There’s a lot to be afraid of for America. Consider:
Inflation is plenty bad enough already, but will it get worse, how long will it last, and , will it be followed by recession? That combination could wipe out the savings and optimism of middle and poor Americans.
Will the war in Ukraine ultimately escalate and involve the United States directly? Looks like it is going to continue a long time. The so-called sanctions don’t seem to be having much effect on Russia and Putin. Is Putin willing to lose? Are the Ukrainians? Will we send troops, or will there be nukes? My God, are we really actually talking about a possible war with Russia?
Will the gun violence continue in schools, on the streets, in other places that should be safe? (Like a 4th of July parade!) A small positive step at gun safety regulation has been taken, but (a) there are tons of guns still out there, including assault rifles; (b) the small step isn’t really enough, and (c) there are unlikely to be any more steps. Now concealed carry is allowed! Is it the Wild West?
Is the Covid-19 pandemic really on its last legs? A lot of people are still not vaccinated, so that allows new variants to keep appearing. Maybe one of them . . .?
Immigration, the illegal kind, is rampant on the Southern border. Over 200,000 came in in April alone. More each month. It’s a totally broken system and no-one ever does anything to fix it. Moreover, many are still being kept out by Title 42 — a Trump thing which will no doubt soon be cancelled by Biden. Title 42 allows the government to turn away immigrants at the Mexican-U.S. border, including those seeking asylum, as a way to prevent spread of Covid. When Title 42 is cancelled, the situation just gets worse, maybe much worse.
We want and need a working system of legal immigration, and a way to stop illegal immigration, but what we have is neither; it is just chaos.
Mitt Romney has expressed a fear that America is in denial. Writing in the Atlantic (America is in Denial, July 2022) he says “When entire countries fail to confront serious challenges, it doesn’t end well. During the past half century, we Americans have lived in a very forgiving time, and seeing the world through rose-colored glasses had limited consequences. The climate was stable, our economy dwarfed the competition, democracy was on the rise, and our military strength made the U.S. the sole global hyperpower. Today, every one of those things has changed. If we continue to ignore the real threats we face, America will inevitably suffer serious consequences
Another fear is that our political system has become so dysfunctional that we have no way to solve problems. Extremists on both sides prevent anything good from happening. The Republicans have their Trumpers and the Democrats have their Progressives. There’s no patriotism, just a desperate desire to satisfy the base that elected them, and to get re-elected.
All of the above are concerning, and I haven’t even mentioned the looming abortion turmoil, the changing climate, race relations, and the evil influence of social media. However, there is an additional big fear that terrifies me and should terrify all of us:
Will we still be a democracy after the 2024 election?
It’s not an idle question. Think about it:
Whoever becomes the Republican nominee doesn’t really matter. It’ll be Trump or one of that crowd of radicals who have supported Trump and are inspired by him, who deny the 2020 election, and lack for brains and character. And Trump will still be the leader, setting the tone, and spewing his lies. They have a propaganda machine going that reminds me of the George Orwell book, 1984, where the Ministry of Truth kept the population in line with lies.
The Republican National Committee has put out a list of potential nominees which includes Trump, of course, but also the likes of Ted Cruz, Ron DeSantis, Rand Paul, Tom Cotton, etc., etc., etc. A surprising (to me) name on the RNC list is Donald Trump, Junior. How’s that for something to fear?
Even scarier, though, is that there is a campaign in progress to get Election Deniers into positions of power in the election mechanisms of many States, especially the so-called “battleground” States. The most notable of those are Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Enough Electoral College votes there to determine most elections. The Republicans are working hard and effectively at this; they are likely to have people in control of the Electoral College in a number of key states, people who think the last election was stolen.
I fear some Republican autocrat (e.g., Trump) may win the next election by appealing to fear of Progressives and cultural change. Remember that Hitler was elected in a plebiscite in 1934 in which fear of Communism gave Hitler a 90 percent majority. It was Germany’s last real election until after World War II.
Speaking of the Electoral College, there is another major fear for America. The Electoral Count Act of 1887 is a confusing mess that almost enabled Trump and his crew to change the last election. The Act is a federal law adding to procedures set out in the Constitution for the counting of electoral votes. It is rife with confusion, vulnerable to delaying tactics, and may even allow the Vice-President to decide who wins. It has to be fixed or the next election is subject to all kinds of manipulation, though the Republicans would never allow Kamala Harris to decide.
At least two groups are working in the Senate to come up with a fix to the 1887 Act. Democrats Amy Klobuchar and Dick Durbin have a work-in-progress, and so does a bipartisan group of sixteen Senators led by Susan Collins of Maine and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The trouble is the Democrat group, under the influence of Progressives, wants to expand the new bill to include things like voting rights that are not relevant to the Electoral Count. This kind of shenanigan may well prevent any bill they propose from passing. The bipartisan group wants to keep the bill properly focused on just one issue so their bill might make it through – except that many Republicans oppose any change. They like the old 1887 Act just the way it is.
If this Act isn’t reformed, and it very well might not be, then the next election is likely to be an unholy mess.
Just Sayin.’
John R. Dixon 