Alex Wild ranger_wild
What moves people? Simply, inspiration. To bear witness to human acts of strength, courage, grief, perseverance, athleticism, kindness, hope, and awe touches our soul in a positive and visceral way. There is scientific proof to back up what we have all experienced. The National Institute of Health published a paper that confirms compelling narratives cause an oxytocin release that affect our attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.”
For the past six weeks, our democracy has been fire hosed by three white men who have upended the post WWII world order, sided with Putin in the war against Ukraine, weaponized the DOJ, illegally fired thirty thousand civil servants, accessed our most personal data, penetrated payment systems at Treasury, frozen monies approved by Congress, shut down an agency charged with caring for the most vulnerable people on the planet, and blown up the leadership at the Pentagon, for starters.
There are those who voted for Trump simply because he promised to deliver lower egg prices, secure borders, and a better crack at the American dream. Sadly, for all 340 million of us, the King of Dupe duped them. Egg prices are higher, the border is more frenetic after executive orders cancelling the CPB One Program, while tariffs and potential cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, student loans, child assistance and SNAP, to name a few, will rip vast holes in the social safety net. Economist Robert Reich recently noted on Bluesky, the top 0.1% of Americans control $22 trillion in wealth. The bottom 50% control $3.8 trillion in wealth. We are handing our country over to an autocrat and his oligarchs and the American dream is now the American nightmare.
Buyer’s remorse often occurs after a big purchase. Symptoms include: dissatisfaction with the quality of the product, regretting how much money was spent, feeling like you made a bad decision, and a disconnect between expectations and reality. Sound familiar?
We’ve seen the town halls with Trump supporters complaining “this is not what I voted for.” I believe the numbers of remorseful Trumpers will grow. Let’s welcome them to the ranks of the resistance.
Reverse the Mump playbook. Replace fear with inspiration. It is happening now. Fired civil servants are sharing on social media, offering an empathetic face to “faceless bureaucrats,” racking up millions of views, while gaining empathy from remorseful Trumpers.
Resistance by inspiration. Story-telling is a powerful tool in the arsenal. Continue to share your truth.