Progressives Need a Brain, MAGA Needs a Heart

For over 25 years, I've poured my soul into designing software, merging the precision of technology with the insight of business—a perspective sharpened by an undergraduate degree and an MBA. For the past 11 months, I've been unemployed, submitting hundreds, perhaps thousands, of job applications—95% of which I was a "leading candidate" —only to receive 0 interviews. Not a single one.

This involuntary pause in my day-to-day has given me time to think, to reflect deeply about who I want to be and what I want my contribution to the world to be. It has also given me the time to analyze the world and hypothesize on why the world is the way that it is. What I see is a country (and world) at a crossroads. Progressives need a brain to see through the lies of media distortion. MAGA needs a heart to feel the weight of lives disrupted by their reforms.

The story that both MAGA and Progressives miss is that greed—the root of crime, corruption, and division—threatens to pull us apart. We have a world with staggering amounts of inequality vs. staggering amounts of wealth, a divide of Haves and Have Nots that has existed for millenia.

Progressives: Seek Clarity and Create a New Vision Amid the Noise

The Republican-led transformation of our government unfolds like a Viking bonfire—entire agencies severed with swift, deliberate cuts, leaving a wake of uncertainty and embers. Entire organizations have been dismantled overnight, akin to sawing off a limb without trying to treat the infection first. Progressives feel the sting of this upheaval, and I share their concern for those affected. I've been severed from companies over the years, and while I was usually treated with respect and wished well as I left with my severance check. It's a painful and life-altering shift, a redirection that demands you reimagine your entire future. Yet, Progressives are missing a vital piece: the willingness to question the narrative they're being handed and create a clear vision of the future that aligns with their beliefs.

The media casts these severed organizations as noble pillars of good, aiding the vulnerable, torn down by unfeeling conservatives. Republicans counter with evidence of fraud—billions of our tax dollars siphoned off by corrupt entities with well-connected allies in Washington. These accounts can't both be wholly accurate, yet Progressives accept the media's version without pause. For reasons I can't fully understand, our society has drifted from a "trust-but-verify" mindset that once kept us grounded and connected to truth. The media has become a conduit for distortion, unchecked with no accountability and no consequences for lies. And we've stopped questioning when something feels off, trusting that our echo chambers are telling us the truth.

Take the recent fuckery over Elon Musk's "Nazi salute." A single image spread all over the news, sparking accusations of Elon Musk being a Nazi and calling for tribes to leave X so they don't support "hate and violence." I invite you to watch the full two-minute video clip—before and after that moment. What I saw was an entirely different picture: a geek who is thrilled to be part of a team poised to reshape the world for the better. To me, the data points don't support the Nazi label; I find it hard to see how any rational person could watch that clip and conclude otherwise. Yet, there's been no hesitation, no legal recourse for those amplifying this narrative. We live in a world of lies shaped by the algorithms of the companies that control the media.

While I don't condone Musk's approach —his ego is his greatest enemy— there are many ways to enact change. I see his intent as constructive. He's a modern Edison, a builder of companies that have propelled humanity forward, from Tesla to SpaceX, and now he's tackling governmental fraud. Progressives need a brain—not to abandon their compassion, but to sift through the distortion and recognize that most of what's being cut away is a cancer that's been draining us for decades. The Republicans have chosen to rip off the Band-Aid, executing change in a manner shaped by their business experience—swiftly, decisively—and Progressives must respond with a new plan, not blind adherence to a narrative trying to save these corrupt organizations, many of which have been stood up specifically to put money into the pockets of the leaders of those organizations that promised to do good in the world, funded by the American people who are struggling to buy eggs.

During the President's speech this week, Democratic members of Congress held up paddles proclaiming "Musk steals." How does the wealthiest man alive, who could be living a life doing anything he wishes, get accused of theft for dedicating his time, expertise, and resources to reforming a corpse government bloated with corruption of back door deals for decades? The level of disrespect shown this week by the Democratic party and lack of respect to even rise and clap for average citizens who have risked their lives for this nation was SHOCKING to me. They do not look like a party that wants to get rid of fraud and help the people (either for this country or for the world - we should be a GLOBAL citizen, not just a country.) They looked like a party of sore losers defending corruption without any data to back up what they are actually fighting for.

MAGA: Feel the Weight of Real Lives

MAGA's leaders—figures like Musk and President Trump—are driving their vision with the precision of seasoned innovators. These are men who've thrived in a world of opportunity, supported by the right connections, affluent families, and fortunate timing that led to significant financial success. They've set a course to dismantle government corruption, executing it in a way that mirrors their business acumen: cut fast, stabilize later - everything will work out in the long run. I admire their resolve—greed has infiltrated too much of our system, and they're confronting it directly. But where is their heart?

These leaders have no understanding what it's like to be an ordinary person, to live from one paycheck to the next, to labor tirelessly toward a dream only to have it stripped away. To fear how they are going to pay their bills and what they can do with their skills and experience in a world that just tossed them aside without even thanking them for their service.

As I stated previously, I'm not employed. This is not by choice. I've sent out hundreds of job applications last quarter—my expertise in software design- over 25 years, now enhanced by AI have garnered me ZERO interviews at companies like Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Claude and many, many others. I shared links to my youtube channel where I have tutorials showing how I accomplish in hours what once took me weeks. Additionally, I hold degrees in Global Business and an MBA. I received not a single response. If you believe we live in a meritocracy, you're mistaken. We live in a world where people want to put butts in seats on the bus as long as their position is not threatened by their next new hire.

I had debated to applying to DOGE to assist in the work. I'm an amazing candidate with some super-skills. The problem - I'm not some "1%" talent where my resume is going to rise to the top. I've worked in startups AND have worked for Fortune 500 companies, but unless you have worked for a FAANG, you aren't a 1% talent, you are just a butt in a seat without the talent to work to work at a prestigious tech company. I didn't work for a tech company because I was trying to build one and none of my bets have paid off over the years. Some people flat out lied about their company and IP. Some people (including myself) never could raise the capital they needed to be successful.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs were designed to offer a hand up to people who have been disenfranchised, not to undermine companies, yet they're dismissed as corrupt by those who've never needed such a lifeline. I feel for the CIA employee who dedicated a lifetime to their dream, only to be branded as corrupt and handed a severance check with an impolite farewell. I've been there—not insulted, but definitely uprooted. It's a daunting task to redesign your entire life with no notice and shot clock overhead.

If you head over to the Women in Tech subreddit, you'll see that THEY don't like DEI programs either. What happens to them is that they are selected for an interview to check a DEI box that they interviewed a woman, when they have already selected a hire for the position. They are not getting handouts or hand ups. Their time is being exploited by these wealthy corporations who have zero intentions to hire them. These women aren't compensated for their time of attending an interview. It's just a waste and a disappointment. And many of them are justifiably angry. This is NOT a meritocracy. Meritocracy does not exist.

Diversity is not a program to subvert companies. It’s a method to get different perspectives from different people with different backgrounds and experiences. It's about getting out of a "groupthink" mindset. If you "hire like me" then your result is groupthink. If your protégé is riding your coattails on the way to the top, this is another form of groupthink. You are rewarded for doing things the same way as they have been done. Innovation doesn't exist in bubbles of big corporate coattail-riding. Only the white guys who make their bosses look good win. That is the roadmap to success in corporate America.

For the rest of us, most people don't grasp why or how these changes are happening—they're just terrified of being next in line for the axe. For those already severed, it's a crushing blow, left bleeding on the ground, forced to redefine their existence in a short span. President Trump's vision to empower farmers to produce food for Americans by Americans carries a noble ring, but here's the question - who in 2025 wants to be a farmer?

My own father was promised to inherit my grandparents' 40-acre farm in rural Missouri in the 80's. He uprooted our family and moved us there. It was a hollow promise. My grandparents' livelihood was a struggle, and they were both just evil people in general. My father didn't end up to be a farmer. He was a laborer who built roads across Phoenix, Missouri, and Oklahoma, working through snow, hardship and poverty. The art of his soul lies in the roads we drive on every day, unseen and unappreciated.

That move stunted our education, exposed us to their evil abuses, all for the illusion of a "good life" which really amounted to barely scraping by. My father could have been an engineer—a brilliant mind—if he'd had the right family, the right education, or even just one person to see his light. Instead, his tan skin, a mark of our Native American heritage that didn't pass to me, branded him a "spic" in others' eyes, deemed fit only to pave roads, his potential buried beneath prejudice.

Ironically, it was my mother who became the engineer in my family, choosing to go to school when I was 12 so she could be free of my father's abuse and could finally buy her first home - the one she still lives in 30 years later. Her life as a mainframe programmer gave her independence until she was discarded, laid off in a merger with outdated skills and limited opportunities.

MAGA has done a great job at severing limbs to stop the bleeding of corruption, but they also forgot that MOST people are afraid of change. Most people aren't innovators who are going to run off and take their severance and forge new paths—become entrepreneurs, innovators—but most lack that resilience, creativity and optimism. They've been taught that starting a business carries a 95% chance of failure, and that fear is the reality. These are people in middle age, their dreams destroyed, left wondering what they'll do now, counting down the days until their severance money runs out. The other 99% expect—and some are actively experiencing—a bridge to societal collapse, a descent into chaos and despair. What happens to the people?

MAGA has an opportunity to build a bridge to Atlantis—a thriving, equitable future where the American dream exists for anyone. No one sees the opportunity, we are all just scared of what hammer is swinging next.

A Roadmap to Atlantis

This all traces back to greed—the root of crime, the engine of corruption, the barrier between us. I'm a devoted (evangelical even?) reader of Atlas Shrugged. I was inspired by Dagny Taggart's ability to get things done in a world ruled by men and commanding the respect that I have never really experienced in my own life as an IT leader. Her ability to work against all odds has continued to motivate and inspire me over the years. Ayn Rand, shaped by her escape from Russia's communist shadow, warned of government corruption strangling innovation. However, she overlooked a vital truth: workers, not just CEOs, are the lifeblood of progress. In the 70 years since her book's publication, her vision has been distorted into a justification for greed—CEOs earning 1200% more than their workers, who've gained a mere 15% more adjusted for inflation, while short-term stock gains enrich executives and shareholders. That's not the capitalism she championed; it's the corruption she deplored.

We must find ways to create opportunity for the masses—not as charity, but as justice—returning it to the generations of hardworking people who created the massive wealth that is only enjoyed by the few. Not with a socialist movement, or with a communist movement, but with a capitalist movement that is designed to create innovation and fund our next set of unicorns who won't have to grow to behemoth corporations. We live in a time where we will see our first 1-person and 0-person billion-dollar companies.

With my AI buddies as my collaborators, I'm creating a draft to that future because I see no one else doing it. Progressives need to evaluate who they want to serve, to see the fraud and waste for what they are, and to fight against media's distortions. They need to help create a new vision of what they want for the people, not just cling to the legacy of policies that largely served corruption. MAGA needs a heart to stop executing change without regard for the bleeding and to build bridges for those left behind—bridges not to collapse, but to a new Atlantis, powered by the ingenuity of the people of the United States which can be shared with the world.

I envision a world where farmers grow real food with love, earning a prosperous living—not merely surviving. I see entrepreneurs with a 95% chance of success, not failure, where setbacks are lessons, not shames. Most of us seek purpose—Maslow's self-actualization—and we have the tools to achieve it: AI, technology, and a shared resolve. We've been lulled by social media to accept echo-chamber posts as truth and it's time to start questioning reality.

I am writing to the 1% with both money AND a heart—those who've read Atlas Shrugged and believe in abundance and equality for all—to join me in a strategy of conscience creation by design. Let's crowdsource solutions from our brightest minds leveraging AI to create a world for everyone. I'm also searching for the other 1%—geniuses like my father, whose light was never seen by the world—crafting solutions to global problems in a new digital age. Together, we can redesign this nation and the world, not with bonfires or blind defenses, but with reason, empathy, and a steadfast commitment to what's just.