From Playgrounds to Podiums – How Bullying Became Policy

Hello Kind and Beautiful Human Beings.

Welcome to this edition of Fielding Thoughts.

This was not an easy one to write.

I debated even addressing this topic publicly.

If I do not, however, then I am playing into an Authoritarian playbook.

I try to use my platform to educate, amplify, and uplift, but sometimes, I have to address things that worry and scare me.

I barely recognize our country and her politics right now.

I wish I could say I was surprised.
That I hadn’t seen it coming.
That it didn’t feel like déjà vu with sharper teeth.

But here we are—again—watching the Trump Administration fan the flames of outrage while ignoring the actual fire.

In just the past few weeks, we’ve seen:
🔗 Alcatraz “reopening” used as a culture war dog whistle
⚾ Manufactured outrage over professional sports teams’ names
🕵️‍♂️ Epstein file diversions dangled with zero policy substance

All while real issues—healthcare, education, national security, inflation—go unaddressed.

And there’s a pattern to it. A strategy.

💬 DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is on air almost daily, not offering solutions, but assigning blame—immigrants, urban communities, educators, LGBTQ+ citizens.

It’s not leadership. It’s not even spin.
It’s state-sanctioned bullying.

📌 And now: Texas' sham redistricting.

Texas Republicans, urged on by President Trump, are redrawing congressional maps mid-decade to carve out five additional GOP seats—a power grab built on exclusion and manipulation, aimed at squeezing out Democratic and minority voters. That’s not policy. That’s political bullying.
The Texas Tribune+5TIME+5Wall Street Journal+5

It doesn’t end at our borders.

Trump has also threatened steep tariffs—25% on Japan, South Korea, as well as tariffs on BRICS, Canada, Mexico, and others. These moves are global coercion: opening trade negotiations with threats and taxes. That’s not tough negotiating. It’s petro‑bullying.
Kiplinger+3

🧨 Let’s Call It What It Is

We’ve moved from schoolyard taunts to podium-powered propaganda.

Bullying has become a political platform.
And somehow, we’ve let it masquerade as strength.

But make no mistake:
This isn’t toughness. It’s toxic.

When fear replaces fact, and blame replaces vision, democracy suffers.
When cruelty is paraded as patriotism, everyone loses.

We’ve talked before about bullying in leadership. But now it’s systemic.
It’s not just tolerated. It’s televised.

🔁 The Authoritarian Playbook (2025 Edition):

• Distract the media with culture war fluff

• Blame “the woke” or the vulnerable

• Declare victory over imaginary enemies

• Repeat until the truth is drowned out

🙌 So, What Do We Do?

We remember that leadership is not about volume. It’s about values.
We lead differently—by example, not edict.
We refuse to numb out or look away.

And we model a better way:

✅ Accountability over accusation
✅ Truth over distraction
✅ Radical Kindness over cowardly cruelty

If you’re a leader—whether in a company, classroom, or kitchen—this is your time to show what real leadership looks like.

📣 Fielding Thoughts Challenge:

• Share this newsletter with someone who’s feeling disoriented or gaslit

• Post the quote tile on your social and tag @JimFielding

• Talk to your teams, your kids, your peers about what leadership should be

• Most of all: Don’t disengage. They’re counting on that.

✊ Forward, always—
Jim

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