Can you hear me?

John Scherer: (Erik,) I’m sure you have better things to do than troll my posts!? If you do, offer up some factual debate for your Party’s waste of taxpayer money.

Erik Dolson: Yes, John, I do. I don’t know why your posts ended up on my feed, I assume Facebook thought it was important. But the whack jobs at “SonsofLibertyMedia.com” (that you reference) took my breath away, and made me realize that the difference in our view points was far wider than I had assumed.

To begin with, the anger is palpable. This was something I’d noticed before, not with you but with many of your political pursuasion. I thought I understood it and could agree with much of it, especially given the loss of jobs and security of the middle class, although I thought it should be directed at Republicans who sent those jobs overseas and not Dems who were trying to provide healthcare.

I realized that the loss of community culture to immigration could add to the felt insecurity, even though on balance immigrants make our country more wealthy, not less.

And I certainly understood the anger of those who felt their paychecks were being taken and given to people who wanted to sit back and do nothing but smoke crack and make babies.

I think you and I could come to an agreement on how to work on, even if we can’t solve these problems, as Americans. But you and those like you are so spun up in anger that we can’t communicate. I believe that much of this comes from profit centers at Fox News, which has learned to monetize outrage, but certainly the psychotic who sits in the White House spewing bile across our golden waves of grain is responsible as well.

So is the arrogance of liberals who ignored the plight of the working man for too many decades while fighting stupid battles over who can bake a cake, when they should have been out there demanding equal opportunity for the heartland, not just the cities.

But then it gets weird. I can’t understand the weaving of odd little factoids into grand conspiracies of outrage like those offered by “SonsofLibertyMedia.com” except to believe they have found a niche in which they can make a few bucks by peddling nonsense. But this is America, and if people want to buy pet rocks or shit in a bag, they can do so and somebody will find a way to sell to them.

Bottom line? I won’t defend Liberal waste of taxpayer money, because I can’t, and I won’t ask you to defend the way the oligopolist drug companies and oil companies and banks and their lackey politicians continue to make life miserable for millions of Americans as they hollow out our country and destroy opportunity.

We have more in common with each other than either one of us does with those we are asked to defend. But you can’t hear me even when I’m agreeing with you. They have succeeded in making you believe that I am the enemy, and I don’t know how to respond to that.

Have a good day.

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About Erik Dolson

Erik Dolson is a writer living in Oregon

6 Responses to Can you hear me?

  1. Tom Cantrell says:

    Erik, you wrote this in your article “Can you hear me”

    although I thought it should be directed at Republicans who sent those jobs overseas and not Dems who were trying to provide healthcare.

    Did you present this in the context of a third person or is this your belief??

    Not looking for a history lesson on this one, I was their and lived it…

  2. Erik says:

    This is my belief, based on some study. Admittedly it was a short hand and I didn’t take a lot of time when writing to provide details. I’d explain but you said you didn’t want a history lesson. I have a feeling I’m about to get one.

    Still, I will provide some context. As the Dems came around to favor free trade in the belief it would create a larger pie that everyone could have a piece of, which aligned with existing economic theory, free trade had been a Republican issue and a large number of Republican company owners were moving production off-shore to lower costs: Autos, air conditioners, textiles, plane parts, etc.

    There were winners and losers. Consumers got cheaper underwear, textile workers were out of a job. Cheaper steel had an impact on construction costs, steel workers were laid off in Pennsylvania. Microwave ovens sold for less than $100, but they were made in China instead of the midwest..

  3. Tom Cantrell says:

    The Free Trade issue is now A Democrat issue and I hear it every night on the News. The Free trade agreement had to be done by law, no other way. The Bill was signed into law by Bill Clinton. Now the Republicans have seen the error in their thinking and are trying to kill it. Guess who thinks it is still a great ideal??

    • Erik says:

      Tom, we may have to separate “Republicans” from “Trump” on the free trade issue, ignoring Kudlow and company. I think a majority of Republican businessmen still support “free trade:” NAFTA, GATT, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

      I’m not going to debate Trumps claims that these were “bad deals.” I don’t know enough.

      The Dems I’ve read have also backed away from free trade. This is too bad — free trade can be successful if — and this is a big if — we do something for those in our country who can no longer compete with their labor.

      Over NAFTA’s first two decades, regional trade increased from roughly $290 billion in 1993 to more than $1.1 trillion in 2016. But it also cost between 500,000 to 750,000 U.S. jobs. Most were in the manufacturing industry in California, New York, Michigan and Texas.

      Because of arrogance and elitism, Democrats completely failed their traditional constituency — working men and women — and then couldn’t believe it when the party was rejected in turn. Duh.

  4. Tom Cantrell says:

    I hope Ms N can find it in her heart to pass the latest trade agreement. I would rather have the jobs than the trade. If that happens we can use more of the legals immigrants to infill our Jobs market and shore up our Social Security that is in shambles for the coming generations.

    As for NAFTA, I was in my early 20’S when it was signed into law and I could not believe it. In any case, I am seeing a return of Steel Manufactures in my market but I still think it is coming thru Canada via China.

  5. Tom Cantrell says:

    For the Record, I think the Government should stop all talk and work on the Health care issues and deal with the Social Security issue ASAP. If they don’t we will see homelessness at a rate and sadness like we have never seen. Those people are not prepared for the retirement requirements, $$$, needed to survive in the coming years.

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