OP-ED: We must never let this be normal
The powerful are keeping us distracted and hating each other
April 14, 2026
By Lee Cline
At Jesse Jackson’s funeral, President Obama outlined our current political moment: “Each day, we’re told by those in high office to fear each other and to turn on each other, and that some Americans count more than others, and that some don’t even count at all.” And “everywhere we see greed and bigotry being celebrated and bullying and mockery masquerading as strength.”
We are living under a government of bullies for the billionaires.
We are outraged that this madman in chief has started a pointless and illegal war … for what? To distract us from the Epstein files? To make Saudi Arabia happy? Destabilizing the world order and the global economy – and then lying to the world to manipulate markets and profit?
We are furious at the roving bands of masked ICE agents terrorizing our communities and shooting citizens.
We are watching in real time the dismantling of our democracy, from voter suppression measures to the kneecapping of checks on power, with threats and violence perpetrated on those who aren’t sufficiently loyal — in all three branches of government.
The mainstream media — the fourth estate — which should serve as a crucial watchdog over government and society is being bought up by oligarchs and turning into mouthpieces for the State.
In the meantime, social media — where so many young folks go for their news and entertainment — is awash with trolls and bots working to control the narrative, and algorithms that feed on anger and vitriol, feeding division, and the tech giants are making a killing off of our rage.
We are seeing appalling corruption, and grift, and self-dealing, and massive giveaways to the wealthiest billionaires and mega-corporations to line their own pockets. The people benefitting from these policies are the ultra rich. The Epstein class, if you will. Not you and me.
And leaders who should be stopping this are AWOL because too many of them are bought and sold.
Here’s the thing: while we’re all busy hating on one another, the people in power are laughing all the way to the bank.
Those in power know: Tell your people outrageous lies loudly and often enough and they’ll start believing in them. And the propaganda – the daily assault of unchecked power, corruption, lies – it’s all supposed to be exhausting, and distorting our common reality so we wind up questioning everything and not trusting anything anymore: not the media, not the government, not science, not our teachers, not even one another.
They are manipulating all of us to distract us from what’s really going on. They want us exhausted. They want us divided. So we won’t notice how they’re rewiring the system to favor the rich and powerful.
But we deserve better. We deserve leaders with the courage and integrity to stand up for our values and what is right:
We believe health care is a right, not a privilege.
We deserve affordable housing, child care, elder care, groceries.
We deserve a living wage.
We deserve quality, accessible higher education for our young people so they’re not starting their careers overburdened with debt
We deserve affordable, sustainable energy and a vision for sustainable jobs and economies.
Our planet and our climate demand our attention.
We fight for justice, fair elections, due process, and a rule of law that applies to everyone.
We want leaders who tell the truth and stand up not for billionaire donors and mega corporations, but for us.
And until we find those leaders, we take to the streets because we are fighting mad.
Yes, it is exhausting. But the best antidote to despair is agency. If you’re not already involved, get involved.
And for those who feel overwhelmed, remember to take care of yourselves. Tend to your communities and loved ones and recharge in the ways that you need to. But stay resilient. Stay furious. We must never let this be normal. Persist. Your anger, your heartbreak: they mean something. Use it.
—Cline is vice chair of the Hancock County Dems. She lives in Lamoine.
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