What is Going on in Our Country?
I’m an older guy, a retired military officer
and a person who thought he had seen everything in this crazy world. Yet here
I am, as bewildered at the next person and wondering what is going on in my
country.
We just had an election in which the pollsters were apparently wrong again (except in MN, thank God!) Despite projections – and fervent hope by Democrats – the election was very close in a lot of races and went the opposite way in many others. The big surprise, at least to me, is not that Biden won the popular vote by a substantial margin (which sadly doesn’t matter with our goofy electoral system) but that Trump did so well. I am shocked, as are many others, I think, that millions of our fellow countrymen would vote for someone that a huge number (most?) of Americans see as deeply flawed and totally undeserving of re-election. In fact, I'm shocked that anyone is shocked that he lost! Of course, we are all subject to biases and driven by our favorite information sources so that certainly accounts for some of these opinions but holy mackerel, really? 74 million people voted for Trump even after 4 years' experience with this dude!? Plus, now the unprecedented attempts by the president - and by their silence and acquiescence, all Republicans - to essentially overthrow the election? (Sadly, not unexpected from this lot.) So, what’s really going on here?
First, let me say this, 2020 was the first election since 2004 that I voted for a candidate from either major party (you know, against the previous worst president in history – and I failed.) I am as disillusioned as anyone in our two party system. More importantly, I have some friends – not many but some – who voted for Trump, probably both times. It has been a source of friction but, except for a couple of people, it hasn’t ended our friendship. They are all solid, smart, successful people who normally wouldn’t trust a person like Trump to walk their dog. To their credit, they claim they don’t actually like Trump, his behavior or preposterous nature but, well . . . just had to vote for him. Being generous, maybe they were voting against Biden. A lot of us don’t vote FOR anyone much anymore but AGAINST someone or something. This was really apparent in this election and is a sad comment no doubt. But still, Trump?!
What's going, I think, is fear. I’ve come to the conclusion that most of us are
simply afraid. Instead of the optimism that America has been famous for, we, for
the past many years, are now mostly driven by fear. Just to name a few, and not counting covid: fear
for livelihoods; fear of foreigners; fear for the kids’ future; fear of different
lifestyles; fear of not allowed those lifestyles; fear for religion; fear of religion; fear of bigotry; fear of government doing too much - or too little. In the simplest terms,
it’s the human fear of change. For many, America is either changing too much or it isn’t changing fast enough. Oversimplified for sure but I think fairly
accurate. This goes for people of all persuasions, liberal, conservative or whatever.
Trump supporters, however, seem to exist in a separate galaxy of fear. What gives?
Make
America Great Again! A brilliant slogan, sounds terrific but is totally meaningless - except as a code embraced by certain folks. Simple, let's just go back in time to
someplace in American history when we were great. You know, when mom stayed home, dad went to the office and the kids walked to their beautiful,
clean new schools (in my case, with Norwegians, Swedes and Germans.) Of course, people
of color, non-Christians or gays were polite enough to stay out of plain sight. America was truly great
then.
Unfair? Perhaps, but it does represent a pleasant kind of allegory for a huge cohort of people. Certainly it doesn’t mean that they are all necessarily racist or homophobic but it does have an appealing simplicity that Trump brilliantly tapped into and promised his acolytes, not just Republicans but disaffected Democrats as well. Then consider his rallies.
They had a huge attendance by adoring fans (almost, but not quite, exclusively older and white.) One has to assume that on any other day these are good neighbors and fellow workers; they would seem like normal Americans. How then to explain that these same people cheered even his most misogynistic, racist and/or ignorant rantings? (And who can forget his hilarious mocking of a handicapped reporter and Gold Star parents.) This self-generated cult of the individual would be frightening in Kyrgyzstan let alone in America – all that’s missing is the Kool Aide used at Jonestown. And this is the man that the Republican party has embraced for four years?
Other Raucous Rallies
Ironically, Trump is not now nor ever has been a Republican. Doesn’t matter though, the fact that he gave Republicans their deepest desires - lower taxes for rich people, gutting regulations and placing reactionary judges at all levels - makes him Republican enough. That he is a singly out for himself? Doesn’t matter. His assault on the First Amendment? Doesn’t matter. His authoritarian tendencies? Doesn’t matter. His treasonous actions stirring up the least informed of his followers about the election results? Doesn’t matter, he's delivered the goods.
So here we are. He lost the election as he should have yet he will leave behind anger and frustration and turmoil that will affect us for years. I hope his promises of returning us to an America that never was or will be were worth it to the Republican party (a sin for which they should be sent to the political wilderness for a generation.)
Attack on Ft Sumter Apr 12th 1861
So what is going on in our country? Fear? Madness? I guess I really haven't a clue. Still, it is clear that America is not just split on many issues but that we are nearly at the point that they can’t be resolved politically as implied with this last election. That is a very frightening thought. The last time we got here was in 1861 . . . and we know how that turned out.
ReplyDeleteThe anticipation of the winter solstice of 2020 reminds me that no matter how dark it is this November, longer days and warmer weather will come as it has for many years. In my decades of life, I know of few times when the whole world shuddered as it has. We narrowly escaped a speeding bullet November 3, and while the gravest of dangers will be in the rearview mirror, there is no doubt that anxiety will continue.
The government that directs our lives is the government that reflects the will of the people who vote. The question is how could we as a people ever have put in office those who appear to have so little respect for the people they govern? We could blame those in office, but the truth is we, the American people are at fault. How did that happen?
Historians will mull this question over for years to come as we make our way out of this national nightmare. The impact of this administration was made possible through those who voted for Donald J. Trump. Their delight is in poking the eye of the body of the heritage of the United States. They delight in ridiculing the traditions and the norms that have made this United States the success it is. They wrap themselves – they literally wrap themselves in the flag, demanding their rights, while trampling on the basic rights of others. There is no danger that guns will be taken away from the American people, but this right to bear arms must be balanced with the rights of the little children in Sandy Hook Elementary School who were gunned down, and whose slaughter finds no response in those who believe they must bring an AK-47 to Walmart. They will continue to scream that the election was stolen. They know their rights and obligation means nothing to them.
Trump will leave in the wake of pardons that I suspect will include a pardon for himself. Oh yes, there are the lame and pathetic death groans of an administration that seeks to maintain power. That administration ignored the safety of the American people by ignoring a virulent pandemic and then, seeing its own purposes as primary, discouraged testing. Now 2,200 people who were with us on Monday, died yesterday of COVID. I am grateful for the sense of freedom and patriotism that has engulfed us in the past few days as President Elect Biden nominates an administration of substance and wisdom to lead us through healing of this Nation. Conflict with a recalcitrant Senate will continue, but for today there is reason for gratefulness. Mitch McConnell will continue to obfuscate and to deny President Biden’s authority as president as he denied President Obama the right to function as president. The state of Georgia offers the possibility of saving grace. Like many I made my contribution to the liberation of the U.S. Senate.
Trump and his entourage of family members will be leaving the White House having, in a spare 47 days nominated an ultraconservative Supreme Court justice whose impact was just experienced in a 5-4 ruling. The US Supreme Court sided with religious organizations in a dispute over Covid-19 restrictions put in place by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo limiting the number of people attending religious services, thanks to the vote of Amy Coney Barrett. So, the freedom of religion is preserved by the man who brought in troops to remove protesters so he could stand before a church holding up a Bible.
His cult followers will waive their weapons and scream foul, but hopefully this too shall pass. Days will get longer and Joe Biden will be sworn in President of the United States. Happy Thanksgiving!