Turning Points in History
It’s election day here in the US of A. Every election there are some people who say this election is the most important election. They call it a turning point in history. To some extent, they’re right. Every decision, much less every election, is a turning point. Some matter more than others though.
The election of Barack Obama was a turning point. It proved two things about America; that a technical majority of us are ready to move beyond racial prejudice and have no issue with a black president. And it also showed that a very vocal and very substantial minority really, really are not ready for that. So much so that everything that’s happened since then, Trump, Tea-party, etc are a direct result of that. President Obama was the galvanizing turning point that brought the racists out in force.
Is President Trump the same thing? Is what’s happened since the 2016 election enough of a turning point for those of us who are not assholes to turn the tide of this country back to sanity? Are we ready and capable of avoiding the sharp decline into fascism?
A few months ago I was convinced this election was going to be a make or break election. That Mueller would release a final report sometime in August/September that spelled out what Trump is actually culpable for. Then, Congress would ignore it, proving those in power can get away with anything now. This election would then be about whether this system works and can they can be voted out of office or the only options left had to come out of the revolutionary category.
Mueller never released a report. So there’s no decision that’s quite so dramatic. However, the choice before us is no less important.
While Congress has not proven one way or the other if they are ready to stand up to fascism, they have strongly hinted that they aren’t. The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, despite the credible allegations against him receiving no real investigation and despite his clearly partisan rant, shows that Republicans in the Senate put party before country. The only reason to vote for Kavanaugh after that display, without taking the time to do a proper investigation at least, is purely political.
Further, they have shown their open disdain for civility. They are a party of bullies and misogynists. They are the party of the billionaire class who care nothing for the fates of regular people. Their loyalty is to themselves and themselves alone.
I am not a Democrat. Many of the problems that the Republicans have, the Democrats share, particularly in relation to catering to the wealthy. But in our winner-take-all system, it’s a binary choice. Despite not calling myself a Democrat, I have no problem voting for them. While they don’t align with my personal beliefs perfectly and I have some major reservations with them, those reservations pale in comparison to my reservations with Republicans. Plus efforts are underway to transform the Democratic party and the first signs of it are manifesting this election with Ocasio-Cortez and the growing popularity of democratic socialism.
Normally I am fairly optimistic that things, in time, will improve. I have faith in humanity overall. However, that’s more of a long-term vision. I am not confident that much of anything will change with this election.
A good friend of mine is kind of my canary. He’s not super political, he rarely brings up topics and is generally a reasonable person to talk too. He’s also the complete opposite of Trump-style Republican; caring, considerate, a good person. Unfortunately, he’s decided he’s given his loyalty to the Republicans and that’s that. We talked about the Kavanaugh situation and he was so stubborn in hearing anything against the man. I don’t know if he truly bought into the Fox News spin about him or he was clinging to it because he wasn’t ready to consider that maybe his faith in the Republicans had been betrayed. That they aren’t the good guys he needs them to be.
As long as people like him are committed to the Republicans I don’t know how much of a chance we have in turning the tide. The Nazi’s rose to power and stayed in power because good people did nothing. We’re not quite to Nazi levels yet but the groundwork has been laid. This election is a chance to stop it. Hopefully not the last, but definitely one of the last.
So you could say I’m not hopeful about today’s outcomes. But I haven’t given up yet either. I’m voting. I’m talking to people. Do the same. Go vote. Show Republicans that party over country won’t stand. Show them that misogyny is unacceptable. Show them that we will no longer stand by and tolerate this reprehensible behavior. Show them that the USA isn’t going to be brought down so easily. Democracy can still work!
