Bonaparte ante la Esfinge%2C por Jean-L%C3%A9on G%C3%A9r%C3%B4me.
(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Author Not Given) Details Source DMCA
Bonaparte ante la Esfinge%2C por Jean-L%C3%A9on G%C3%A9r%C3%B4me.
(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Author Not Given) Details Source DMCA
On the other hand, few of us, no matter how pessimistic or cynical, really like the idea of riot, revolution, coup and civil war. Like God in the old saying, those things don't care if you believe in them -- they'll wreck your day without regard to your political sentiments.
Two presidential elections after I called out that potential, the "rigged election" tune seems to be segueing seamlessly into its second verse: The advent of the strongman.
Even as he cracks wise about it and muses that it might just be for "one day," former president and current Republican front-runner Donald Trump's recent campaign schtick leans heavily into some Americans' fear of -- and others' longing for -- a totalitarian dictatorship, complete with revenge prosecutions of political enemies and mass roundups/detentions of immigrants and malcontents.
Trump's likely opponent, incumbent Joe Biden, sticks more to themes of "democracy" and "the soul of America" when on the stump. But he's given the imperial presidency he inherited a steroid injection. He's already on the job of revenge prosecutions (of, among others Trump), bolstering the immigration police state, and instituting censorship in the name of "fighting disinformation."
It's difficult, at this point, to envision a freer, more peaceful, and more prosperous America within the confines of the existing political system. We're sliding down the pole of history toward tyranny, as most polities do, and we've reached the portion of the pole that's greased.
If we end up with a man (or woman) on horseback, our rightfully fraying faith in elections will be the horse. Politics will end up breaking us, unless we break it first.
