The first news magazine managing editor I worked for more than a couple of decades ago, Larry Durstin, was fond of saying, “Predicting the future is merely stating the obvious.” It doesn’t require staring into a crystal ball, reading tea leaves, or flipping over tarot cards What it does require — especially when the subject is politics — is a deep, unflinching and unvarnished understanding of America’s history and a keen sense of America’s present. To predict where we’re potentially going — absent a course correction — requires knowing where we’ve been. And our ugly past, like it or not, doesn’t portend a rosy future.
The genius of our democratic form of government, the reason it has worked reasonably well to this point, was due to the fact that the party that lost a presidential election and was out of power simply was content to bide its time, knowing full well that soon they would be back in power after another election or two. That belief no longer holds true, and this reality is critical to the future of the nation.
The current president recently stated that if mail-in voting is allowed to become widespread, the prediction of the 2000 Census — that persons of color would outnumber whites in America in 35 or so years — would mean that it would be impossible to ever again elect a Republican to the presidency, and he’s right.
This simple truth of mathematics (that the GOP cannot win the presidency in fair and open elections of the future) is what’s driving members of the far right over the edge. These Republicans simply cannot bear to envision a country that is permanently run by Democrats (read: minorities) and the prospect of this kind of future is increasingly turning that party’s rank and file into American jihadists. While some readers might no doubt reject the use of such a loaded term — which is usually associated with Muslim extremists — the proof of its accuracy is self-evident.
Jihadists are considered to be extremists that are willing to strap a bomb to their bodies and die for what they believe in. But pray tell, what is the difference between these radicals and the Americans who have become so polarized they gleefully attend political rallies sans masks and social distancing, willingly putting their lives (and indeed, perhaps the lives of their children) on the line to support the form of extremism they favor? But dead is dead — no matter if death comes via a bomb or a virus.
Anyone who thinks that a Biden/Harris win will put an end to the current madness is merely whistling past the graveyard. In fact, booting their narcissistic megalomaniac out of office will only exacerbate their hatred of “the other,” those folks who don’t share their pigmentation or ideologies that they fear are set to take over the country. There has long been a belief by some critical thinkers on the left that before diehard right-wingers acquiesce to residing in a country that is permanently run by some group other than cisgendered and privileged white males, they would just as soon burn this motherfucker to the ground.
Indeed, the proof is self-evident: If this demented cohort is willing to laughingly face death by attending Republican rallies without taking sane precautions, it therefore simply means they are ready to die — or kill — to avenge the defeat of their monstrous leader (who holds out the promise of permanent right-wing hegemony) if it comes down to that.
Does anyone in their right mind think for one second that this demented demagogue is going to accept defeat graciously and simply slip away to take his rightful place in the dustbin of history? No, it’s not going to be that kind of party; his mind doesn’t operate in that manner.
With him out of the White House but in front of a TV camera, he’s going to constantly be spreading venom and vitriol day-in and day-out; how hard will it be for him to turn what has heretofore been a cold war into a hot one? While he probably would never openly call for armed revolt he has proven to be a master of racist dog whistle rhetoric and he would leave little doubt in the fertile and feeble minds of his followers in regards to what course of action they should take.
More on this subject later …
