We Need Clear Thinkers

We Need Clear Thinkers

If ever Our America needed leaders who are clear thinkers and communicators it is now.

As I write this it is day 6 of Operation Epic Fury, a WAR by the choice of one man, not necessity; a WAR where we struck first without distinct provocation or imminent threat; a deadly WAR (6 Americans and over 1200 Iranians killed so far); a WAR with “no clear objective” per V.P. Vance.

One of the dead is Ayatollah Khomeini, and that’s good for the world. Congress probably would have approved the president’s plan, but the action was taken illegally, and I will not say that’s okay. Does the end justify the means? I say no. Our leader did not go to Congress before acting, which is a violation of the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8), and he waited two days before communicating with We the People!

A clear-thinking leader would have taken his case to Congress first and then would have addressed the nation directly and expeditiously – not by social media posts or through surrogates.

But when a leader is a puffed-up, narcissistic, impetuous, egotist he makes decisions based on cognitive biases. He intentionally avoided asking Congress to approve his decision because he did not want debate or compromise. And now, after the WAR has started, he is lying about why he started it, what the mission is, and what the endgame is. Will there be oversight to this WAR? The genesis of this action was not clear thinking. It was tyrannical.

Today I’m asking myself: how confident am I feeling about my own freedom in our “Land of the Free”? Am I really free? Do I still think and act as I choose? Or am I thinking and acting as I’m told or “programmed” or expected? Am I succumbing to manipulation by a tyrant?

I know if I allow manipulation I can be led more easily, and then I’ll be vulnerable to the whims, lies and trickery of the greedy and self-serving: wealthy people, powerful corporations and tyrants. If my thinking is hacked, I’ll lose my freedom. Timothy Snyder says, “We can keep our freedom by relying on values and our own hearts and hands.”

So, I’m deciding to resist and act. I’ll insist on clear thinking leaders. I’ll only support people running for leadership jobs who follow our Constitution and laws explicitly; embrace the values of truth, humility, plurality, compromise and accountability. Those who show me they understand this is not “Their America” but “Our America”.

RESIST - INSIST - ACT!

Janet Jeffery – Gold Beach