A Political Post

This is a political screed,  If you don't want to read one, here are cute kitty pictures...  They are from Duck Duck Go so they seem safe.

President Biden gave one hell of a direct speech today.  I agree with everything he said.  And what he said HAD to finally be said out loud...

The US has 2 effective political parties.  

One favors the right of all citizens to vote; the other does not.  

One favors helping people who struggle for food and shelter; the other does not.  

One  favors making insanely rich people and companies actually pay some taxes; the other does not.

One recognizes science and expertise as a basis of national policy; the other does not.

One  wants to govern rationally for the common good; the other does not.

One favors "uplift"; the other says "give me what I can take from others".

One is Democratic; the other is Republican Trumpist and cowards who fear him about their jobs...

I am not specifically Democratic or party-specific.  I used to vote for Progressive Republicans when there were any.  I'll vote for anyone who wants to help others rather than just seek power for themselves.  Good intent and goals matter to me...

So here's the thing I am concerned about.  Democracy is hard won and easily lost.  Democracy demands agreement to social norms, a collective acceptance of many unwritten rules, and rational discussion of proposed and existing laws.

Perhaps more to the point, Democracy requires the acceptance of fair votes and that the majority generally rules.

US Democracy is under attack both externally and internally.  I am concerned here about the internal.

Politics is not "just" politics as if it was a game to win.  At it's best, it is a judgement of the voters of a direction to go, a means to agreed-upon ends.  We choose between leaders who promise to improve the national infrastructure or the one who promises a better economy.  We can't always get both at the same time.

But lately, there has developed a contest between those who try to do "generally beneficial" things and those who want benefits "just for themselves and friends".  Tghe latter aere self-named "Trumpists".  Trump admires autocrats like Putin because he wants to rule as Putin does.  The Russian State is an autocratic oligarchy and Trumps loves that.

So these next few years in US politics is a struggle between autocratic oligarchies and ruke by citizens,  This struggle for democracy COULD be lost.  It has happened elsewhere in time and place usually with a failure of democracy eventually.  It happens when people become afraid.  It happens when people fear their neighbors.  It happens when we lose a sense of collective purpose of "the people decide"...

We in the US are not particularly "special".  Yeah, we like to think so, but we are not.  On June 21, 1788, the final State ratified The Constitution and it became a governing document.  It was an experiment.  As Benjamin Franklin said "A Republic if you can keep it".  

"Keeping it" is the hard part and the idea is under threat.  There are too many who seek office or influence today just for power.  And a desire for power for it's own sake is a threat to Democracy.  Desire for power can be national or down to school boards.  

Or State election officials. And there's the rub.  Democracy needs dedicated thoughtful caring people, not loud angry fanatics with one issue on their plate.  A successful working Democracy has a variety of participants representing a variety of views, who can discuss them rationally.  

When some people start threatening those who are legitimately doing lawful work like managing legitimate elections and representing rational social norms, it is a problem that has to be faced and contested.

Trumpism has to be eliminated.  It is threat to the foundations of US Democracy.  It is the idea that a false claim can be successful by repetition of suggestion.  It is the Mussolini promise that "the trains will run on time if you just let me control everything else".  It is the Hitler claim that he would restore a fading nation to glory.  Autocrats offer everything to their followers in exchange for their freedom.  

We can't surrender to that easy and false promise of silent loss of freedom in return for "the trains run on time".

I once thought that, if Trump won in 2016, I would leave the US.  That was too hard.  And we didn't really know then the depths to which Trump would sink.

We do now.  

Today, the Congress arranged a meeting to recognize an attack on the US Government.  It has been done before and generally all Members attend.  This time, not a single Republican attended.  That says something.

I became an adult in the late 70s.  Demonstrations were a norm.  And often successful.  It may be time (if Trump is returned to office) to start those again.  Imagine 100,000 old bald fat baby boomers pushing on The White House fences.  LOL!  But it could work...

Here is a scenario to think about.  The Republican gain control of the House in 2022.  They name Trump the Speaker of the House.  The Speaker doesn't HAVE to be a Congressperson...

Then they impeach Biden and Harris.  Guess who is 3rd in line?  Trump.