I've been called a cynic, because I reject the silly notion that some sort of right-wing storm is brewing, and Donald Trump is on the verge of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, thus sending Joe Biden-san and Kammy "Throw them black boys in prison for 20 to life!" Harris into oblivion.
Well, yeah. A cynic I am. Much like I would be were one to tell me JFK was actually the victim of a sole assassin. Cynicism ain't a character flaw. A cynic looks at the available facts, draws obvious conclusions, then naturally poo-poohs fanciful ideas about the aforementioned TrumpStorm.
Undoubtedly, the clueless president-to-be is the beneficiary of a stolen election. What we know, however, and what we can prove, are two different things. Even with a briefcase laden with proof, not much can be done if arguments are heard by Never-Trump judges.
In short, Biden will be inaugurated January 20th. That's the view of a cynic. It's also the truth.
Those who insist on clinging to the fleeting notion of Trump prevailing are starry-eyed, myopic Pollyannas who just cannot bring themselves to acknowledge the United States is governed by an incestuous gaggle of statists, for whom remaining in power is the be all, end all. As George Carlin famously said, "It's a big club, and you ain't in it."
Trump, for all his obvious devotion to government largess (which should gain him lifetime admittance to said Club), is not a member. He truly was an outsider, a populist who did not do what virtually all presidential beauty contest contestants must do: get vetted by the Council of Foreign Relations.
So, Trump has to go, and you can be sure, what happened in 2016, will not happen again.
This is a bitter pill to swallow for those who actually believe they have a say in how the government is run, and who gets to run it. So in frustration, they ultimately turn to an assortment of conspiracy theories. Perhaps it's Steve Bannon, who has vowed since election night Trump will be sworn in again. Or maybe it's Steve Pieczenik, who told us the ballots bore watermarks, for added security, and that in a matter of days, the true vote count would be revealed.
Pieczenik has gone radio silent on this bogus claim, likely regretting the loss of any credibility he ever enjoyed.
Or, maybe it's a mysterious poster on the dark web (whatever that is), who uses initials for his username, like X-22, or 007, or 0U812. The mystery man assures us, and he has it on good authority, The Swamp is about to be magically drained, and Trump will be standing tall with his hand on the Bible January 20.
No, really. X-22 said so. How can you doubt it? Just you wait and see!
Blah, blah, blah.
Ultimately, all the conspiracies flame out, and the true believer is left with little to grasp on to. This threatens to morph into despair, but it's far better, if only for one's mental health, to acknowledge the truth, as stated above. There is no political salvation, certainly not in America. The frat rats run the ship of state, and anyone who believes voting is going to change that fact just isn't paying attention. And if the debacle of November 3 isn't enough proof, then not much else can be said.
When the dejected souls sense the end of the fantasy is near, they may turn to more grandiose theories, such as civil war, or secession. Some latch onto such ideas, without giving much thought to the merits.
Perhaps we should.
Civil wars are fought by farmers. They are not fought by urban residents. This is so obvious that it is utterly astounding that anyone could consider the possibility of an American urban civil war.
The military today has extraordinary communication systems. They have armored personnel carriers. They can control city streets without much trouble.
We are not a decentralized society any longer. The vast majority of our people live lives in cities. They are docile. They are easily controlled. They do what they're told. They are not yeoman farmers. They move to a new house every five years, so they have no emotional commitment to a piece of land as representing their families.
There are no town meetings any longer. They don't know their neighbors. That was not true in 1776. It was not true in 1861. If you don't know your neighbors, you don't trust your neighbors. The best you can expect from your neighbors is to be let alone. The enemy is the homeowner's association. It runs the show. Homeowners submit. They submit begrudgingly, but they submit.
The thought that anyone who submits to a HOA is going to fight a war against local police, the National Guard, and SWAT teams is utterly preposterous. It is astounding anyone actually believes this.
Another vain theory is that of secession. The idea begs a lot of questions. First of all, secede from what? From where? Republicans, Democrats, and an assortment of political independents are found in all fifty states. How shall we separate them? To where will we secede?
One politician proposed those states loyal to the Constitution would form a new Republic of sorts. Okay, fine. Then comes the endless questions of what is, and what is not Constitutional. Sound familiar?
How about a new America, with Trump as president. What would this mean? It would mean a president who spends more wildly than any Democrat ever has, a president who supports government-mandated health care, a president who has proven to be a proponent of massive, unrestrained government.
How is this any different?
Most Trump voters are fine with America being what it is: a welfare state. Trump was never going to change this. Had he tried, Biden would have swamped him without any shenanigans. Most Trump voters are fine with public education. Public schools are the national religion of the USA. This should not be the case, but Trump was never going to change this.
We're really going to secede, or start a civil war, standing arm to arm with those Trump voters who support such things?
It's time to exit Fantasyland, and cash the reality check. Like it or not, Joe Biden is going to be president, fit-throwing and name-calling notwithstanding.
It sounds hopeless, because it is hopeless. Political salvation in the United States is utterly hopeless.
Our energies are best spent making the best with what is left.
2 comments:
Good article, Tim. I enjoyed it.
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