History in the Making
Jan. 6th, 2021 11:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ndrosenI am old enough to remember Watergate. In particular, I remember the local newspaper urging its readers to pay attention to history in the making, and my own parents telling me much the same.
Richard Nixon had his faults, but it must be said for him that he did not praise and incite neo-Nazis and related scum until they stormed the Capitol. Dishonest Donald has now failed that test of minimal civic virtue and respect for his country’s Constitution and institutions. Even though the grifter in chief did not directly incite this attempt to assault the seat of government, prevent Congress from carrying out its functions, and intimidate or hang Congressmen, he cannot escape responsibility; his encouragement of thuggery, false claims of massive ballot fraud, and refusal to concede an election which he had clearly lost led to the attempted coup the world saw today.
I fear future problems: Even with Trump himself out of office and quite possibly in prison, it is likely that millions of Americans will continue living in a delusional belief system, treating the scoundrel as a hero and a victim of a Deep State conspiracy, and that some of them will commit acts of terrorism and sedition. They may not be enough to govern — the Republican Party may be left shrunken and disgraced — but they will make trouble, and likely be numerous enough to prevent an anti-Trumpist reformed GOP from winning without their support. Who, then, will prevent the Democrats from implementing their policies, to which, as a classical liberal, I have considerable objection?
In some sense, Trump may not be capable of being other than what he is; his habits are too deeply set, and his intelligence too low. But what will history say of the Cruzes and Hawleys, who are intelligent and mentally functional enough to be culpable?
Richard Nixon had his faults, but it must be said for him that he did not praise and incite neo-Nazis and related scum until they stormed the Capitol. Dishonest Donald has now failed that test of minimal civic virtue and respect for his country’s Constitution and institutions. Even though the grifter in chief did not directly incite this attempt to assault the seat of government, prevent Congress from carrying out its functions, and intimidate or hang Congressmen, he cannot escape responsibility; his encouragement of thuggery, false claims of massive ballot fraud, and refusal to concede an election which he had clearly lost led to the attempted coup the world saw today.
I fear future problems: Even with Trump himself out of office and quite possibly in prison, it is likely that millions of Americans will continue living in a delusional belief system, treating the scoundrel as a hero and a victim of a Deep State conspiracy, and that some of them will commit acts of terrorism and sedition. They may not be enough to govern — the Republican Party may be left shrunken and disgraced — but they will make trouble, and likely be numerous enough to prevent an anti-Trumpist reformed GOP from winning without their support. Who, then, will prevent the Democrats from implementing their policies, to which, as a classical liberal, I have considerable objection?
In some sense, Trump may not be capable of being other than what he is; his habits are too deeply set, and his intelligence too low. But what will history say of the Cruzes and Hawleys, who are intelligent and mentally functional enough to be culpable?
