Steve Corbin is a freelance writer and emeritus professor of marketing at the University of Northern Iowa.
Reflecting on 2021’s highs and lows plus contemplating what’s ahead in 2022 is reality therapy; good for the soul.
During 2021 we witnessed the “Big Lie,” an attempted presidential coup, a Congressional power shift, a booming economy, a botched Afghanistan exit, COVID-19 vaccination success and anti-vax woes, and disinformation and misinformation campaigns. The list goes on . . . including:
January 6: Pro-Trump right-wing extremists’ riot at the U.S. Capitol attempted to change America from democracy to authoritarian rule.
March 11: President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package to ease financial pain and stimulate the economy.
March 18: Reality of Trump’s failed trade war creating supply chain shortages and inflation comes to fruition, worrying Democrats and Republicans alike.
April 20: Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin found guilty of killing George Floyd in 2020; racial justice alarm resonates, again.
May 19: Texas abortion law further suppresses women’s right-to-health-care decision-making.
Summer: Twenty-five state legislators and governors increase voter access laws while 19 states instill voter suppression and discrimination laws.
October 8: Nearly 140 countries agree to invoke a minimum 15 percent corporate tax rate, creating international trade parity.
November 9: $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package for improvements in roads, bridges, rail, airports, broadband, water and energy systems becomes law.
November 13: More than 190 nations agree to climate-change pact.
December 9: Weekly jobless claims fall to lowest level nationally since 1969.
December 19: Senator Joe Manchin, Democrat from West Virginia, opposes President Biden’s $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better” bill, putting passage of the measure to support education, health and human services in peril.
January 7 to the present: 727 people arrested and charged with the U.S. Capitol insurrection crimes, while more than 300 Donald Trump associates are interviewed by the bipartisan House committee investigating January 6.
January to December: Research reveals the COVID-19 death rate for people living in counties that voted for Trump is 2.73 times greater than in counties that voted for Biden; 91 percent of registered Democrats vs. 60 percent Republicans are vaccinated.
January to December: Gun violence (about 650 mass shootings and some 20,000 deaths) and gun and ammo sales reach record numbers; legislators permit Wild Wild West to flourish.
January to December: Some GOP leaders attempt to ban books, pander disinformation about critical race theory, and penalize teachers for truth-telling about slavery and historical events; hypocrisy of GOP touting freedom and individual rights yet endorsing censorship is reminiscent of Adolf Hitler tactics.
January to December: The Standard and Poor’s 500 stock market index produces a roughly 23 percent gain for the year; history of America’s GDP to increase whenever a Democrat is president remains on track.
For 2022 and beyond, true patriotic Americans must accept that COVID-19 will be a perpetual endemic – like the flu – with vaccinations, face masks and social distancing as the remedy.
Furthermore, the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act must be approved so all 50 states will follow fair voting rules, permitting democracy to survive, voter suppression and electoral manipulation shelved, and prevent another insurrection attempt in 2022 and 2024.
Americans must recognize that Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are the new axis of evil and will go to any extreme to advance their military and economic interests at our expense.
Additionally, Congress must approve the Equal Rights Amendment to bring women’s rights on par with men.
During 2022, instead of far right-wing politicians continuing to downplay and disregard America’s true history, they need to focus on eradicating ignorance.
Finally, registered voters need to pressure legislators of all political stripes to work together to solve problems just like elementary students work side-by-side regardless of their peers’ identity.
Is that too much to ask of our legislators to demonstrate their loyalty to America instead of a political party? Bipartisanship must prevail in 2022 or America’s survival as a democracy is in jeopardy.