When truth, facts, and the rule of law are no longer paramount in a society, the probability for success of any democracy is minimal. Elizabeth Warren was right when she stated, “Any country that would elect Donald Trump is already in trouble.” Worse is a political apparatus that enables his activities that are either questionable or overtly illegal.
In 1776, some disgruntled citizens posted the Declaration of Independence and initiated a war. Following that successful revolution, from 24 July to 17 September, 1788, a group of men drafted what became the U.S. Constitution. Thus, a noble experiment in governance was initiated; one designed to incorporate the will of the governed to whom accountability was promised. It was not, “a more perfect union.” Far from it, but yet it was a significant departure from the monarchies that dominated Europe and their globally subjugated colonial empires.
The preamble to the Constitution began, “We the people…” However, the founders really did not mean everyone! While carefully constructing an instrument that wisely would divide power, the architects also intentionally restricted who made up the constituency from which that power would be conveyed. Only white, land-owning men were allowed to vote. Over time, that right has been expanded to cover all citizens over the age of 18 years who are born in this country or naturalized. (The 15th Amendment allowed former male slaves to vote as of 3 February, 1870 while women were included with the 19th Amendment on 18 August, 1920)
Any experiment in democracy depends on an educated and informed constituency. The framers of the Constitution seemed to understand that there should be cognitive requirements for those entrusted with determination of who would represent the citizens. Also implicit was the obligation for the constituency to be informed and that accountability for actions by the governing bodies was inherent. Age limitations were included, but at a time when life expectancy was 35 years. For years, literacy tests were used as qualification. In reality that was a voter suppression mechanism yet even upheld by the Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) in 1959, (Lassiter v Northampton County Board of Elections). But the court allowed them only provided they were applied to everyone (which they didn’t). Literacy tests were removed with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, in June, 2019, a politicized SCOTUS recently affirmed it is permissible for candidates to choose their voters via gerrymandering, even if extreme.
The technological developments of the 20th and 21st centuries were far beyond their comprehension, especially those devoted to generation and dissemination of information. Given the application of such advances (especially in social media), the assumption that the general population knows what is in their best interests is simply specious. Repeatedly it has been proven that people vote against their own interests as emotion trumps logic nearly every time. As Benjamin Franklin is alleged to have said, “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all others.” Our experiment may be proving him wrong. (Yes, I fully comprehend the complexity of attempting to establish new standards or system of governance)
America was a great experiment in governance. But, over time we have proven ourselves to be incapable of successfully completing the tasks that were laid out for us. Greed and lust for power have overtaken our best efforts. Even though we still have visionaries, ones who can provide the templates for reestablishment of a country that was the shining beacon on the hill, many of multitudes support the fear-based policies of nationalism and exclusion, as proffered by Trump. He, and his associates, line their pockets as do those of the select few that benefit from his fascio-centric edicts. Willfully blinded, they are supported by a “base” with a mantra of “we don’t care.” They do not care about facts. They do not care about morality. They do not care about corruption. Far from opaque, what makes that situation so astonishing is that those traits are brazenly laid bare for all to see, yet Trump supporters, and his enablers, do not care!
The prognosis is not good. As Milan Vaishnav, noted in his book, When Crime Pays, leaders who commit crimes are more likely to be elected. Though he was studying India at the time, the observation applies globally. With the rise of populism there has been a tendency for people to support and elect leaders they see as strong, even if corrupt. Foreign examples include Russia, Turkey, the Philippines, and Hungary; notably, all led by people admired by Trump.
In addition to an informed electorate, democracy only works so long as the public have trust and confidence in the institutions of governance. Since inception, there has always been skepticism of government organizations, the fourth estate (journalism) and the power they wield. However, there is a significant difference between healthy skepticism and explicit hostility. Beyond the media, Trump is overtly undermining American trust and confidence in our most fundamental institutions. His strategy always has been to divert attention from misdeeds, and assault the credibility of those who expose them. Most notable, consider the venerable intelligence community (IC). Neutral in nature, data driven, and always vigilant, the IC has been a bulwark against attacks and protected our citizens in ways few realize. Yet, Trump chose to support Putin over their thoughtful analysis. Now, sans evidence, he is again assailing them with accusations of partisanship. Reiterating specious conspiracy theories (massive voter fraud, a Ukrainian server, not Russian, hacked the DNC, it was not his voice on the Access Hollywood tape, and many more) Trump invigorates his presumably disenfranchised base, many of whom are prone to accept demonstrable nonsense as reality.
In any experiment, limitations are prescribed and agreed upon. The prima facie hypothesis always has been that facts are constant and immutable. While interpretation and opinions about them could vary, facts are the foundation upon which everything else is built. That no longer appears to be true and that is a major contributing factor in the demise of our experiment in democracy. Yes, at times scientific researchers have fudged data, but they usually get caught. Once exposed, the culprit is usually relegated to the dustbin of history and forgotten.
This is no longer true for politicians. The adage that all politicians lie is basically accurate. There are, however, proportional disparities that are orders of magnitude in difference. Trump overtly lies, or makes misleading statement, at an unprecedented rate; so much so that there are organizations devoted to keeping track. Though previously there have been some whoppers (Gulf of Tonkin, Saddam and WMD’s, etc.), no prior U.S. President has lied to us as egregiously as Trump, not even close. As his base and enablers don’t care, the experiment is failing.
Then there are the numerous bizarre, egocentric comments made by Trump with increasing regularity. The economy would collapse without him. Civil war would break out if he were removed from office. Congressional leaders commit treason by investigating him. Those who expose his criminal behavior are spies and should be executed. Are such statements not the antithesis of democracy? His Republican enablers claim that they do not see the admission of guilt in the released transcript and display a level of naivete that is incomprehensible. It is as if they have never heard of how mob shakedowns are employed. They also fail to acknowledge the blatant witness intimidation that so frequently has occurred with Trump’s accusations.
There has been a failing in our educational system and we must accept that the general public generally is not mentally sophisticated. They do not like nor understand complex issues. Trump, and his associates, exploit that weakness continuously. As demonstrated by the Mueller Investigation Report, though evidence of obstruction of justice was clearly spelled out, the message became obscured in a cloud of complexity. Worse, William Barr, the U.S. Attorney General, intentionally misled the American people by establishing a false narrative. Understanding the lack of critical thinking skills of most people, complexification is a standard Trump tactic to hid and confuse the public about his misdeeds.
This deterioration did not start with the election of Trump. Before we elected George W. Bush, Karl Rove laid out the roadmap. Specifically, he addressed quietly changing the courts and politicizing the legal infrastructure. Both insidious and effective, his efforts resulted in SCOTUS deciding Bush v Gore in December, 2000. Running sub Rosa, the GOP has been packing federal courts at all levels including the obvious ones on the SCOTUS. Dishonest by nature, Senator Mitch McConnell has been instrumental in that process. Because appointments are for life, packing of the courts will be difficult, if not impossible, from which to recover.
In my April, 2006 publication for the Joint Special Operations University titled The Changing Nature of War, I noted that the nation-state was a failing concept. Macro-organizational structures of the future, I postulated, would be based on belief systems, not the geographical happenstance of birth. Those prognostications were based on events such as the dissolution of the former Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and other topographical entities as well as emerging conflicts engendered or exacerbated by boundaries that were externally imposed. Examples include Near East Asia, most of the Middle East and all of Africa (following Bismarck’s Berlin conference and Scramble for Africa in 1885).
At the time I wrote that monograph, the United States was a stabilizing force in international dealings and we encouraged others to abide by the rule of law. While there was civilian concern about foreign interventions, astute political and military leaders understood the complexity of the evolving world, one that was totally interconnected financially and ecologically. Alliances and cooperative agreements, however intricate, were fundamental to both American security and international stability. In retrospect, what I did not account for was the rapid disintegration of American leadership in global affairs. Trump’s America First policy translates to America Only. The value of multinational partnerships has been undermined and the U.S. position has become unreliable. What I failed to recognize was that America might become one of the casualties such as those I saw in other areas around the world.
From the dilemmas of our current situation, we can eliminate the possibility that the Constitution was divinely inspired. While it was unique and comprehensive, certainly a supreme being should have contemplated a Trump-like protagonist and taken actions to prevent the consternation that has befallen the country. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, in How Democracies Die, detailed the demise of such governments through relentless deterioration of their critical institutions. Each of the steps they mention currently are happening here. Like them, I am not optimistic about how the future of America will unfold. The glimmer of hope lies in the 2020 elections and that sufficient numbers of the electorate will have recognized the clear and present danger that exists. The democracy experiment is in serious jeopardy. Whether or not it can be saved remains to be seen. To do so will require the valiant contributions of many individuals and intense efforts to inform the public with truth and facts. If true democracy is to be sustained, it is essential that the younger generations (one’s that traditionally are ambivalent concerning political affairs) grab the reins and turn out in mass to right the ship of state we, the elders, have allowed to founder.