I don’t usually put up about politics right here, however I really feel I’ve to at this time, as a result of lots of people are distressed, shocked, and fearful. Though the outcomes of yesterday’s US election should not but totally in, it’s clear that Donald Trump might be our subsequent president.
I didn’t know what to anticipate with the US election. I believed it was attainable that Trump would possibly scrape to a slender victory. I hoped, although, that Harris would would win, narrowly or (I scarcely dared dream it) by a landslide. I feared that if Harris did win, that the election could be disputed and that some Republican-controlled states would possibly try and overturn the election outcomes.
I had not anticipated Trump to win resoundingly, with a majority of the votes. [Later edit: not a majority! Slightly less than 50% of the votes cast.] (In 2016 Hillary Clinton obtained 5 million extra votes than he did.) I believe we’re lucky that the election was not disputed, and that there was no try and overturn the vote.
For the time being I really feel fairly calm. My poor accomplice didn’t sleep a wink.
I’m for as soon as grateful that within the US system the victor doesn’t take energy instantly (not like within the UK the place the Prime Minister strikes out of Downing Avenue the day after the election). So there’s a way of normality at current. That gained’t final, although.
It’s unattainable to know what’s coming. Trump himself is only one a part of issues. He’s vindictive, petty, useless, and impulsive. He’s simply manipulated by these round him. Final time he was in workplace he was surrounded by individuals who, though not saints, have been at the very least higher than he was. With a small variety of exceptions, these individuals have repudiated him and mentioned he’s unfit for workplace. Two of them described him as a fascist. He’s now prone to be surrounded by people who find themselves a lot worse than he’s. It’s doubtless they’ll encourage his worst instincts and that we’ll see some very unhealthy issues occurring.
Usually you put together to journey out 4 troublesome years till the subsequent election. This time we’re dealing with probably catastrophic demolition of the mechanisms that protect democracy, a collapsed economic system, the partial restoration of the Soviet Union, and an acceleration of local weather change.
There might not be one other completely free and honest election for a very long time, and even when first rate individuals are elected sooner or later, what they inherit might not be fixable. However they’ll should do what they will with what’s left. It’s attainable that there could also be a re-founding of america, if there’s a United States sooner or later. A catastrophic collapse offers the chance to be taught from the previous and to keep away from its errors. The US structure and its legal guidelines have been manifestly “unfit for objective” as they are saying within the UK. The truth that Donald Trump is heading for the White Home relatively than jail is only one illustration of that.
I discover it vital to do not forget that a lot of those that voted for Trump didn’t know what they have been voting for. Many are struggling in an economic system that favors the ultra-rich and largely ignores unusual individuals. They needed a change. Proper wing channel information networks manipulate and dis-inform. They suppose inflation is at an all-time excessive when it’s not. They suppose crime is rampant, when it’s falling. They suppose their lifestyle is below risk from immigrants, when they’re themselves the youngsters of immigrants and depend upon immigrants to do fundamental duties that hold the economic system working.
A lot of these individuals didn’t know they have been voting for a person who says he needs his generals to be like Hitler’s generals, and that he needs to make use of the US navy in opposition to the civilian inhabitants. Or they’d heard this and thought it was propaganda. Or they thought it was simply Trump trolling the libs. However most of the individuals working for Trump don’t suppose it’s simply Trump trolling. A few of them need violent oppression of all opposition.
Some individuals confirmed as much as vote yesterday not figuring out that Biden had dropped out of the race. A research confirmed {that a} delicate Covid an infection reduces an individual’s IQ by three factors. A extra extreme case with lingering signs causes a six-point drop. If hospitalization is required, the drop is 9 factors. That’s from a single an infection. Presumably repeated infections trigger additional cognitive injury.
The inhabitants has actually been been dumbed down. I say this not as an insult (I’ve had Covid and an not resistant to its cognitive results). I say this as a result of it could be a part of how we obtained to the place we’re.
In brief, many individuals who voted for a person who has been known as a “fascist” by individuals who labored intently with him don’t know what they’ve simply carried out. They aren’t our enemy, and so they deserve our compassion. (Others are enemies within the sense that they wish to hurt us, however we’d like not hate them in return. It’s a delusion you could’t oppose somebody with out additionally hating them.)
I discover it vital to do not forget that there are lots of individuals within the US (and elsewhere, in fact) who consider in kindness, generosity, tolerance, compassion, democracy, standing as much as autocrats, and defending the world that sustains us. That’s way more than half of the inhabitants.
We’re the bulk.
I discover it vital to do not forget that fascist regimes (and it appears to be like like that’s what we’ll find yourself with) all the time collapse. The “robust man” is emotionally fragile and can’t stand contradiction. So he doesn’t hearken to critics on his personal facet, and his actions ultimately carry issues crashing down.
It’s doubtless that there might be a sequence of brutal strikes following the switch of energy. These might be designed to intimidate, demoralize, and traumatize anybody who opposes the Trump administration.
We’re going to want to seek out methods to carry onto our religion when this occurs.
We’re going to want to seek out methods to maintain that religion, and to maintain our kindness, compassion, tolerance, and perception in democracy for for much longer than 4 years.
The easiest way to try this is to be actively concerned in some group that represents your values. Being engaged with like-minded individuals helps us really feel robust. Doing one thing that makes a distinction helps us really feel robust.
I recommend all of us begin on the lookout for methods to become involved, if we’re not already.
Within the meantime, I extremely suggest studying Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny.” Snyder is a historical past professor who research autocracy. On Tyranny is a small e-book, straightforward to learn, and easily written. It’s a guide-book to surviving fascism, and on holding alive constructive values by way of darkish occasions.
I strongly recommend that you just do NOT purchase this e-book from Amazon, which is owned by a billionaire. Folks like Jeff Bezos have loads to achieve (within the quick time period) from an intolerant regime. (The day Bezos introduced that the Washington Submit wouldn’t endorse both candidate, he was reportedly in negotiations with Trump concerning the authorities utilizing his rockets.) These individuals are not your pals. Don’t help them.
As a substitute, help a neighborhood e-book store. Help unusual individuals. Help your neighbors. Reside your values.
When you don’t have a neighborhood bookshop or can’t get to 1, attempt bookshop.org within the US, Hive within the UK, or search for another impartial outlet the place you reside.
If every thing will get diminished to what’s most handy (“one click on buying”) you’re not dwelling your values. The essence of ethics is doing issues which can be much less handy. It’s barely tougher within the quick time period. But it surely feels good in the long run.
We’re the bulk. It’s crucial that we stick collectively.
A few years in the past I taught a web-based course known as “Politics as a Religious Apply,” which is the place the graphic above comes from. I do suppose it’s very important that we don’t simply “do politics” however that we see our engagement with politics as a car for creating endurance, braveness, compassion, and knowledge. The following 4 or extra years are going to check us. These checks can probably make us higher individuals. And we’re going to want higher individuals to rebuild no matter we’re left with.
Discussion about this post