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.]
I'm going to take a print-out of your post, strike out on a walk to town and then sit down in a nice local coffee-shop and see if I might draft a reply. I'll post later, if something worthwhile comes of the effort, friend.
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Jakob
Good morning, Steve (AK time).
ReplyDeleteBeen out today to Belfast for Meeting for Worship at a Quaker meeting. People there asked how we felt about the election returns in the USA. On an 'up' note, we said it appears (from here) that the election process itself went well -- so good on that -- as that is and always will be, very important, after all.
As to what didn't go well? Well, how about a warm-fuzzy shove toward a 1920s rise of strong-man states? Political leaders in Europe who are NOT happy in your result are madly scrambling to polish bonafides to send (quickly) to a re-acendant Trump. Not so good.
But you can read that in the papers. Here, we can tell you about some reactions from really random street-chat we've had with people as our (overheard) American accents flagged us for their curious approaches, finding:
First, a real concern for loved ones who live in the States, followed by conseqences for tens of thousands of Ukrainians who live on our shores and what will happen to their homeland. Fears for the Baltic states next, as people know people there (as do we and have visited only this past summer).
That other matter that's brought up to us is what will become of America's democracy and real amazement at the madness (their words) of all-of-yous to put Mr Trump back in power, with plans to subvert government apparatus to advance his (and so many in-the-wings) policies.
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And then there was a third thing: They wanted to know about us. What are we going to do? We tell them we moved from the US 18 years ago, and that after gaining family & friends in Europe, community, work and a lively intellectual life here, we're happy here. We have family, friends, deep connections in the USA, but Europe is our home now.
And we are concerned for our families, our friends we know in the states... How will they fare in these coming months & years with an ascendent right-wing movement up-and-down civic and political institutions in the US? Where will it all end?
For many of us here, the US election result reminded us of why Americans shouldn't so much fear foreign-agent hate-bombing; we see that bad stuff more often coming from your every-day Sunday preacher just down your road or 2d Amendment (nut).
So Glad tidings, then, to All Americans of Good Will. You've a lot of love & sympathy from many of us over here. You can still build your 'shining city upon a hill'. Just see if you can build it better than a Puritan village this time round.
You can see where that got all of you.
Troubled times are great for writers. Thanks for all the comments here and not here. I can't keep up, but appreciate your thoughts and support.
DeleteI'm only just barely digging myself out of the pit of disbelief, self pity and disgust. I can't bear to read all the "analyses" of why Trump won -- it was Biden's fault, it was Kamala's fault, it was Pelosi's fault, it was Netanyahu's fault, it was Putin's fault, etc etc etc. I think bottom line, we overestimated the basic decency of the American people.
ReplyDeleteI've always believed that the vast majority of people were good at heart and would demand basic standards of goodness from our elected officials. Obviously I was wrong. I think a sizable portion of us have probably always been somewhat rotten at heart, but that until say 4 decades ago, social pressure forced them to conceal it. But since Reagan and "greed is good," augmented by Fox News and the increasing radicalization of the GOP, the social pressure has been gradually easing and now it's perfectly fine to express your rage and hatred and demand retribution against anybody who might ever have done something that might have contributed to you not being as rich as you'd like or living in as nice a house as you'd like or not getting laid enough or whatever your particular grievance might be. And here's Trump, ready to tell you it's OK to hate all those people, I will give them the finger on your behalf.
Sorry, hope it's OK for me to express my particular grievance too.
Kathy, good to hear from. It's been a while. These are the times when it's important to reach out to old friends and like minds and figure out ways to make it harder for the corrupt regime to operate. Resistance is critical. Keep in touch. Hearing from you again brightened my day.
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