Things are moving at warp speed. And still we seem to be falling behind what must be done.
For quite a few years now I have been advocating for a Revolution from the Center, a political revolution based on the principles of Concordian economics. Current events in Washington make this project rather urgent. Let us go over some key points.
Reality Circles Back to A New Revelation
The most dangerous effect of lying is that the liar will believe his lies.
Donald Trump is convinced that his incitement to violence in his speech at "Save America Rally" on January 6th was "totally appropriate." Therefore" he does not conceive that it was totally inappropriate. Therefore" he does not see that by any measure his incitement to violence was a major political blunder. Therefore... no one seems able to instill in him any sense of reality. Therefore" he does not concede that the election was won by the Biden-Harris team. Therefore" he cannot release the energy of his followers and ask them to devote their lives to new pursuits. Therefore" many other things, between and beyond.
This lie to himself explains why this man, while President of the United States, incited an insurrection against the Capitol-endangering the lives of his devoted friend Vice President Mike Pence, nasty Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and US Senators and Representatives, and their stuff, whether Democratic or Republican-as well as the lives of the Capitol security guards.
BTW, is not Mr. Pence entitled to put his case forth as an example of the extremes to which Donald Trump can go to serve his megalomania? I have never been a fan of Vice President Pence. But do you realize the extreme insouciance of Donald Trump? After sending his goons to kill at the prepared gallows, Donald Trump slaps on him the p-word for not serving his needs, but performing the duties he swore to observe while taking the oath of his office. The only word, even so lately earned, that has to be attached to Mike Pence is forever Patriot.
MAGA People, honest MAGA People will understand.
BTW, by inciting the mob to violence, Donald Trump put not only Capitol Police and our Elected officials and their staff in danger. He put members of the mob, many members of his devoted MAGA People in danger's way. A stampede does not recognize its own.
A Minor Lie
It is easy to unmask the content of this lie, a minor lie, after all, in the entire context of things.
If you read through the lines, Donald J. Trump believes not so much that his opponents were weak in denouncing violent street protesters, but that they actually encouraged protesters. Thus his conclusion: "They all" incite violence. What he did on January 6 is "normal."
This is a lie: There is no recorded evidence of any responsible Democratic leader openly inciting violence.
This is a complex argument that must be left to deep political thinkers and psychologists and psychiatrists to explore. But it does lead to the discovery of the most egregious lie of the last four years.
Trumpism Is A Lie
Trumpism is the biggest lie of the last four years: Trumpism is a word; there is no policy inside that word. [It might eventually be agreed that the only content of Trumpism is eternal, opportunistic, transactional bullying.]
Worse, Trumpism is a word not even coined by Donald Trump himself. Apart from a speech by then-presidential candidate Rick Perry in July 2015, the term was propagated in the national press, to keep its readership excited.
Do not mention Trumpism ever again in the national press, and Trump will shrink into nullity-especially now that our social platforms have woken up to their responsibility of banning him for life, at least for now.
The Empty Content of This Nullity
Faced with the enormous problems of growing inequality, growing poverty, declining jobs, and declining wages, the Trump Administration glowed in the elitist glitter of Wall Street. How many MAGA People were getting rich from Wall Street?
Its heart was elsewhere. "The Wall" was a diversion. Immigration restrictions were a Nazi inspiration. Separation of children from families was a cruelty. Is making the rich richer a policy? Is the abatement of environmental restrictions a policy worthy of note, when the eventual outcome, if not undermined in time, will eventually choke us all to death?
America was "first" and "great" at its inception. Is America alone; is America isolated a tenable policy in today's world? It was not a tenable policy yesterday.
Are these American policies? Are these policies requested by the majority of the American electorate? Are these policies to benefit the American people? Tariffs are paid by the people. Interested in after effects of tariffs? Ask soybean farmers and Main lobster fishers who saw their exports to China vanish.
Whatever can be expressed as policy followed by the Trump Administration is a congeries of disjointed ideological extremes.
And what to say of a President, not-at-work, but on a gulf course-amidst the Coronavirus pandemic? Is this what the country needs now? Is this what the world is asking of us now? Even for one more day?
A Personal Affront
I am a proud zero-generation immigrant. I loved America while discovering its sense of justice talking late in the nights in Naples with my friends who were making fun of America for not throwing Al Capone to jail, sight unseen. I loved America when I was accepted by her people as a Fulbright Scholar; I waxed nostalgic, while still here, but compelled to go back to Italy by the requirements of the Fulbright Program. I rushed back, without a penny in my pockets, as most immigrants have traditionally done. I relied on the Goodness of God and the goodness of friends and relatives to set me on mt feet. I have been loving the public life of the United States, however have I been able to participate in it. A few years ago, I discovered that I truly love "every inch" of Gloucester. My community for more than fifty years.
Politically, ever since I gained my voting franchise, I have been fiercely affiliating with the non-existing Independent Party. With the current dissolution of the Republican Party, my sacred wish for the coming of the Republican Party of Concord, eventually followed by the creation of a Democratic Party of Concord, is no longer a distant goal.
The Dissolution of the Republican Party
Clearly, Trumpism has sounded the death knell of the current version of the Republican Party. This Republican Party has not been able to secure the reelection of Donald Trump. In the process it has split itself into two major factions: those who cater to whatever whims Donald Trump pursues at the moment and a conservative remnant that is faithful to the glorious tradition of Abraham Lincoln.
There is very little to say about the Trumpist faction. Sooner or later they will discover that Donald Trump is intensely dedicated only to himself.
The sooner they realize this simple reality, the sooner will they join those in the Republican Party who are faithful to the Lincoln democratic tradition. How can they be helped?
The Fear od Death
To achieve this goal, the Republican Party of Concord will have to overcome fear of immediate threats to the life of its members. Sharing such an experience is not a bad thing, considering that many of Trump's opponents have been subjected to such threats by his followers.
Yes, I have recommended it seems for ever now that against the cascade of vituperous words escaping from Donald's mouth there is the safety of the old jingle: Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me. But we are now in a realm beyond words.
Yes, in these days of infamy, our lives are exposed to death. Any Republican party member brave enough to distance himself or herself from Trump is exposed the death threats. But what is the worth of an empty life if it remains only full of fear?
Beyond raw courage, what else can we do to get out of the evil spell cast by Trump over our national conversation? A brief thought reveals that Donald Trump has done half of the work for us: his devoted followers have found him out.
I knew you would have nothing to fear from MAGA People. I did not know that Donld Trump would do the initial work for you. The headline says it all. "'Coward': MAGA internet turns on Trump."
Provided you do the work to be done, you no longer have to fear anything from Donald Trump.
Here is what, in my humble opinion, you have to do.
Coward
Trump followers have done half of the work for you: they have appropriately destroyed his reputation. They have branded him as a coward.
This is what you have to remind your audience, O Republican Senators willing to put country over party: Mr. Trump is a coward, a dangerous coward, who goaded his followers promising to lead the crowd, promising "I'll be there with you. We're going to walk down. We're going to walk down any one (sic) you want, but I think right here. We're going walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators, and congressmen and women. We're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong." (16:25 of transcript of speech at a "Save America" rally of January 6).
After goading them, he abandoned his followers; he was nowhere to be seen among the crowd.
A coward in not a leader.
Your constituency knows; they remember. You only have to remind them.
The other half of your work is to do what needs to be done to restore the financial stability of our nation and the stability of the American family. Do your homework. Promise only what you can and are willing to deliver.
The Republican Party of Concord
Clearly, Trumpists are in charge of the party and they are not easily going to relinquish their control. Rather than engaging in an internecine all-losing war, Lincolnians might give some serious attention to the need to establish the Republican Party of Concord.
Then, the Democratic Party will also have to do its part. It will have to create the Democratic Party of Concord.
Thus, no longer a revolution from the extreme left will be followed by a revolution from the extreme right, but a Revolution from the Center will be carried out.
This is work to be done long term. In the immediate future, we have some urgent tasks to undertake.
Immediately
Immediately, there is urgent work to be done. Now that the House of Representatives has approved the second impeachment of President Trump, O Republican Senators you have to immediately convict him in the Senate. You have to remind Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that his duty is to protect the Constitution and the People, not to protect Donald Trump.
The US Senate has only to ratify this fact: Apart from his treasonous acts, Donald J. Trump is a coward; he is unworthy to lead the country. The Senate has only to recognize and affirm this fact for the benefit of truth.
To be assured of immediate success, a brave delegation of both Republicans and Democrats might first want to walk into the Oval Office and respectfully offer President Trump this alternative:
What else can we do, but get rid of him at the earliest possible moment? He is dangerous. We must strip him of any political power, for ever.
IMHO, the Senate should stop treating Donald Trump, a product of spoiled wealth and a fluffy mind, with kid gloves. Two reasons exist for forcing the Senate to finish its job before the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice Presedent Kamaala Harris: one, we need to condemn Donald Trump so that he will be forever barred from elected office; two, the country needs to start working on serious issues and stop thinking of Donald Trump altogether. We cannot do serious business, if our minds are titillated by the latest insouciant utterances of Donald Trump; behind closed doors he is capable of doing serious damage to the national and international security of our country.
Preferably if he resigns, IMHO, he should be offered only one choice by the Senate, the freedom to appear in front of such a civilizing institution as that created by one of those "shithole" countries, South Africa: a Truth, Reconciliation, and Restitution Commission.
Donald Trump does have one duty, primarily toward himself and his family, he has much explaining to do. Three months from now, if he cares to do it, let him explain. Again, we must remember that Mr. Trump is not a politician; he did not even win the election except for the aberration of the Electoral College.
Carmine Gorga was born 85 years ago in the Deep South of Southern Italy, under Mussolini, during the Great Depression. He has recently (?) been classified as a Gravatar, a Globally Recognized Avatar.