39% for Trump, while college graduates voted for Harris 55% to 42% for Trump. Not surprisingly, Trump did best with middle-aged votes (ages 45–65, Gen X) by 55% to only 44% for Harris, another shocker. Harris fared best among younger voters (ages 18–20, Gen Z), winning by a margin of 54% to 43%.[5]

How else can we explain this but with a massive appeal to uneducated white voters? A quote often attributed to Neil deGrasse Tyson (but probably not) put it this way: “How sad it must be—believing that scientists, scholars, historians, economists, and journalists have devoted their entire lives to deceiving you, while a reality TV star with decades of fraud and exhaustively documented lying is your only beacon of truth and honesty.” Whoever said it, it rings true. Why have so many voters voluntarily chosen to overlook the fact that Donald Trump, as the 45th President, denied fair and honest election results (unlike any President in history)? Then he openly incited a violent insurrection—and I know, for I watched him do it—to overthrow those results by sending his mob to attack the Capital Building when Congress was in session to affirm those results. Sure, I believe a criminal trial should have been conducted before this 2024 election so that the public could have seen and heard the evidence—which the DOJ and the special prosecutor Jack Smith failed to do (with no help from the courts).

It is the public's responsibility to keep those facts in mind when voting. Being upset over the economy and wanting to change an incumbent administration is no valid excuse for putting a treasonous traitor into office. But Trump's and the GOP leadership's propaganda campaign worked since over 75 million people overlooked these facts and voted him back into office. Astounding! Thus, for me, it reeks of cultism, an emotional addiction (or adoration), not a decision based on reason. To this day, Trump still has not conceded the 2020 election results—and a bunch of idiot Republicans (70%) still believe him. As a sitting President, he would not commit to a peaceful transfer of power—which has NEVER happened in American history—instead, he tried to steal an election he claimed was being stolen from him, and now he is getting away with it. It could only be idiotic thinking that would allow this type of fraud to happen. America is sick, brother and sisters, or rather, underdeveloped along the evolving spectrum of consciousness.

The real tragedy is that the Republican-controlled Senate failed to impeach Trump after the House of Representatives passed his second impeachment on January 13, 2021. The House adopted one article of impeachment against Trump: incitement of insurrection against the U.S. Government. This is the facts, yet he got away with it. This would have permanently disqualified him from ever running again for federal office, as stated in the Constitution. But the GOP failed to live up to its civic and legal responsibilities, for they knew Trump's cult following could potentially win them the Presidency once again. The Fourteenth Amendment bans those who “engaged in insurrection” against the United States from holding any civil, military, or elected office without the approval of two-thirds of the House and Senate. The second great tragedy, in this case, is that after Biden's 2020 election, the DOJ could not get Trump to a courtroom trial in the following four years, one that should have been televised to the American public. Now, this has led to the worst tragedy of all: Trump has been reelected!

Failure of Public Civic Responsibility

Since the Senate (led by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky) failed to do its duty to convict the former President for his crimes against the U.S. Constitution during the second impeachment trial, it was up to the public to not forget what happened on January 6, 2021. We all saw it live on TV. Yet many people have forgotten or decided to overlook it. Since both the public and Congress disavowed their civic responsibility by allowing a treasonous insurrectionist—these are the facts—to regain the Presidency, everyone is going to deal with the consequences. A hard rain is gonna fall! In my mind (and in the minds of over 72 million other Americans), it is a tragedy beyond compare. Again, to the people of the world—and my fellow Americans—I am very sorry this has happened. To me, those who voted for Trump in the face of all the evidence against him, I can only lament, “You bunch of blind idiots!”

Regardless of party affiliation, most Americans have been raised on, and are addicted to, TV culture (including video games, social media, smartphones, computers, etc.) and love shopping malls and online consumerism. They don't read many books or study real news, which they consider to be “fake news” and liberal propaganda (again, encouraged by Trump). They get their news online via social media, really information silos, and think their actual fake news is real news. No wonder we're in the mess we're in. Many of these modern Americans are self-indulgent hedonists, beyond going to work every day, and believe that partying, drinking, getting high, and sports are what life is about… before going to work to get “time off” to relax, buy things, and go on vacations. It is a modern consumer culture fed by corporate greed, propaganda, and corrupt politicians, which is part of the reason why religious fundamentalists—and MAGA people—are so reactive and set against certain aspects of modern culture (as is the Arab world).

True, raising families is a top priority among the vast majority of people, whatever political party they choose, but necessity demands that focus. Only when these activities are done in a tolerant, cooperative culture, instead of divisive tribalisms, can collective cohesion be achieved. This is why it is so surprising (and disappointing) that Harris did not prevail since that is what her campaign was built upon, i.e., protecting families and women's reproductive rights and home ownership, creating a safe, supportive community for everyone. As one social media meme put it: “I guess that 'They're eating your cats and dogs' was more effective than 'I'll help you buy a new house'.” Trump, on the other hand, proudly and loudly stokes division and intolerance, calling everyone, especially immigrants and women, names and slurs. This crude talk appeals primarily to whites and men, especially the “bro culture” of toxic masculinity (think Hulk Hogan ripping off his shirt at a Presidential nominating convention). Trump targeted men and won men's votes with an appeal to male power (at the expense of women).

In fact, the Trump campaign made inroads with Gen Z males (18–29 years old) or the “manosphere” of fringe American machismo populated with online media and podcast appearances (disgruntled with “mainstream” news). At least enough to tip the scales. The misogynistic 78-year-old won that demographic 49% to 47% (for Harris), which was a huge surprise. Gen Z women, on the other hand, strongly went for Harris (61% to 37%). America is in a sad, divisive, and dangerous state of affairs with a sharp division between gender and race, liberals and conservatives, left and right, etc. Only an integral or all-embracing perspective grounded in ego-transcending transpersonal principles seems to be the viable solution—but where are those leaders?

Instead of people transcending consumer ego-culture and evolving into self-disciplined transpersonal endeavors to offset the vanity of modernity secularism, American culture is on a regressive slide into apathy, narcissism, nihilism, and aggressive intolerance of others. “Make America Great Again” really means “Make America White (and Christian) Again.” And now MAGA runs a major party in the United States government with a vendetta to “attack the enemy within” (or those who do not think like them). In reality, this is basically code for a return to white supremacy, patriarchy, and multicultural intolerance. Kill “woke,” they scream, unable to digest what “woke” really means (i.e., addressing the continued disenfranchisement and systemic attacks on African Americans). However, at the same time, left-leaning liberals or progressive pluralists can't seem to understand that when they go too far or push too hard, they lose because incremental change is the better policy. Misguided liberals ended up yelling, “Defund the police,” thereby distorting what really needed to happen to bring about more equitable justice and end racial profiling. Conservatives justifiably reacted. Left-wing or right-wing is not the wise or sensible solution in a divided country. Compromise, cooperation, and tolerance equals peace is the best way.

Too many white people (but not all) are afraid of a multicultural, pluralistic American society. They are afraid of the inevitable decrease in caucasian demographics over the coming decades. By 2050, it is estimated that the United States, Canada, and New Zealand will arrive at the “majority-minority” point when whites become a minority (47%). Many whites, especially Christians, shudder when over a quarter of Americans consider themselves “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR). 66% of Americans identify as Christian, including 41% who identify as white Christians and 25% who identify as Christians of color. 21% of Americans polled call themselves neither spiritual nor religious, in other words, secular. Unfortunately, postmodern progressives—or pluralistic greens—have been timid in criticizing the traditional and conservative MAGA population directly (like I am doing here) because they want to be tolerant of anyone's point of view. Consequently, some critics suggest Trump's popularity comes from a “white backlash” against the inevitable.

Now, these pissed-off MAGA Americans are dragging our society backward and down the spectrum of development. Kamala Harris warned, “We will not go back,” and tens of millions of Americans agreed… but not enough (although a majority of women did). And soon, with Trump returning to the highest and most powerful office of the land (and the world), surrounded by his sycophants (e.g., Bannon, Miller, Homan, et al.) and oligarchs (like Musk, Mellon, and the oil barons, etc.), the entire world is going to pay a heavy price. Instead of blaming these Americans, many intellectuals want to blame the Democrats for “abandoning the working class” (which is only partially correct, at best).

Redneck Blues

Right now, I blame the gun-toting redneck Americans, the disgruntled whites, and charismatic cultists looking for a Father-figure to save them and make everything “great again” (which is nothing but a deluded illusion of backward regression). I blame those who want to keep automatic weapons of war legal for public consumption despite the fact they murder our children in schools and our friends in public places or dancing at concerts. I blame those who want to restrict voting rights and disenfranchise minorities. I blame the ignorant, confused idiots who admire Donald Trump. In reality, the reality TV star Donald J. Trump is a failed businessman, although he is highly braggadocious, bombastic, and persistent (I'll give him that). Now he's propped up by the world's richest man, Elon Musk, who may have saved Trump's campaign with the influx of his influence of funds and unrivaled fortunes. Trump even claimed he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and he wouldn't lose support—how idiotic is that?

People have blindly bought into the TV version of Trump, created by fourteen years of The Apprentice filmed at Trump Tower (between 2004 and 2015). People believe he's rich and successful when much of that is an illusion built on corruption and breaking laws, held up by expensive real estate holdings. People are entranced by the shadows dancing on the cave walls. In reality, Trump has declared bankruptcy six times between 1991 and 2009 due to its inability to meet required payments. In civil cases, he has been found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming a woman journalist and author, with damages totaling over 90 million dollars. Another civil case found Trump liable for fraudulently inflating asset values in New York City. That doesn't even include previous fraudulent and successful lawsuits against him, including the Trump University Lawsuit (2013–2016), where he was accused of defrauding students and making false claims about its real estate seminars, which was settled for $25 million by not admitting any wrongdoing. Or the Trump Foundation Lawsuit (2018), where the New York Attorney General accused the foundation of misusing charitable funds for personal and political purposes, settled for $2 million in damages and the foundation's dissolution. The list goes on.

Then there are the pending criminal cases against Donald J. Trump resulting from his previous Presidency, which was a Presidency where he was impeached twice, unprecedented in U.S. history. First, there is the Hush Money Payment case, where Trump was convicted on thirty-four felony counts of falsifying business records in connection to hush money paid (to Stormy Daniels, a porn star) during the 2016 campaign. Sentencing is set for November 2024, which could be delayed since the convicted felon has just been elected to the U.S. Presidency. Let's not forget the Classified Documents Case for mishandling top-secret, classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, which has been dismissed by a judge appointed by Trump (with an appeal pending). And, most importantly, there are the two 2020 Election Interference Cases, one where Trump is accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, with charges of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and obstruct an official proceeding. These will now be dismissed with his reelection since he will fire the prosecutor. The Georgia Interference Case, where he attempted to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results, is currently on hold. In other words, Trump is guilty of crimes that are going unpunished.

These cases mark unprecedented legal challenges unlike any other former U.S. President has ever faced. And now the American public has just reelected the defendant to the presidency of the United States. Therefore, he will dismiss these criminal charges to stay out of jail, for he is guilty. And worse, he'll escape the consequences of inciting an insurrection on the U.S. Government. Unbelievable! Am I so wrong to call these Trumpers “idiots” for reelecting a convicted criminal? Or maybe we're all idiots for letting him get so far.

Bernie's Blues

In fact, some of our brightest politicians have been warning us about allowing things to go this far, such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have for years been complaining that the Democratic Party elite have sold out to big-money interests and well-paid consultants. Since 60% of Americans (including myself) are living from paycheck to paycheck as the wealth gap soars, many Americans have become disillusioned with the Democratic Party. They feel the “Dems” or Democrats do not adequately represent their interests, and they're right.[6] Consequently, as Senator Sanders observed the day after the election, “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they're right.” Sanders also felt that the Dems will probably not learn their lesson (again).

This is why some critics call them the “Dums” instead. Obviously, we now must push back and change that scenario. There must be changes from the top down in the Democratic Party—hopefully, this resounding defeat will be a huge wake-up call. Perhaps, if we're lucky, this extreme administration coming in the next four years might set our country up for some more positive gains in the next several election cycles. Otherwise, I am afraid we might lose our democracy. There are many forces at play today that our Founding Fathers could never have imagined. Therefore, plainly put, it is up to us! The People themselves must become better educated and do better, but time is running out.

Four-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader was even more direct the day after, “This is a collapse of the Democratic Party…. It all started when the Democrats abandoned half the country to the red states. That's devastating…. Then, they never fire anybody after they lose [an election], in one state after another, to the worst Republican Party in history.”[7] Nader complained Harris and the Dems attacked Trump personally, allowing him to play the victim, which his supporters identified with (as so they faithfully supported him). Like Sanders, Nader realizes that a vast majority of Americans think corporations have too much control over their lives as the rich get richer and the middle class gets poorer. And they're right. Their government doesn't tax the super-rich fairly. Ironically, Trump will not fix that, for he'll continue giving them tax breaks (as he did before). And yet, poor and middle-class people still voted for him!

Worse of all, Congress hasn't been able to stop the MAGA movement within its own walls; for example, one of them is the House Speaker, among other prickly thorns to good governing. Congress has become impotent over the past couple of decades, but especially during the past two years (when the GOP captured control of the House), stalemating any further legislative progress. Congress is a large part of the problem, with its special interest groups and lobbyists influencing our lawmakers. To a large degree, that is why MAGA voters want to “drain the swamp,” yet the irony is the GOP is as complicit as the Dems, if not more so. Once again, We, The People, have been duped again. But this time, by an authoritarian—in this case, no one but the elite will be better served.

Now, with a probable majority in both Houses of Congress, the Project 2025 guidelines are going to rule the land—giving power to the tyranny of the majority. Mass deportations of immigrants and extensive tariffs that will potentially create more inflation, not less, are up first. The takeover of federal departments dedicated to serving the public, such as environmental protection, auto safety, and so on, will be attacked and gutted. Even the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department, supposedly independent of the Executive branch, will be turned into vengeful or inactive governmental operations. The list can go on. Many of us are in despair because we can see the turmoil coming, handed to us by a public tricked and duped into voting this Big Idiot mob boss back into office.

Sure, I can blame the Democratic Party—as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently did—for not allowing a Primary season to choose the best Democratic nominee. President Biden should have kept his promise from the outset to be a “transition President” since he (and the Dems) should have known he was too old to run for another four-year term. He waited until the last moment to drop out, giving Vice President Harris only 107 days to mount a still impressive and enthusiastic campaign. However, the American public did not have enough time to really get to know her. The way that over seventy-two million voters eagerly embraced her—compared to Trump's seventy-five million (only a 3 million vote difference out of 148 million votes cast)—shows how much people yearned for a good candidate to stand up to Trump and his MAGA crowd. It also clearly shows how evenly divided the USA is 50 / 50. But, overall, I cannot merely blame the Dum Dems. In the end, the majority of the blame lies, I believe, with the ignorant idiots who voted the conceited criminal back into office. The ignorance—and lack of civic responsibility—that allowed this to happen is mind-blowing (and heart-breaking) to millions of us. May this please be a true wake-up call!

50 / 50: A Divided America

This battle is America's great 50/50 divide, which is why, with each election, the scales tend to tip to one side or another. I'm sorry to say this. America's motto was E pluribus unum, “out of many, one” (later changed in 1956 by Christians to “In God We Trust”—I prefer the former). Americans always want the good to win, but sometimes bad people win; it's that close in the States. Europeans really have no idea how bad it can be in the United States of America. It is not all Statue of Liberty ideals, but there is a lot of money to be made here in the world's richest nation. If you want to improve your life, then perhaps the States might be better than where you live now. Americans do feel blessed to live here. This is precisely what most past and current immigrants have reasoned as well in making their long journey. Obviously, America has an immigration problem—everybody wants to come here—which is why there must be legal reform to immigration laws, not just mass deportation (hello, Congress).

Many immigrants try to make it near blue cities, not necessarily in the red rural hinterlands, yet that's where most of the agriculture work is. If you come to this country, do not break the laws or hurt anyone. We are all immigrants at one time or another (my ancestors came from Scotland and Ireland in the late 1880s). Indeed, I readily admit that I love America's countryside and the beauty of this great land, the purple mountains majesties, the fruited plains, the amber waves of grain, the spacious skies, from sea to shining sea. It is America, the Beautiful! No wonder Native Americans weren't too happy with their white European immigration problem either.

Importantly, after this 2024 election, don't let anyone tell you Trump got a mandate—although he and the GOP will sell you on that—for they didn't. A real landslide victory is, for example, Ronald Reagan's win in his 1984 reelection bid, where he won 49 out of 50 states and 525 out of 538 electoral votes, or in 1964 when Lyndon B. Johnson (D) received 486 of the electoral votes (90.3%) while Barry Goldwater (R) received only 52 votes (9.7%). Additionally, Johnson received 61.1% of the popular vote, while Trump barely got half. There are numerous other Presidential election victories that far exceed Trump's victory margin. In terms of the Electoral College, Trump won 312 electoral votes, which is a solid win, but in the lower half of US presidential elections, for example, far short of Barack Obama's 365 electoral votes in 2008 and 332 in 2012.

This 2024 election was close, neck-and-neck in the polls until it was decided on election day. Trump won by gaining ground in traditional Democratic strongholds, including with Hispanic men, where concerns about immigration did not resonate as much as pocketbook issues. About 7 in 10 Hispanic voters were “very concerned” about the cost of food, slightly more than two-thirds of voters overall. Hispanic voters, being traditional religionists (mostly Catholic), also rejected the “woke ideology,” where Trump made his opposition to transgender rights central to his campaign. There is even a growing feeling among legal Hispanic citizens that new immigrants are getting preferential treatment and more governmental services than those who have been in the States longer. Trump made enough gains with young voters, Latinos, and even with women than Biden had captured in 2020.

In the end, the rural hicks and rednecks and Christian conservatives won by a few percentage points, this time; patriotic pluralism lost, for the time being. 80% of the nation's counties ticked slightly toward the right. Unfortunately, most people seem to have voted on “the economy”; therefore, incumbents are usually disadvantaged. People today are definitely better off than they were four years ago, at the height of the pandemic. But they blame Biden for higher prices since they remember the economy before the COVID pandemic changed the world. Post-pandemic elections worldwide have been disastrous for incumbents (as if elected officials caused the once-in-a-century pandemic).

The vast majority of Americans really don't know how the economy and global supply chains work other than notice that their groceries and gas bills are too high. I understand that problem, for prices are too high for me too. However, there is a bigger picture that must be kept in mind when entering the privacy of a voting booth. Although the United States economy is at an all-time high, unemployment and inflation are low again; many only remember the lower prices before the pandemic and have used that as their benchmark for voting. Most exit polls show people perceived a “sour economy” as the driving factor in voting for change, regardless of the consequences a Trump administration might bring. Many even blame Biden for the foreign wars in the world, which is ludicrous. It's a highly complex world with deep historical roots that uneducated voters will miss if they only vote with their emotions. Therefore, millions of Americans got duped into thinking Trump could “fix” things—“Only I alone can fix it”—and that Harris was part of the problem. What a con man! Misperceptions mean everything.

Overall, Presidents have very little to do with the economy, which is based on capitalism, supply and demand, the stock market, and other factors. The Federal Reserve System or the Fed, the central banking system of the United States, is the institution that attempts to maximize employment, stabilize prices, and moderate long-term interest rates, not the President (although they exert influence via their policies and proposed legislation). Nor do Presidents set gas prices, nor can they change grocery prices if suppliers don't drop increased price hikes after supply lines have been mended. Why not protest Safeway, for example?

Mostly, the corporate elites and corporations have the most influence, which is why they have taken over elections by investing billions of dollars to influence Congress and buy presidencies. They have even sunk their influence into the Supreme Court in ways that would shock America's Founding Fathers. No wonder people are fed up and angry since the government is in cahoots with corporate culture, not defending the working class. Yet, oddly, Trump ain't gonna fix that—he is that! The irony of red-voting Americans voting against their own self-interests in favor of the elite is mind-blowing (and pathetic).

Whereas, in factual truth, it was the Democratic Biden administration that skillfully guided us out of a devastating pandemic, curbed inflation (better than any other national economy), and stabilized our nation's economic health, even if not without fault. But anti-incumbency seems to be the trend around the post-pandemic world. Toss in rampant misogyny in America against electing a woman President, all of these factors (and more) sunk the election in Trump's favor. I believe Vice President Kamala Harris would have made a fine President (even if not the best, but certainly better than the alternative). For one, she represents a new generation since she was born in 1964, making her more Gen X (1965–1980) than a Boomer (1946–1964), unlike the elders Biden and Trump.

With Kamala Harris' multicultural, inclusive perspective, her tolerance of various worldviews and competing interests, even when they disagree with her views, her desire to protect women's reproductive rights, her protective stance for the rights of minorities, and her willingness to serve ALL Americans regardless of party affiliation, I believe, justifiably qualifies her as an “integral” (teal) thinker. Certainly, she qualifies as a postmodern pluralistic “green” thinker. She would have been a good choice, a reasonable choice, to lead the country forward—with joy. With her in office, we could continue to reap the benefits of a strong, stable economy inherited from Biden's administration. Now, Trump will claim he accomplished this economic progress, just like he took credit for the strong economy inherited from the Obama administration. The irony and tragedy of this moment is Shakespearian in scale.

MAGA Red Blues

Sadly, in summary, I have to admit that most Americans—especially those who voted for Trump—are unsophisticated spiritually. Indeed, this seems to be true for most people around the world. Consequently, I believe there is a drastic need for the further evolution of consciousness. Most people in today's world, unfortunately, are “children” living in fantasies of magical-mythical religious beliefs when it comes to spiritual intelligence (as Wilber defines it). They are often dogmatic religionists, not esoteric yogis. Or they are secular scientists and atheists with no religion at all, which is why traditional fundamentalists are engaged in cultural wars against them. However, none of these ways or worldviews provide adequate answers to our persistent dilemmas.

Nonetheless, everyone can grow out of regressive, backward thinking. Anyone can wake up and grow up and join the band of unity, peace, and diversity. It's not that hard. But you cannot follow leaders like Donald J. Trump or Elon Musk to do that—they are the exact opposite of what I am pointing to. Hence, America in 2025 is going backward, regressing, and is in big trouble. Thus, it pains me deeply when I see and experience the violence, intolerance, racism, misogyny, hatred, and confusion in our political sphere. To witness Trump so blazingly and bluntly express this out loud—and be so eagerly accepted—tears at my soul and sense of decency. This planet could be a garden of joy and hope for all human beings to realize their full enlightened potential if only people's egos and immaturity stopped getting in the way. If only world leaders would act for the good of ALL people, not just for profits and superiority. But this is a world of karmic destiny and always has been, not a utopia. Nonetheless, we must keep evolving ever onward. “A new way forward,” as Ms. Harris inspired so many of us to hope and vote for.

MAGA Americans are mostly traditional religious fundamentalists, if religious at all, meaning they are mythic Christians. For the most part, they are against abortion and homosexuality, let alone transgender rights. This is because that particular religious worldview is all they know or have been taught in dealing with their religious/spiritual impulses. Not all Christians are MAGA, since 36% voted for Harris, yet among White Christians, 72% went for Trump, and among evangelicals, a whopping 82% voted for the most irreligious man who has probably ever run for the U.S. Presidency. The hypocrisy is maddening, proving it is cultism and racism, not true religious sentiment that is active but mythic beliefs.

In a true cult-like fashion, the Christian far-right believes that Trump is their “savior” sent by God to destroy the secular unbelievers (for example, see televangelist pastor Paula White “bless” Trump on his mission). Some even characterize Harris with terms like “devil” and “Antichrist.” If that isn't crazy cultism, I don't know what is! As Christianity Today noted, Trump's path to victory ran through the church since the President-elect held on to the white evangelical vote while making gains among Catholics and Hispanic Christians.[8] A large segment of Trump's votes come from this outdated worldview, regardless of how corrupt and non-religious he is as a person (he even hawks Bibles to make a profit, and they don't care, they buy them without hesitation). Trump will play any part if he has something to gain, like Presidential elections (which he could not win without Christian voters).

The other group that is anti-spiritual is the educated secularists who, at least in the United States (and other modern nations), grant everyone the freedom to worship as one pleases (since it is enshrined in the First Amendment). They're also known as scientific materialists or “flatlanders” (i.e., they believe only physical matter is real), expressed as agnosticism and atheism. No wonder religious fundamentalists are reacting to the secularization of modern society. Shockingly, Trump's MAGA henchmen might attempt to take that right away as well (with possible help from SCOTUS). Yes, fellow citizens, I'm sorry to say America is a sick society, a grand paradox of contradictions. But as the world knows, we also have much good as well, including the freedom of speech, the right to protest grievances against our government, maintaining an essentially “free” press or “Fourth Estate” to keep watch on governmental and public activities (even if dependent on advertising), and the right to worship as we choose (for example, I follow a Guru and meditate). To this America, I pledge alliance to the land of the free and home of the brave. “My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing!” Amen, brothers and sisters. But WTF happened?

Transpersonal Blues

Unfortunately, very few Americans (or world citizens) are true transpersonal thinkers and practitioners. Only a small fraction of the population (probably less than 2%) embodies the principles of integral philosophy or engages in actual self-transcending practices and spiritual disciplines, such as meditation. For me, the fact that Buddhism, Buddhist practices, and Hindu yogas from the East have spread throughout the Western world is a positive step in opening people's minds and hearts to the transpersonal states and stages of higher human development. Fortunately, in this country (as in most modern nations), non-religious and “spiritual but not religious” people are allowed to coexist with fundamentalists (for now).

This is why we must actively resist any theocratic intentions proposed by white Christian nationalists. They have gone so far as to have gained a majority in the Supreme Court and are trying to make the United States a Christian nation, which the Founders never intended. The separation of Church and State is one of the most fundamental principles that the United States of America was founded upon. Freedom of worship is one of the main reasons people from around the world want to come here. Religion or religious preference (or disbelief) can never be ruled by the tyranny of the majority.

However, such an integral forward-thinking philosophy is still only a fraction of our population within the grand scheme of things. Nonetheless, most genuinely spiritual people have tended to vote Democratic (or third party) since being “progressive” and “liberal” are appealing by definition alone. Nonetheless, you cannot find genuine transpersonal philosophy on TV—although some come close, like Gaia TV (via a subscription)—nor is such a worldview represented in the movies. It does, however, have a minority presence in music and on the Internet but is still not very popular (since love songs and angst tend to dominate the charts). Transpersonal awareness is basically absent in popular culture, so no wonder it is not evident in politics. The “consciousness revolution” that began in the Sixties has been coopted into yoga mats and the most superficial application to these profound practices. Indeed, I even criticize Ken Wilber, once a leading proponent of transpersonal endeavors, as he is now merely promoting his own version of pop spirituality, another form of the “Talking School,” not the “Practicing School” of real yoga.

Sadly, the “majority” of Americans who voted Trump into office don't realize what they have done (the idiots). His crude behavior and cult-like following seem to be unbreakable since the GOP leadership backs him all the way, capitulating to his requests and demands. They use his MAGA base for their own conservative agenda. They will try to implement Project 2025 and change the fabric of American life and our free society. We must wake up and grow up from the immaturity that fails to understand what is happening without the guidance of another person, particularly autocratic leaders, as Kant suggests. We must enlighten up! Congress and grassroots movements must push back—strongly. We must use this opportunity—the tens of millions of Americans who know better and did not vote for Trump or MAGA—to bring new ideas to the American public so they can vote for those integral ideas instead. Americans are not dumb, just temporarily deluded. They are not really idiots; they just sometimes embrace idiotic ideas. No one is 100% wrong. We will overcome.

Who knows how this 2024 Election will affect our world culture and treaty alliances? To President Zelensky, I am so sorry—Slavia Ukraini! To all of the world's citizens and future generations, I am genuinely sorry for Trumpian politics. There will be more elections starting in 2026, yet in two years, tons of destruction can and will occur (just like last time in 2016). In 2028, there is another Presidential election, so “keep hope alive,” as one of our better (and favorite) Presidents used to say. A regressive slide back down the spectrum to earlier centuries (or decades) will be a potential disaster for many Americans and the world's people. To the people of the world, from one American: I am deeply sorry—and promise to do my best to change this madness and move forward into a brighter future. We must be the ones who unlock our chains of ignorance, turn away from the dancing illusions and slippery shadows creating a false sense of reality, and leave the cave of darkness to live in the light of truth and justice.

NOTES

1. Immanuel Kant, An Answer to the Question: 'What is Enlightenment?' (1991, London: Penguin Books—Great Ideas) translated by H. B. Nisbet, pp. 1-3 [gender neutral terms are used].
2. Ibid., p. 3.
3. Using slang to identify groups is also outdated and crude but I'm fighting fire with fire, so to speak. I'm not using the term “white trash” which is a degrading term for poor rural people, usually associated with bad behavior (that later would become “trailer trash”). Nor am I using “cracker,” which is a racial epithet directed towards white people often used by African Americans. I do use the term “redneck” since it represents unsophisticated rural whites (often associated with the Southern United States) who are openly racist and often violent. Robert L. Chapman and Barbara Ann Kipfer's Dictionary of American Slang (1975) define a “redneck” as “a bigoted and conventional person, a loutish ultra-conservative.” People being defined by their general behavior patterns, or “center of gravity,” does not deny their human essence, nor does it deny anyone the right to be treated with respect and fairly (publicly and legally). Everyone is our neighbor and deserves to be loved as ourselves.
4. Most of my exit poll statistics came from MSNBC, NBC News, US News & World Report, CNN, and Al Jazeera.
5. Investigative Post: nonprofit, nonpartisan, fact-based news, November 10, 2024, “The numbers behind the vote for president” by Jim Heaney.
6. Bernie Sanders, statement released on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.
7. Ralph Nader, interviewed by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez on Democracy Now, November 6, 2024.
8. See: "Trump's Path to Victory Still Runs Through the Church", www.christianitytoday.com, November 6, 2024