Is Democracy Dead?
By Ronald Yates
There are those who wonder if democracy is dead. But the answer to this question depends on who you ask. Some will say this nation was never a true democracy; and others will say the democracy we thought existed ended many years ago. When the U.S. Government agreed to accept the Federal Reserve Banking System, it abdicated its’ authority to foreign powers. From that time this nation has been a vassal nation to a cabal of wealthy and powerful families. Today they are known as the Deep State. We are deeply indebted to them. Despite our subordinate position, within these United States we conducted business, as usual, that is until we elected a former reality television star whose lust for power and adoration from the masses is clearly insatiable and visually appauling.
In 2015 Donald J. Trump made his triumphant entry into the morass that is Washington politics. Trump was determined to lead a coup that would ultimately lead to his takeover of the Republican Party and propel him into the White House. From the onset the Republicans did not give much credence to Trump, in fact ranking members of the Republican Party dismissed him, some went as far as to refer to him as “a bigot, a racist, and a xenophobe” who would never be President of the United States, but the mistake they made is the same mistake many before them also made… they underestimated Donald Trump. Trump is not blessed with eloquence of speech, nor does he display tact, or sharp intellect for that matter. But what he does possess is a strong connection with White working-class voters, who feel disenfranchised by both major political parties. Trump spoke their language, he knew how to appeal to them, how to energize them in ways not seen in previous years. Trump once professed that “He could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose a vote;” and it turned out he was right.
After beating Hillary Clinton, a feat that seemed nearly impossible, Trump solidified his control over his base and the Republican Party. After the inauguration the Senators that once condemned Trump fell at his feet. For many of us, who did not support Trump, we have a difficult understanding of the Trump mystique, and the allegiance of his base. And it is clear those that follow Trump have unshakeable faith in him, no matter how bad the Corona Virus Pandemic has ravaged the population, or how far the economy has slipped as a result… his legion of followers remain committed to him. The belief in Trump goes so far that they actually believe his wild allegations of rampant voter fraud, that the election was stolen and, therefore, he is still the rightful President.
Normally, under our democracy, the peaceful transition of power would be well under way, but not with this President, his administration, or members of the Republican Party. They are acting under the delusion that somehow through some bizarre act of God Trump will be declared the winner of an election that he clearly lost. When the democrats, unsuccessfully, tried to impeach the President, the Republicans called it “an attack on democracy.” After Trump’s loss a full-scale war has been declared on democracy. If Trump cannot maintain control, it is apparent that he is determined to destroy this nation one institution at a time. Already the voting system is being questioned by Trumpsters. The Postal Service, one of the oldest institutions in the nation, has also drawn the ire of Trump. For the first three years of the Trump administration there was no apparent issue with the mail, but as the election drew closer suddenly the Post Office, like the media, became the “Enemy of the people.”
The Corona Virus is running rampant through nearly every U.S. city and town and, to date, Trump refuses to allow his administration to discuss the virus, or the plan to mitigate its’ spread with the Biden team. Instead Trump is filing lawsuit after lawsuit in an effort to overturn the will of the people. In other words, with absolutely no regard for the democratic process. To Trump and his followers, democracy is only democracy if Trump is leading it. The fact of the matter is they are willing to fight to keep him in power. And this, my friends, is the current state of democracy in America. Albeit while I believe many of us would agree that democracy has definitely been shattered, I think we would all also agree that it has not been totally broken. We, the people, can only hope and pray that with the inauguration of President elect Biden on January 20, 2021 we can begin uniting all Americans. And hopefully, through a more unified front, we can begin the process of building a democratically strong and sound America that will create a much stronger and balanced foundation that will also produce better opportunities and a general sense of wellbeing for us all.
