I look at America today through the lens of the Power Lab.
What I see, in part, is a revolution of the Bottoms in response to their oppression at the hands of the Tops. I have observed similar processes unfold in countless Power Labs over decades.
(Let me be clear about what I mean by Bottoms. This is not a pejorative term. It refers to people who have been at the mercy of others (Tops) who have the power to influence their lives in major and minor ways and who feel unjustly oppressed by them.)
Where did it begin?
As so often happens, it began with what the Tops considered a wonderful idea: Globalization. I still recall where I was when I first heard the term. A client, recently returned from a meeting on the subject, reported excitedly: It’s a whole new ball game! Which it was and is. Ball games generally have winners and losers.
The whole world was to become one competitive arena. Whoever provides the cheapest labor gets the job. Well, that “wonderful” idea was the end of huge slices of American manufacturing. How could American workers - with their unions and pensions, and salaries sufficient for buying homes, raising families, and feeling secure in retirement - be competitive with workers from poor nations. They couldn’t.
From the Tops’ perspective globalization was indeed a wonderful idea. Tops would still control this new system; markets would open up across the globe, worldwide demand and consumption would skyrocket, profits would surge, the wealth of Americans would grow. Poor nations would be lifted out of poverty.
There was just one problem. The no longer competitive U.S. workers? Oh them. They would adjust, it was said. Go to community college, learn new skills, become part of the information age. Which is not what happened. What happened was massive unemployment and underemployment, the death of local industries and the communities whose survival depended on them. And the Bottoms? They were powerless to stop the decay. Once prideful workers were emasculated. Hope was gone as was whatever promise the future held for them. Powerlessness. Crushed human spirit. Escape into alcohol and drugs. Divorce. Illness. Suicide. For too many, these were the gifts of globalization.
Enter the hero. Into this scene comes a charismatic leader. A wealthy man, yet not one of the Tops. He promises to be the voice of the Bottoms, to express their pain and anger, to fight their fight; he attacks the Tops and their institutions; he maintains that he that he alone could fix these problems, that he could make America great again - in essence, restore the Bottoms to their rightful position where they could once again work with pride, raise families, be people of substance in restored communities. He energized Bottoms, gave them hope, and legitimized their disdain and hate for their oppressors. The Bottoms love him. Why wouldn’t they?
The know-nothings. There is another group in this scenario. (Many who read this are among the know-nothings as was I.) The know-nothings were oblivious to the Bottoms’ drama as it was unfolding. They did not create the new globalized economy, but they were doing well within it. Their livelihoods were reasonably secure whether through steady employment or entrepreneurial ventures. Times were good; their wealth was growing. They did not see the revolution coming. And without seeing the world through the Bottoms’ lens, they were unable to see any rationality behind it.
Through the eyes of the Bottoms who felt severely screwed over by the Tops and their globalization scheme, the revolution is a natural outcome. Without that perspective it all seems like a terribly destructive farce. Consider how bizarre it appears to the know-nothings.
Through the eyes of the know-nothings. The hero, who lit the fire under this revolution, has just been given a second term as president of the United State. How could this happen, in the face of his record as a serial liar, a creator of self-serving fraudulent organizations and charities, a convicted rapist, a failed businessman with multiple bankruptcies (which tend to screw over Bottoms), a man who never accepted the fact he lost the election he did lose, a man being charged with numerous felonies, a man who, as president, was being charged with attempting to overthrow the government he was sworn to protect! And America saw this alleged crime on television. How is this possible? Are millions of Americans insane?
And now he’s president. Just look at the people he’s trying to put in charge of America’s institutions – a likely criminal in charge of justice, a vaccine denier as head of health and human services, an identifier with far-right Christian nationalists and white supremacists (his body is covered with their symbols) as head of national defense, and on it goes. How is this possible? It would make a hilarious comedy if it weren’t so destructive. Isn’t the goal to find competent people who will manage these institutions effectively? Maybe through the eyes of the know-nothings it is, but for the revolutionists the goal is not competent management, the goal is to weaken the power of these institutions, if not to tear the whole system down.
Among the best gifts we can offer is the gift of knowledge – helping one another see, understand, and appreciate the perspectives of others.
Encounters with the Other is one such a gift. Share it in this holiday season of Love with family, friends, and colleagues.
Barry Oshry
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