The Tipping Point
...America has come to a crossroads...which road will we choose to follow?...where will it take us?"
Chapter 1
THE LIGHT (GOOD) VS. THE DARKNESS (EVIL)
Like beauty, good or evil often lies in the eye of the beholder. What some of us see as good, others see as evil. And, what some view as evil, others view as good. Whatever we decide, in terms of what we believe is good vs. evil or right vs. wrong, will determine our ultimate behavior and the consequences thereof. We are driven by the need to be right. Our identity, our very sense of being, is inextricably tied to what we believe to be true. If we are deemed to be wrong, then what does that say about our intelligence, our values, our moral compass, or our own self-worth? What happens to our self-esteem if we end up on the wrong side of an issue or, more importantly, on the wrong side of history?
Chapter 2
collaboration
Throughout the course of my time on this planet, I have observed our changing political landscape, resulting from a countless number of elections and the shifting of power from one administration to the next, both nationally, and locally. With the shifting of power comes the infighting between the parties ... each one with a different agenda and their own unique set of policies and programs. While the infighting could sometimes be boisterous and intense, we have historically found a way to create some sense of bipartisanship on critical issues while treating each other with respect and dignity (for the most part).
Chapter 3
AUTHORITARIANISM - DICTATORSHIPS - DEMOCRACY
For the greater part of my time on this planet, I believed that I lived in a country that exemplified freedom, independence, patriotism, and adherence to our Constitution and the rule of law. Unfortunately, this no longer seems to be the case. What was once thought to be the greatest country in the world is no longer looked up to and revered by a large majority of the people living in other nations. Our beloved democracy has reached a tipping point. The threat of morphing into a society based on authoritarianism, and even a de facto dictatorship, has become a sad reality over the past decade. In this chapter, I will address what the characteristics and differences between an authoritarianism form of government, a dictatorship, and a democracy are.
Chapter 5
OUR RISE AND FALL?
The Fall of the Roman Empire can be attributed to many factors, not the least of which were internal corruption, political division, currency manipulation and outside intervention (money and influence from other countries).
As Rome grew, in size and population, the rulers of Rome became very corrupt (sound familiar?). Rather than serving the interests of the Empire, its rulers, generals, and politicians were more concerned with protecting and enriching themselves (also sound familiar?). Greed, power and control became the order of the day