This writer, like millions of others from around the world, have been anxiously watching the slowly-unfolding results of the U.S. Presidential Election 2020. Each of us, as best we can, continues to try to cut through the morass of all the hyperbole, bogus information, misinformation, lies, deceit and propaganda that continues to be perpetrated upon Americans in particular and world onlookers in general by the likes of Donald Trump, his Republican strategists and editorial allies within the mainstream, corporate press.
Americas always problematic experiment in American Exceptionalismover the past four years of Trumps presidency,as projected by Donald Trump himself and all those who rabidly supporthis scary, corrupt, venal national brand of authoritarian populism,has never felt so all at once, on many more levels than words can begin to convey, as such a complex mix of abject horror and disgust over how lowly and base has become the lack of truthful, calm, civil discourse and the degree to which Americas once lofty democratic principles have become so seriously deteriorated and compromised.
Now, as the outcome of the Presidential election still hangs in the balance, Americas voters and the world watches, like helpless spectators, as America becomes an even sadder democratic spectacle while Trump, who couldnt win, fair and square, in an outright manner, the Presidency of the United States for yet another four more years, has instead now deigned to perpetrate a virtual political coup and try to sue his way back into the White House. Trumps despotic rule, with the help of his Republican cohorts, now joined by the likes of Justice Amy Coney Barrett who now sits in the seat of the recently deceased Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has been cunningly inserted into what now is a politically lopsided, imbalanced, and biased Supreme Court.
As Trump continues to show the world who he really is by his distasteful political legal ploy to try to illegally remain in office, if that doesnt succeed what could be his next step? If it finally comes down to the need to physically escort Trump and his family members out of the White House under force of arms what violent reactions might that trigger in the American populace?
During one of the televised Presidential debates, when asked the question by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, would he (Trump) ask his White Supremacist followers and paramilitary groups to Stand Down,Trump indeed said so but alsotook it upon himself to add to his directive to them not only to Stand Down,but Stand By!The potentially malevolent evil intent in some future still unknown event behind those two additional words was lost on no one who heard that debate.
Hearing those two words at the time was like an eerie premonition of things yet to come that at once produced a violent reaction in this writer, his stomach immediately turning into knots as the hair on the back of his neck and arms stood on end as his hands shook like quaking leaves. That was when he realized the full import of what actually was being presaged.
Fast forward to the night when the Associated Press declared VP Joe Biden the potential winner of the Presidential Election. A crowd of administration officials, Trump family members and key supporters gathered in the East Wing of the White House to listen to what Trump had to say. They gleefully clapped as Trump stepped atop a Star Spangled Banner-bedecked podium and calmly smiled before launching into another one of his signature harangues laden with lies, bogus falsehoods and invective.
The assembled crowd hung on Trumps every revealed word as the full import of Trump and his followers divisive legal court actions, and the potentially violent events this could lead to. A vile act that, if acted upon by the Supreme Court, will shut down any further counting of mailed-in election ballots that, in turn, could potentially rent the nation violently apart as it found itself caught up in which side to choose in whatever bloody civil war might ensue between those who slavishly follow the dictates of Trump rather than the dictates and principles of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights themselves.
As Trump continued to spout so many election lies or misinformation an image at once flashed into this writers minds-eye of the legions of Trump followers who no doubt will also continue to mindlessly refuse to follow the precepts of whatever medical expert advocates every citizen should wear a PPE mask to protect themselves against the Second Wave of the COVID pandemic and the possible deaths of themselves, their immediate families, friends and the general public at large.
It all seems to this writer that America no longer is dealing with independent, free-thinking political individuals anymore but instead too many mindless, zombie-types who are prepared to follow others vile commands the way the German people, with glazed-over eyes, once followed the dictates of their Fuehrer.
Trump continued to calmly speak as if butter wouldnt melt in his mouth as he continued to rant on about the highly irregular election results, all the while casting ugly, nasty aspersions of crimes committed by unnamed parties against himself, his presidency and Americas time-honored, hallowed electoral process; all the while arrogantly declaring himself to be the unequivocal winner of the election before all the nationwide votes have even been counted.
This hallowed election process one that, since Americas inception as a nation, not only has been held in the highest of esteem by many throughout the world, but represents the very lofty basis and sacred essence of the right of every free citizen to cast their vote for whomever they so choose to represent them. Each citizen knowing with complete confidence, each time they do, that that right will be so honored, and their vote duly counted.
Yet what was perhaps as equally as repulsive and offensive to this one as watching this whole distasteful scene unfold with Trump at the podium, was the fact that one of the PBS Newsrooms own invited commentators, Gary Abernathy, a contributing columnist to the Washington Post, had the temerity to make light of Trumps outrageous affront to the very principles of Americas democratic process. Abernathy dismissed such affrontery as more mere typical Trumpisms,when, in fact. it could otherwise be better described as nothing more nor less than a treasonable act against the U.S Constitutionitself and the very principles of Americas Democratic Rule of Law.
Yet, if Trump does go on to indeed win the 2020 election will America and Americans expect to be repeatedly challenged during the next four years with yet other innumerable Inquisition-type loyalty challenges, not to the U.S. Constitution but to Trump himself? What will happen to all the whistleblowers within Trumps government over the next four years whose consciences may compel them to speak out against whatever outrage, even though it may run contrary to Trumps directives? Will those who work for Trump follow the ethical mores of American Democracy or will they instead use the official powers and perks of Trumps elected office in the service of Trumps own cruel brand of authoritarian-dictatorial rule? Or will America begin to see for the next four years Trump Train caravans of political groups with ties to QAnon conspirators,freely allowed to travel the highways and byways of America, doing Trumps bidding? Only time will tell!
Jerome Irwin is a Canadian-American writer who once upon a time in university was a Criminology student while working in one of America's local police departments. For decades, Irwin has especially sought to call world attention to problems of environmental degradation and unsustainability caused by a host of environmental-ecological-spiritual issues that exist between the conflicting world philosophies of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.
Irwin is the author of the book, "The Wild Gentle Ones; A Turtle Island Odyssey" (www.turtle-island-odyssey.com), a spiritual odyssey among the native peoples of North America that has led to numerous articles pertaining to: Ireland's Fenian Movement; native peoples Dakota Access Pipeline Resistance Movement; AIPAC, Israel & the U.S. Congress anti-BDS Movement; the historic Battle for Palestine & Siege of Gaza, as well as; the many violations constantly being waged by industrial-corporate-military-propaganda interests against the World's Collective Soul
1398 Hope Road, North Vancouver, B.C. Canada, V7P1W7
jerome_irwin@yahoo.com
(Image credit: Dom McKenzie).
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