The revolt in politics follows a revolt in publishing

Several years ago, writers revolted against the publishing industry gatekeepers, the so-called experts, the insiders playing an insider’s game. They were the agents, literary critics, and other hangers-on who were in it to make money, to promote their own agendas, and further the interests of their friends. Suddenly, we as writers were on to them and their game.

So, writers started publishing, publicizing, and marketing their own books, which was something that wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for the Internet. There was a burst of expression, some of it well done, a lot of it un-refined. Things are still shaking out but overall it’s been a boon for writers.

It seems to me that same sort of revolt is now happening in politics. Suddenly, voters are on to the so-called experts, the fakes, the people who’ve been lining their pockets by being self-serving poseurs. You know, lobbyists, pundits, and professional politicos. That old adage, "Pretty words are not always true, and true words are not always pretty," never seemed more true.

As with any revolution, it’s not pretty. Things have to even out again. People have to get over being mad. The inauthentic have to be weeded out. We know who they are. It’s painfully obvious every time they appear on television and proclaim their shifting, self-serving messages, trying desperately to win us back. Those of us who’ve had bad spouses are familiar with this game of manipulation.

I read a story recently in the New York Times about how the GOP elites can still control the situation if they just follow certain guidelines. Has it come to that? People think nothing of openly trying to subvert the will of the people, however misguided their will may be. When the people speak, they speak. That is democracy, take it or leave it. What a writer writes, he or she writes. Both are pure expression, not to be feared. It’s a process and until some stop trying to manipulate what people do and what they think for their own motives, things won’t get back to normal.

My historical fiction series, The Juan Miguel Series (The Legend of Juan Miguel, The Passion of Juan Miguel, and The Return of Juan Miguel), is available online from most book sellers.