Everything is Political

The pure and saintly Ivanka Trump recently pronounced she tries to stay out of politics. Even though she works as special assistant to her father President Trump she wants us to consider her above the fray and pure from the game of politics. This of course is her brand. The good daughter, the good wife, the working woman who has it all and can help you, if not get it all, look as though you have it all. Bu the flaw in her statement is not the declaration of innocence and purity but the fact that she wants us to believe that she, unlike the rest of the world, lives outside of politics. The truth is everything is political. Every choice we make has an element of politics in it. Most people who shop at their local natural food store or Whole Foods are making a political statement about how they want the food supply to be. An emphasis of buying organic, local, and  socially conscious companies that treat their employees and suppliers well is a political statement. Where you bank is a political act. Do you bank at a major corporate bank, credit union, local bank? This is a political decision. The decision means you support knowingly or unknowingly global banks that you have no voice in or a credit union where you are a member and have a small voice in the practices of said institution. Where you live is a political decision. Do you choose to live in an integrated downtown neighborhood or gated community with people pretty much like yourself (the exception is those who have no choice of where they live)? Do you drink fair trade coffee, use social awareness companies to invest, avoid Walmart, do not buy sweatshop products, or eat vegetarian? All of these are decisions which have an impact on the body politic and you willingly or unknowingly participate in them. And all of these basic decisions have a political edge to them. So when Ivanka states she is not political I do not think how pure she is. I think she is willingly or unknowingly lying or too naïve for a woman in her position. Her view that she is not involved in politics explains revelations that some of her products are made from sweatshop labor. It explains her childcare policy which she promoted that allowed tax credits for the upper middle class but offered nothing for the classes below. Her politics align her with the haves and show no concrete concern for those with little. Of course if one looks at her father’s presidential policies and business practices this should come as no surprise. She, by saying as she has ‘he is doing a good job,’ has made a political statement. Ivanka: everything is political and your statements and decisions will be judged accordingly. Especially when you who have a position of power your politics will be watched more closely. This is as it should be. ​