Despite its many flaws, the US Democracy has been one of the better examples of how humans can work together to build a society based on law and aspirations of peace, of freedom, and of comfort. The reality has favored some more than others - in terms of freedom, justice, and economic and social security. And it has had serious negative impacts on the environment.
But we're at a critical fork in the road. To the right, we crash into the despotic world ruled by Trump and those who pull his strings, like Putin and his meddling into our election as he has meddled in the Brexit vote, Hungary, France, Italy, and, of course, Ukraine. He's a force of evil turning the world toward chaos that he thinks he can better thrive in.
If we go the Trump route, it's not Trump so much I'm worried about. But it's his backers - from Putin, to the Christian Nationalist mob, and the wealthy cabal on the far right who have been plotting for decades and have already successfully captured the Supreme Court.
The left fork would give us the first woman president, who is also part East Indian and part Black. And she's incredibly capable as her career and short campaign has demonstrated.
There should not even be any doubt that Kamala Harris should win this election. That there is reflects serious failures in our system. Failures in the education system that has produced tens of millions of voters who would choose a candidate with hundreds of flaws and misbehaviors any one of which would have destroyed any other presidential candidate.
Failures in our system that have allowed foreign propaganda to be broadcast through outlets like Fox News and all sorts of internet sites to sow seeds of distrust in our system and in the idea of Truth itself.
Failures in our justice system that allow a convicted felon, who is ineligible to vote in most states, to be a candidate for the presidency. Who would be ineligible to join our military to be its Commander in Chief.
Fairlure in our electoral system that disregards the popular vote for an arcane system that focuses all the attention on seven purple states.
A Harris administration will face many serious problems (including the disgruntled cult members), but it would work on them rationally and in good faith. And that a Trump administration would exacerbate.
Often such turning points aren't realized until after they happen - Pearl Harbor, 9/11, the election of FDR, for example.
But we know today. We've known a long time that this election is a choice between two very different futures. One continues to move us toward greater equality, and one hopes, more equal economic prosperity, and continued fights to minimize CO2 emissions and the worst ravages of climate change.
The other unleashes nasty brutish anger and hate on our country and the world.
And even if Harris wins the election decisively, we know the depraved one will fight to overturn the election.
Fortunately, this time round we know his past behaviors and are better prepared. The public is more aware because, except for his cult members, we've seen how he operated after the last election. Our government is better prepared for the same reason. And more importantly, Joe Biden is still president and in control of the military and the national guard and other resources that might be needed.
My logical brain tells me that it will be a Harris victory. Reason says that the world has changed in ways that disfavor Trump.
Since the 2020 election, we've learned so much more about Trump's evil ways.
He was impeached for the second time.
He created a plot to challenge Biden's victory
He instigated the January 6 insurrection of the Capitol
He stole boxes and boxes full of classified documents and stored some of them in a bathroom in Mar-A-Lago. And shared them, well, we don't know for sure with whom.
He's become a convicted felon and rapist.
He has several serious indictments and trials still waiting for him
The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade
His public appearances have shown him to be more and more deranged
He's presided over a Nazi rally in New York City
Many of the 'very fine people' he selected to serve in his administration have publicly warned us what a disastrous president he was.
I can go on and on, but the point is that we know so many more terrible things about him. Even if his cult stays loyal, there have to be other Republicans and Independents who voted for him last time who either won't vote for Trump, and many who will vote for Harris. And young people who now are eligible to vote, but weren't four years ago.
We know that the Dobbs decision has galvanized women, especially in light of the Republican states who have passed draconian anti-abortion laws that are killing women who have had miscarriages and other problems with pregnancy. And we're hearing about many women forced to give birth to their rapists' children.
Conservative states like Kansas and Ohio have put the right to abortions in their constitutions through ballot measures, by-passing their legislatures.
The numbers of early voters shows Democrats returning their ballots more than Republicans, shows women outvoting men, shows young voters voting at higher than past levels. So everything points to a Harris victory.
But nothing is certain until the votes are counted and whatever gimmicks Trump pulls if he loses are blocked.
This is one of those huge moments in history where human destiny hangs in the balance.
[Soon after I arrived in Thailand in 1967 as Peace Corps teacher in rural Thailand, I was taken out one night to a village by an AID employee. A village not unlike the one on the right of the poster. He hung a sheet up across the road and showed movies about the danger of communism. I suspect, in hindsight, I was being tested and I failed dismally - to my credit, I'd like to think. AID (CIA?) never approached me again, to my knowledge. But I did end up with this poster.]
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