What sort of America awaits?
A mile marker on the freeway to a “post-November America” is when two old men debate. I use the words old men, because I own it and know something of this stage of life. America would be better served by younger candidates, though that doesn’t mean an old man, or old woman couldn’t do the job, given they have the skill and capability.
The age question is real, but is the least of our concerns. We have more serious problems.
What version of America will rule? Which America will prove itself to be the decisive vote?
Option 1 A majority of people who have grievances, are fearful, paranoid, delusional, who believe lies, deny reality and give laud to an unsound narcissist, who some believe is a messenger of God.
Option 2 A majority of Americans who acknowledge though our government is not perfect, it has worked for two centuries as we grind out an evolution of a culture that tries to share equality, guarantee human dignity, lead the world in disciplines of order, security and that believes in nation of law even if flawed in its application and making.
This is larger than two men. They are pawns of history on a board of existential stakes. Some understand this consequence. Some do not.
It is not too much of a distillation to say it is a choice between the America of history since the founding, good and bad, or a nation subservient to authoritarianism, deceit, revenge, a merge of narrow religion and government, where we betray allies and tart up ourselves for the highest bidder.
There was a time when this was impossible. It is shocking the twice impeached ex -president is even a candidate and, more grievously, that he is supported. Trump is a disaster on almost any index of governing. He is a traitor by most standards. The video of him bowing to Putin while selling out the US Security Community is an historic nadir. His role in the insurrection should be disqualifying. The now convicted felon threatens to again bring his trash, avarice and incompetence to another attempt to break America for the benefit of Russia, Saudi Arabia and his own pillage, pilfering in a further degradation of American history and ideals. Why is he even in public? Why does anyone give him anything but the back of their hand?
The hardest to take and the most heartbreaking thing about our faith in America is that he has millions of supporters. That’s the thing about a democracy, you are free to support who you wish, even if he is as his Secretary of State called him, “a fucking moron!” But he is a moron who is the favorite of millions.
Ignorance is rampant and on the rise in this nation that once took pride in education. News deserts, the collapse of old fashioned media with its attempt at balance and a focus on facts, in tandem with an educational failure in a culture of celebrity worship have produced millions of folks who don’t know any better. That fact, they don’t any better, is a damning evaluation of the culture and a spike to the heart of American aspirational values.
Trump supporters are not thinkers as the public fraud conviction of Fox News and lesser minions of the rightwing propaganda mill have demonstrated. It’s like surviving the first swing of Jonestown kool-aid and coming back for another cup even as everyone drops dead.
Watching them, listening to them, seeing them interviewed, reading about them, speaking with them, the elder MAGA supporters remind me of those hapless kids in high school who got D’s or barely passed civics, government and history. They were nice enough, just not informed and not very curious about current events. Now those peers are at the end-years of life, and they are angry and out for revenge but still no better informed.
It’s cruel to say the younger MAGA crowd is stupid or malevolent, but there it is, before our eyes. Testosterone over load. More blood to that region than to the brain. Pay close attention, draw your own judgement.
Trampling on American history or betraying the ways that have kept us a nation doesn’t mean much to people who don’t know that stuff. These are not people who have fretted about a delicate balance of power, the power of lobbyists or the creeping influence of big money. Law, respect, and civil debate means nothing to people who back a man without moral character, decency, a sound mind, or a belief in anything but himself. Lack of the teaching of government, and short shrift on history produced a culture that doesn’t know how to advance because they have no idea of where they have been. They simply want to stick their finger in the eye of the government. And some resent the color and the faith of those who are not like them.
The Republican party has been captured by a chimera, born of their sins of single-issue zealotry and race bating politics that began with Richard Nixon’s “Southern Strategy.” Today’s Republican party is on the road to theocracy, willingly enforcing their limited concept of religion on everyone, especially those who choose to think, believe or worship in other ways, or who may see the purpose of faith as something other than forcing rules and narrow mindedness. Republicans adopt the same foundational frame of belief as the Taliban, Isis, and Iran’s ruling clerics. If that America prevails, we begin a new paradigm in American behavior. The rise of arrogant ignorance brings to mind mob rule, authoritarianism, theological fascism.
The Democrats have their problems. The modern party has always been a family feud with the most progressive wing being like the rebellious teen or the kookie Aunt or Uncle with strange ideas. But that wing has also pushed against an inclination to sell out or forget those on the margins. It is not pretty, but the in-house debate has been good for the party and good for American history. It took loud mouths and passion to win women and Blacks the right to vote, to get Title IX passed, to end the deceptions and senseless war in Viet Nam, and etc. Do you appreciate social security, Medicare, safe food, clean air, safe factories, safe cars? Some of those kookie ideas are not so kookie. Do you want another 4 years of trying to undo the American Health Care act? Wouldn’t we be better serviced by a Congress that gets down to kicking the ass of the insurance/medical complex that puts profit ahead of patients?
Wouldn’t it be great if the US had a solid and well-reasoned immigration policy, instead of piecemeal kicking the can down the road like we have done for a century. Biden worked a deal, with all sides, to make progress, but a toad in a Maga hat had it killed. How can you reason Trump is good for anyone, except himself.
I fault the Democrats for morphing, moving away from an abiding passion for working and middle-class Americans. Bill Clinton moved the party right and made business friendly decisions that sewed the seeds of trouble for industrial and working Americans. Biden is working back to the old base. The party has grown more effete and focused on identity classes instead of a national commonweal. But the Democrats are diverse and there is a spectrum from moderate to liberal. They speak critically of their own policy. In the MAGA Republican cult they speak ill of the felon in private but bow to him publicly.
Joe Biden is the oldest President in history so it is natural to wonder about that. Aside from George HW Bush, his resume and Washington experience is best of modern Presidents. He is, as historians will document, one of the most productive in history. His legacy and influence will mushroom as the billions invested in American communities and new industries begin to be seen.
Most Americans, even his own party suffer from shortsightedness. His legislative record is nothing short of astounding, considering the bitter and gall filled legislative branch of government. In another age the media would be stumbling over each other in telling the story. But too few pay attention to mainstream media, most Americans measure success in the most selfish of ways, and even if the Biden Economy is historically good, and the market is historically high, if we pay more for groceries and gas we think the sky is falling, never asking, or examining how exactly does a President control that? Most Americans never think about the Federal Reserve, or bother to look where there is genuine price gouging, or how large corporations have seized record profits.
It’s the American way to think of the President as Daddy Supreme. Presidents have always gotten the blame. He is old, he walks in a stiff manner but his presidential record is blue ribbon. He has been instrumental in leading NATO, and strengthening alliances that are future looking. Instead, we focus on the optics. We are shallow, and getting more so because the depth of our news and information seeking is on our hand screen, flying by in memes and emojis and quick reels.
This is the first Presidential election with so many dead newspapers, stripped down and failing media, and a generation of clickbait. TickTock and Instagram have more sway than journalists of institutions like the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN or the BBC. We are down rabbit holes.
Still, who do prefer as daddy supreme? What kind of human being do you want making the hard decisions? Who do you trust?
Some in this nation think Biden is a demon, eating babies. They put Trump on a flag with Jesus. It’s laughable, we are living in a farse, a sci-fi movie plot where a bleach blond air head somehow gets to put his finger on the nuclear button. And for this very reason it is not funny.
So, two old men with long histories, with track records, with evidence of character writ large. Two fathers, two husbands, two men who hold values, who have beliefs and goals.
Really, given this focus, given these choices, how can there be any question about what is good for America and what is the poison?
So, which America will prevail? What crowd will handle the government, navigate the ship of state?
And then after November, how will we live with each other? That is for another day.
See you down the trail.
