Two Conventions, Two Americas, And The Beginning Of A New War

[Celerity]

When Trump goes, everyone who resonated with one of the grim aspects of his psyche will be looking for a new demagogue to fawn over.

https://thebanter.substack.com/p/two-conventions-two-americas-and



Watching the opening night of the Democratic Convention last night was a reminder of what America could be. Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders and John Kasich delivered powerful speeches appealing to common decency, sanity, and compassion. Biden spoke to a multi-ethnic, diverse group of Americans who have experienced tremendous suffering in recent times and offered empathy and promises to address their pain. While slightly bizarre watching a political convention conducted virtually, what we saw revealed an America that still exists — a stark contrast to the hateful place Donald Trump has created over the past three and a half years. We don’t know much about what the Republican Convention will look like next week, but given the couple who brandished guns at a Black Lives Matter protest in St. Louis have been invited to “appear on behalf of the president,” one can assume a horror show of gargantuan proportions. The conventions of each respective party reflects the dynamics of modern day America: a nation at war with itself at a terrifying crossroad in history. There is still hope that this terrible mess can be turned around, that the nation is capable of healing and addressing the systemic issues that created this monstrous political movement. The Democratic Convention is an attempt to remind Americans of this, and the Republican Convention will be an attempt to drag the country deeper into anger and dysfunction. But regardless of who wins in November, one thing is abundantly clear. There is a deep, deep rot in America that will not disappear when (and if) Trump leaves office.

Trump could still get elected

As it stands today, Donald Trump is unlikely to get re-elected in November. He is too far behind in too many swing states, the economy is teetering on the edge of catastrophe, and the Coronavirus pandemic is set to get much, much worse as we move towards November. That being said, the election is still far, far too close for liberals’ (and sane conservatives’) liking. Trump can still eke out a victory in the Electoral College given his popularity in swing states and loyal support in other red states. Even if he loses, the difference will likely be under 5/6 million votes (Hillary Clinton beat Trump by 2.87 million votes in 2016). What does this say about the current state of America? Nothin good. The fact that Trump is competitive at all in this election is a testament to the festering hatred in American society and the corrupt, dysfunctional political system that has been brutally exposed by Trump’s presidency and the pandemic. Trump is the symptom of this corruption, not the cause, and America will still have to contend with the deep fractures in its society after he leaves office. The Red Hats will still be here, the repellent right wing media complex that peddles hate and disinformation to angry white Americans will still have its business model, and corporations will still largely control the government for their own rapacious purposes. In a sane, compassionate society, Donald Trump could never get into office. But America is not a sane, compassionate society and with Trump gone, we can fully expect the raging culture wars to continue unabated.

You can still blame Trump. Partially.

None of this should be seen as an excuse for Trump’s presidency and the catastrophic damage he has caused. Under different leadership, the Coronavirus pandemic could have been an incredible catalyst for cooperation, compassion, and systemic change in America. Under Trump and his gang of shameless opportunists and criminals, the country has been ripped to pieces. Instead of urging Americans to care for one another by social distancing and wearing masks, Trump has encouraged threats of violence against state Governors, turned not wearing a mask into a new, darker chapter of the country’s culture wars, and urged the public to disregard advice from scientists and medical professionals. At every step of the way, Trump has sought to sow division and hatred at a time when the country least needed it. After the brutal murder of George Floyd, Trump then used the country’s painful racial history to solidify support from his racist bed by ordering more violence against protesting communities. There is no way out of this cesspool of hatred and division with Trump in office. With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, there is a chance to repair some of the damage and set a new course for the country. But there is a limit to what they can achieve. As President Obama found out when he took over from George W. Bush, America has never fully come to terms with its violent, racist history, and it continues to re-live the cultural and racial wars from its past.

Trump supporters are a reflection of him

Author and psychotherapist Jeff Brown wrote recently that “we shouldn’t get too excited when he [Trump] loses in November”. Why? Because Trump is a reflection of those who voted for him, and they will still be here when he’s gone. He writes:



And on, and on, and on. When Trump goes, everyone who resonated with one of the grim aspects of his psyche will be looking for a replacement. If they cannot find one, the right wing media will continue throwing them red meat, feeding their insecurities and fears until someone else comes along who represents their psychopathological dysfunctions. Trump may just be a preview of what it to come next — a potentially far more dangerous, more damaged demagogue who would take what Trump started and end democracy in America for good. Democracy and the rule of law are collective ideas we all buy into. They are not laws of physics. They can be dismantled if enough people stop believing in them, and Trump has shown unequivocally that enough Americans are willing to submit to much, much darker ideologies.

Win the battle, but prepare for war

We have survived almost four years of total insanity because of Trump’s gross incompetence. Had he been more disciplined and more cunning, there would likely be no election in November. Trump is too lazy and too childish to plan more than a few days ahead, and that has allowed the system of checks and balances in America to retain somewhat intact. A skilled operator could take the weaknesses in the system that Trump has exposed and manipulate in a far more effective way. This is the scenario Democrats must prepare for when Trump leaves office, and they must do everything in their power to eradicate the conditions that allowed the current president to rise to power. No one should expect the GOP to have a moment of reckoning or great moral awakening after Trump gets voted out — there are too few good characters left in the party. If you want evidence of this, tune into the GOP Convention next week. Republican voters will not be looking for a Larry Hogan or John Kasich for rehabilitation and a new, kinder conservatism when Trump is gone. They will be looking for another nihilistic monster to terrorize minorities and humiliate liberals. In the short term, all efforts must be made to destroy this movement. Everyone complicit in Trump’s presidency must face public investigation and potential prison time for the crimes they have committed while in office. Government agencies should be razed of Trump appointees and their records scrutinized in microscopic detail. Every act of corruption must be made public. Americans must be made painfully aware of what transpired under Trump’s presidency so that they might have a chance of rebuilding what has been destroyed.

After that, the real war for the nation’s soul begins.

[flibbitygiblets]

1. K&R, bookmarked. Excellent article, thanks for sharing!