learned in India that an old solution to bullies, who are mostly cowards, is to hire an even bigger bully to beat the crap out of them...except that this behavior just makes one want to emigrate...in Tamil Nadu there is an idiom that means “shall we put him in the hospital?” It’s not why the American experiment began...
Donald Trump isn’t the only one soon to be on trial. America is, as well!
Presidential historian John Meachum stated it best recently. “A real live question for the America of 2023 is: Are we up to democracy?”
If the past is prologue, the answer to that question is teetering over an abyss of dangerous uncertainty.
For those who believe the four-time indicted former president Donald J. Trump and his administration have been a scourge on our democracy, the prospects of him being reelected president are terrifying—yet eminently possible.
Consider: For decades—especially from the time Ronald Reagan told us that government wasn’t the solution to our problems, but rather the root cause—anti-government sentiment has risen dramatically. It has now reached the boiling point where tens of thousands of misinformed and misguided Americans felt it was their “patriotic duty” to violently storm our nation’s Capitol in an effort to overturn the 2020 election results in favor of DJT.
We need to learn from history.
In 2016, DJT was a political pig in a poke. Americans were so disillusioned with both political parties that many decided to give Trump a chance, and voted for him.
His presidency turned out to be nothing less than dystopic, disastrous and dangerously divisive. It had no roots in history, geopolitics, political norms, civility or anything else that resembled a normal presidency. Trump and his minions nearly disassembled what has taken nearly 250 years to assemble—that is, a working, though still fragile and experimental, democracy.
By 2020, the pig was well out of the poke, yet 75 million Americans—ten million more than in 2016—voted to give him another 4 years as president.
Fortunately, they failed. But history plods on.
Despite multiple indictments—both federal and state—Trump continues to promote the Big Lie—that the 2020 election was rigged. And as counterintuitive as it may seem to many, his popularity continues to grow amongst his base and the Republican Party.
A recent CNN poll indicated that 69% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said Biden’s win in 2020 was not legitimate, up from 63% earlier this year and last fall, even with no evidence that the election was swayed by fraud.
Those who would not like to experience another Trump presidency face ominous head wins. Remember these names. They may be the reason Donald Trump gets reelected:
· Political activist Cornel West
· Vaccine denier and family pariah RFK, Jr. and
· West Virginia’s democratic senator, Joe Manchin, a potential No Labels Movement candidate
All of whom are threatening to enter the presidential race, and all of whom would siphon off mostly democratic votes, leaving Trump a shoo-in for president. What are they thinking?
There is much wrong with our political system. Much needs to be scrutinized and amended, starting with gerrymandering, the electoral college, voter suppression, depoliticizing the Supreme Court and more. But these would all take time to change, time that we don’t have.
The best power lever we have is the one in the voting booth. It’s not too early to start thinking in these terms. Not casting a vote may give us four more years of a vengeful autocrat.
Maura, another marvellous column. It is so hard to hold bullies to account. I had the same advice from my parents when I was bullied at school and, shamefully, gave the same to our kid. I wish I had stood up. I hope justice is eventually done. (At some point either the cheeseburgers or karma should kick in!)
Maura, you are precisely right-on. Few among us relish conflict, but confronting bullies, defending freedom and democracy -- these are the kind of challenges that we ignore at our peril.
A perfect encapsulation of a terrible problem. I was bullied by a girl up the road in fourth grade...until my older sister twisted her arm behind her back and told her she'd break it next time she bothered me. I guess this is the political equivalent
Amen. I really don't think a majority of Americans would vote for Trump -- they never have -- but I can imagine people being so tired and exhausted from the 9-year drama/trauma and cynical about Biden that many just tune it out and don't vote. In other words, they might ignore the bully. Your advice is spot on. We ignore him at our peril!
Another excellent column, Maura, and comments reveal you hit a nerve. I'm delighted that the GA trial of The Don will take place in a courtroom with cameras. Americans will get a glimpse of how our democracy serves up the rule of law via unflinching cameras. Justice will prevail.
There is no ignoring a bully
We are still in the middle of the coup. No way out but through!
learned in India that an old solution to bullies, who are mostly cowards, is to hire an even bigger bully to beat the crap out of them...except that this behavior just makes one want to emigrate...in Tamil Nadu there is an idiom that means “shall we put him in the hospital?” It’s not why the American experiment began...
Are We Up to Democracy?
Donald Trump isn’t the only one soon to be on trial. America is, as well!
Presidential historian John Meachum stated it best recently. “A real live question for the America of 2023 is: Are we up to democracy?”
If the past is prologue, the answer to that question is teetering over an abyss of dangerous uncertainty.
For those who believe the four-time indicted former president Donald J. Trump and his administration have been a scourge on our democracy, the prospects of him being reelected president are terrifying—yet eminently possible.
Consider: For decades—especially from the time Ronald Reagan told us that government wasn’t the solution to our problems, but rather the root cause—anti-government sentiment has risen dramatically. It has now reached the boiling point where tens of thousands of misinformed and misguided Americans felt it was their “patriotic duty” to violently storm our nation’s Capitol in an effort to overturn the 2020 election results in favor of DJT.
We need to learn from history.
In 2016, DJT was a political pig in a poke. Americans were so disillusioned with both political parties that many decided to give Trump a chance, and voted for him.
His presidency turned out to be nothing less than dystopic, disastrous and dangerously divisive. It had no roots in history, geopolitics, political norms, civility or anything else that resembled a normal presidency. Trump and his minions nearly disassembled what has taken nearly 250 years to assemble—that is, a working, though still fragile and experimental, democracy.
By 2020, the pig was well out of the poke, yet 75 million Americans—ten million more than in 2016—voted to give him another 4 years as president.
Fortunately, they failed. But history plods on.
Despite multiple indictments—both federal and state—Trump continues to promote the Big Lie—that the 2020 election was rigged. And as counterintuitive as it may seem to many, his popularity continues to grow amongst his base and the Republican Party.
A recent CNN poll indicated that 69% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said Biden’s win in 2020 was not legitimate, up from 63% earlier this year and last fall, even with no evidence that the election was swayed by fraud.
Those who would not like to experience another Trump presidency face ominous head wins. Remember these names. They may be the reason Donald Trump gets reelected:
· Political activist Cornel West
· Vaccine denier and family pariah RFK, Jr. and
· West Virginia’s democratic senator, Joe Manchin, a potential No Labels Movement candidate
All of whom are threatening to enter the presidential race, and all of whom would siphon off mostly democratic votes, leaving Trump a shoo-in for president. What are they thinking?
There is much wrong with our political system. Much needs to be scrutinized and amended, starting with gerrymandering, the electoral college, voter suppression, depoliticizing the Supreme Court and more. But these would all take time to change, time that we don’t have.
The best power lever we have is the one in the voting booth. It’s not too early to start thinking in these terms. Not casting a vote may give us four more years of a vengeful autocrat.
The question hovers: Are we up to democracy?
By Larry Checco
Maura, another marvellous column. It is so hard to hold bullies to account. I had the same advice from my parents when I was bullied at school and, shamefully, gave the same to our kid. I wish I had stood up. I hope justice is eventually done. (At some point either the cheeseburgers or karma should kick in!)
Maura, you are precisely right-on. Few among us relish conflict, but confronting bullies, defending freedom and democracy -- these are the kind of challenges that we ignore at our peril.
I wonder what happened to those bullies.
Indeed. Well said. Of course.
A perfect encapsulation of a terrible problem. I was bullied by a girl up the road in fourth grade...until my older sister twisted her arm behind her back and told her she'd break it next time she bothered me. I guess this is the political equivalent
Keep on, keeping on! We must continue sharing this important message.
And Maura, to those who bullied you those years ago? The joke is on them!
Sheila
Excellent, and you are so right!
On a more pleasant note, did you see the Perseid meteor showers? The sky was overcast here, so we couldn't even see stars.
Amen, sister!
Amen. I really don't think a majority of Americans would vote for Trump -- they never have -- but I can imagine people being so tired and exhausted from the 9-year drama/trauma and cynical about Biden that many just tune it out and don't vote. In other words, they might ignore the bully. Your advice is spot on. We ignore him at our peril!
Another excellent column, Maura, and comments reveal you hit a nerve. I'm delighted that the GA trial of The Don will take place in a courtroom with cameras. Americans will get a glimpse of how our democracy serves up the rule of law via unflinching cameras. Justice will prevail.
Bullies must be held accountable...no matter how much time has passed.
I am dealing with a bully now, and it’s exhausting to have to deal with this BS at my age.