Are we victims of our own bubbles?

I’ve gotten used to the fact that America is no longer the top of the world. Honestly, she probably wasn’t on the top way before I realized it, but I suppose I just believed all the propaganda in my self-imposed media bubble.

My media bubble is hugely influential on my beliefs. I used to think I was an independent thinker until I started watching right-leaning media and was transformed from a strong liberal to someone who voted straight republican in the midterm election of Trump’s first reign. The crazier part is I was even able to get into a special showing of a fluff movie showing Trump as the hero of America at the Trump hotel in Vegas. I was even excited to meet and get a photo with Steve Bannon, who at the time, seemed like a nice guy.

I guess despite my going hard republican briefly, my natural inclination is to be liberal. So, eventually was back to force feeding myself only liberal media and was back to my liberal self. When Trump ran again, I was 100% convinced, just like the first time, that there was no way he could win another term. The trusted influencers in my bubble assured me he couldn’t. Afterall, his support had only diminished in the last four years, and soon he might even be in jail. Nightly I drank the Kool-Aid my bubble passed out in tiny wax cups. As I drank the sweet liquid, my fears of another Trump presidency where he wouldn’t be held back disappeared. I really felt safe. Well, until I got in line to vote that is.

Every single person around me was a Trump supporter. They all verbally high-fived each other as another member of their clan joined them in the long line of what seemed to be 100% Trump supporters. So much for the rule that you can’t wear clothing with political messages on them at the polling locations. I was careful not to alert anyone I was voting for their enemy Kamala. They didn’t care as they trumpeted (pun intended) their support loudly. I began to worry the closer I got to the voting booth. But it was going to be okay. There’s no way Trump could win the assured me. My bubble promised me the first woman president was coming next, and that we would know immediately that Trump lost. He had VERY few if any paths to victory. He would have to win so many states that he couldn’t possibly win. I believed it hook line and sinker.

After Trump won, my shock was palatable. But the shock wasn’t that Trump had won. It was the realization that I had again been duped by my bubble. I willingly let myself be led down an untruthful path. What happened to my critical thinking? Of course… immediately after the election my bubble assured me the election was stolen. But I wasn’t sure that was true. I vowed to not be duped again. But it was hard to resist all the people telling me the numbers were wrong. I began to feel optimistic. More and more the data looked like Harris was planning a huge upset. The wannabe analysts explained to me that her concession speech after was filled with coded words. Slowly I began to see the light. The election was definitely rigged, and Kamala wasn’t going to let it stay that way. Before January 20th it would be all settled.

Well, we all know that, yet again, I had been brainwashed into believing Trump wouldn’t be president. Now three months into his presidency, I’m not so naive as to believe Trump can or will be stopped. I don’t even believe America has a chance to undo this damage. It’s so clear to me that China has now become the country everyone reveres. They are a shining example of what a country can do when it isn’t spending all its money to fund wars and the military. China cares deeply about its people and are well ahead of America in every category that matters.

Or… is it possible that I have yet again been sucked into a bubble that I lack the ability to recognize until it pops in my face. I’m trying to understand what the actual truth is. But maybe the only truth is that I have no idea what is true anymore.

- George Trombley