This is dark, but it’s not a conspiracy theory diary. Nor is it a hand-wringing or a “goodbye cruel world” diary. It is an attempt at a clear-thinking, realistically- and historically-based assessment of what is happening now and what the future may well hold. Only when the realities of the situation are fully appreciated, can rational plans be made.
Progressives and normal humans of all stripes are mobilizing to pursue the only (apparently) available constructive path: inform the electorate and persuade the voters to get out and change the Congress in 2018 and vote Trump out of office in 2020.
I actually think it reasonably likely that the 2020 elections will be cancelled.
Trump is a thin-skinned impulsive baby without any real concept of ethics or democracy; and to this point in time, seems at least as deranged as Hitler, and he certainly loves power and domination. He has longstanding evidence of racial discrimination and actual racism, and a clear tendency to paranoia (dismissal of the African American man in charge of D.C. security at noon on Jan. 20?!! Importation of 30,000 security personnel!!!) Further, he has reached the age where men begin to act a bit like drunks all the time, whether or not they have clinical dementia. But he is also quite skilled at manipulation, cons, lying and deflection. It hardly seems necessary to give examples of how he has used the media to immunize himself, e.g. by make the charge that Hilary Clinton is the liar and the crook, when any objective person would see that he himself is the liar and the crook.
Skipping over all the other signs of a coming dictatorship, let’s examine his prominent and repeated claims (indeed they amount to charges), that he lost the popular vote because millions on non-citizens voted against him. The media dance around these lies, (calling them everything from errors to “Trump being Trump” to fake news, to the daring “falsehoods”,). But these charges go beyond his 3am paranoiac tweets; he has now made this the official White House position, and taken this to Congressional leaders. this idea that U.S. elections are rigged against Trump are very much like his charges against Clinton. That is, any objective observer would look at GOP gerrymandering of congressional districts, minority voter suppression tactics and Russian influence and say that it is actually foreign Trump supporters and the GOP who have seem much more likely to have rigged elections.
The pattern is consistent. Trump began his invective against elections back in October, saying they were rigged, perhaps by the media, (another enemy of dictators) and as much as invited goons to show at polls in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. The GOP, freed from the court-imposed restrictions on voter suppression, has already begun to further advance its manipulation of the electoral process. Further, at least one prominent Republican has supported Trump’s charges of millions of illegal voters. Trump is clearly about to shift the balance of the Supreme Court by appointing someone who is a radical right wing/alt right Trumpian tool, completing his control of all three branches of government. Oh, and the military: Trump appointed as Secretary of Defense, recently retired general Mad-Dog Mattis, he of “it’s fun to shoot some people.” This appointment violates the principle of civilian control of the military. The media are already largely on board with Trump’s antics, which sell ads, clicks and newspapers. CNN in fact hired numerous truths to defend the absurd and frightening candidate. Trump is already adopting GOP tactics of media intimidation and isolation, simply pushing these maneuvers to a higher (or lower, if you will) level.
If one assumes (best case scenario; not at all assured) that by 2020 an even larger majority of the public will be sickened by Trump’s dangerous and outright harmful behaviors and acts (and not fooled by his Mussilini-an showboating displays of fake job saving), then his re-election will be in doubt. Why should he allow such an election threat to exist? Why should he allow elections?
Maybe he can simply cancel because no one will stop him. Maybe he will use some ‘wag-the-dog’ excuse, some threat from “teh terrorists”, or some new (or old) war/conflict/crisis….maybe North Korea, some move against Iran (Mattis would love that), or perhaps something else he and Putin dream up...a Russian feint toward Europe, a la the Cuban missile crisis.
Who will stop him? There is no group with the will and the power to do so. No branch of government, not the military. Not the press; Krugman writes that he is mentally ill, which he seems to be. So what? No one in the GOP cares, except poor old Lindsay Graham, who in the end always goes along with the Party. Cancelling elections is the next step up (or down if you will) from standard-GOP-tactics. The rich? Trump has effectively purchased the support of the 1% with his massive tax cut plan. The FBI? surely you jest; James Comey is the director---Donald blew him a kiss yesterday; seriously, he did. OBTW, did I mention that the Democratic Party is dead in the water?
This is Fascism. There is no other word for it. Fascism is what it is in the worst traditions of Hitler and Mussilini, lacking, so far, a Holocaust and a world war. It is here today, and for the forseeable future. Trump is the most powerful man, in absolute terms, in history, who is clearly allied with the second most powerful man in history, Vladimir Putin.
I would further add, and this is of great importance, that the people whispering in Trump’s ear and reinforcing his paranoia ARE….TRULY...NAZIS. The alt-righters, the alt-realitiers, the Breitbarters (three Bb’ers are joining the Trump administration, at last count), the sycophants, nationalists, the bigots, the white supremacists, the KKKer’s, the brownshirt wannabes. This is their once in a lifetime chance to seize control, and they are well-schooled in history and Nazi/Hitler tactics and all-too-willing to put those tactics to use. Did I mention well-armed?
If you think I have missed something of importance in assessing the likelihood of cancelled elections in 2020, or what force might prevent it, please discuss. For example, cite the names of a sufficient number of Republican CongressCreeps who would vote with Dems to impeach and then convict Trump of malfeasance. Or tell us which members of the Trump Cabinet (a majority) would declare him incompetent under provisions of the 25th Amendment.
I won’t say that voter education is futile or hopeless; it’s certainly worth pursuing; The Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton clearly failed to present a rational, coherent and persuasive case regarding the state of the nation at present and a plan for the future, and this has to be corrected. But efforts to deal with Trump should draw on the historical and present data, to include accurate and stark descriptions of what is happening now and predictions what is likely coming, in the frankest of terms. And that future may not include even a poor imitation of free elections.
It can’t happen in America? Guess what…. it’s happening in America.
