The Fall
So many flaws, so many mistakes made; does America even deserve to exist? Does any country that would elect such a person president?
Now twelve score and eight, this nation so boldly brought forth on this continent has, in the main, gotten better and better; until it didn’t. That nation so many have loved so dearly, to which so many have given so much; that nation that has given so many so much, that so many have admired from afar, to which so many have immigrated to better embrace; that so bravely threw off the yokes of monarchical and religious tyranny, back then; is now to be led by an ignorant despicable wannabe tyrant brought to power by in a large part by those who would welcome a theocracy; willingly tolerate an autocracy or oligarchy.
Are they, these enablers, those poor decision-makers who could easily be misled by a demagogue that Plato warned us of? The demagogue of Angie Hobbs’ ‘The Rise of the Demagogue – A Warning from Plato’:
The demagogue gains power by democratic means, claiming to be a champion of ‘the people’ and making wild promises; in particular, he offers intoxicating quantities of the neat spirit of independence. Anyone who opposes the demagogue is labelled an ‘enemy of the people’ and exiled or killed. Such tactics naturally create genuine enemies, and the demagogue quickly acquires a large bodyguard, and eventually a private army.
So it seems.
Why did 77 million Americans just vote for a demagogue?
Things aren’t good for the working class; haven’t been for a while. Long before COVID and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, there was a need for big changes (Tale of Two Economies).
They didn’t understand what in the hell was/is going on (to be fair, does anyone?); and, aren’t into knowing. Too many of them prefer belief (and don’t believe) to science and the facts.
If Democracy seemed a bit dicey to Plato, what about Democracy in a world transitioning from the industrial age to the digital/information/technological age; experiencing the rapid social and economic changes associated the digital age; experiencing the early-stages devastation of Climate Change?
How does a nation prepare its masses to participate in an effective and meaningful way in Democracy in such complicated, complex times? What more should America have done? Social media could have helped, but has only made it worse. Fox News was created to tell them what to think, not to teach them how. Rather than inform, Fox and its protege deliberately encouraged willful ignorance.
Initially, for the wannabe tyrant, it wasn’t about the economy. It was never about the facts or the truth. They were/are manipulables being manipulated by a manipulator. He, as did Hitler, Mussolini, and their protege, used anger, hatred, vitriol, racism, victimhood, vengeance, phobias, prejudices, …, those darkest parts of the human psyche, to rile them up; to gain sway. With this sway, their votes.
To hold his sway over them, he, as did Hitler et al, fed them a constant stream of promises all the while appealing to the darker parts of their psyche.
To the Evangelical Christians, he promised then gave a twisted-puppy Supreme Court majority and more of the same on the federal benches in exchange for their most consequential votes. They say they believe that their Old Testament God would approve of the deal. Many Evangelical Christians are no fans of Democracy. Theocracy is more in line with their belief.
To the white supremacists, he spewed racist tripe and talked the talk. For which, they gave him an insurrection, their vote, and threatened his opponents when asked. They were never fans of Democracy.
To those many being squeezed economically, he lied — blamed Biden’s economic policies. They believed him in spite of the evidence (and lack thereof); gave him their votes. Understanding and thinking are hard.
Was the art of the deal: A business transaction between a wannabe tyrant and groups of voters where each group is willing to give the wannabe their vote in exchange for their getting that which they want most with little or no regard for right or wrong, for the consequences for Democracy, the Nation; by either them or him.
For money ( money for either the campaign or his pocket), too, he would deal. Business is business. Move over The Philippines, Pakistan, Venezuela, … Being President of the United States of America is now worth $Billions.
Becoming a Banana Republic didn’t happen overnight. The forces that brought us here have labored long and hard. Thank you, Lewis Powell, the Heritage Foundation, Jerry Falwell, John Roberts et al.
Ironic, his pledging to save America from “the enemy within” to them, when it is ‘them’ who are the enemy within. What‘s to save? An autocracy? An oligarchy? A Theocracy?
Dr. Franklin, implying a struggle, said, “A republic if you can keep it.”
Is it worth the while?
We are yet and still a capable, wealthy, not yet autocratic nation with a semblance of Democracy left worth saving for our children, their children, and their children. For the millions of young Americans who believe in Democracy - in science - in furthering civilization - in creating a better future for all. For those Americans who sacrificed so much. — For the world. — If not us, who?
After more than forty-plus years of right-wing politicians and supreme court justices trying to undo the progress made, to take the Nation backward; saving, restoring, building a stronger Democracy will not be easy.
Facing Climate Change; the rise of totalitarianism here and around the world; the great wealth disparity that has occurred over these forty-plus years; all the Big Lies; the litany of terrible Supreme Court Rulings; … no young generations have ever been so challenged as today’s. While none of this is their doing, their fault, it is being left to them to undo, to redo; to find a way; to survive. They’ve so much to do and so little time. The older generations, those most responsible, were not, are not up to the task.
The 2024 election was one of those mistakes for the history books. The next few months, the next four years are all critical. If our Nation, our Democracy, can survive the next four years; there is still hope, still time to save it and the planet. If not, the noble experiment is over; the damage from Climate Change will be far greater. Either way, we have had front-row seats.
https://kenmelvin.substack.com/p/a-tale-of-two-economies
https://angiehobbs.com/blog/2017/1/18/the-rise-of-the-demagogue-a-warning-from-plato
https://angrybearblog.com/2024/01/the-big-crunch
https://angrybearblog.com/2023/10/when-america-became-a-banana-republic