SendInTheClowns wrote:
I support your supposition, primarily because as I see it the "Big Division" remains volatile in the USA, purposely created by the posturing lies and manipulations of Trump; Trump is gone from the seat of ultimate official power, but his kind of evil cannot simply be voted out, it persists. Democracy can change governments and leaders, but is relatively powerless against evil intentions and evil powermongers.
I think we always need to bear in mind that Trump's apparent "mentors" were Hitler and Mussolini: both formented extreme division in order to manipulate themselves into authoritarian power. They saw - and used - the creation of division as a first step, a point their acolyte Trump shamelessly imitated and exploited.
Even the death of Trump probably won't erase the threat; it will spark rabid conspiracy conjecture which will probably be exploited by other would-be dictators waiting in the wings.
The USA (and not ony the USA) seems to have a "cannot possibly fail" belief in democracy, as if democracies can never fail, but can only brought down by outright warfare of an extreme kind. Perhaps that belief may come to be the Achilles Heel in the future of the USA.
I hope that the USA will overcome the ongoing "plague" effects of Trumpism, though nothing in the present time gives me confidence in that outcome, especially given the social and political impacts of an impending economic megacrisis.
My long time fear that seems to be coming true has been a smarter, more stable version of Trump emerging. I am unsure at this time whether DeSantis will be able to overcome Trump’s cult of personality in 2024. Either way is big time trouble because the Democrats seem incapable of 1. Nominating a candidate that voters do not want to gag voting for. 2. knowing how to properly react to the threat. Do nothing and get steamrolled again. Fight fire with fire as some have been doing and thus become morally indistinguishable from the MAGA’s sn further alienate swing voters on the issues. The answer if there is one is somewhere in between but what that is nobody has figured out yet.
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