We’ve had it too good, for too long. Even with the 2008 financial crisis, we are in the midst of an incredible stretch of prosperity. Even with mass shootings, never in history have we been as safe from harm as we are today.

Life is really fucking good for many Americans.

So why rock the boat? Why risk what we have individually for the greater good? Why go out on a limb to uphold everything that this country stands for? We can let Washington D.C. fight on our behalf, we don’t want to miss brunch with our friends, followed by shopping for all the gifts we’ll give this holiday season.

In the meantime, our democracy is falling apart. We are at grave risk of losing the system that gave us the prosperity we have. If trust and sanctity are lost, we are screwed. We may never come back from it, but even if we do, it will take a generation or more.

Recently, the President of the United States of America admitted to breaking the law through the way he used a charity bearing his name for his own financial gain and personal benefit. He admitted it! And was fined $2mm by a court of law.

That would have been enough for any past president, Democrat or Republican, to be impeached AND removed from office. Not this president though. As a country, we’ve had things too good for too long, why rock the boat and worry about his actions? They didn’t harm us.

Now, we sit through a toothless impeachment process because the same President used his office, and American taxpayer dollars, to bribe a foreign government to advance his own political goals. While I am happy that Congress is seeking, and will likely approve impeachment, the process is toothless. The Senate will get the case next, and the leadership has vowed to quickly clear the President’s name, allowing him to continue doing what he has done for his entire life.

Democracy as we know it will be gone. A joke of a concept, really. If charity fraud isn’t enough, what is? If bribery with taxpayer funds isn’t enough, what is? If asking for a foreign government to hurt your political opponent isn’t enough, what is?

Democracy will be over.

So what are we doing about it? Nothing, really. We go to our holiday parties and talk about how awful things are, but our conversations are soft.. We get angry on Twitter, then turn our attention to a football game, too afraid to get angry IRL.

We are weak. We are soft. This isn’t about political parties. This is about freedom. This is about losing the democracy that changed the world, for the better.

The same country that was founded on protests, the same country that went to war to enforce our constitution, the same country that took to the streets for Civli Rights and to end the Vietnam War, that same country is doing nothing. We are writing toothless blog posts.

The people of Hong Kong are are risk of losing freedoms, and they are doing something about it. They are protesting, making noise, telling the world they won’t stand for it.

Protesters in Hong Kong. Image credit Studio Incendo.

Iranians are facing economic hardship and potential collapse, because of the poor geopolitical decisions their government is making. So what do they do? They are protesting, making noise, telling the world they won’t stand for it without a fight.

In Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, and many other Middle East & North African countries, the people stood up, said they were feed up with corrupt and oppressive governments, and they did something about it. They protested. They risked what little they had and took to the streets. Day and night. Until change happened.

Thailand, Chile, France….they fight when their government does wrong by them.

What are we doing about our corrupt government? What are we doing about our eroding democracy? How are we bypassing our polarized political parties to hold our government accountable?

When the United States Senate takes up Impeachment and decides if President Donald Trump should be removed from office, what will we do? Complain to a fellow pinot loving friend during meaningless conversation at a holiday party? Get mad on Twitter?

Or, protest? Make noise. Tell the world we have standards we are willing to fight for? At least try to save our democracy?