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Wafers-

Well, that last thread had a lot of good discussion in it. Now, we can continue our analysis of the theater of the absurd, i.e. American politics. The nation is broken in two, and each part refuses to recognize the presidency of the other part. More than 70 million people, apparently, regarded Obama as illegitimate--the whole "birther" business fomented by Trumpaloni. So when the latter squeaked through on razor-edge margins in 2016, he was never given a chance by the other 70+ million Americans. Granted, he is an awful human being--perhaps one of the most awful in the history of humanity--but he was legitimately elected, and from Day 1 the Dems went to work to discredit that election: impeachment, plus daily attacks in the press (items normally reserved for the editorial page were now on the front page--opinion as "news"). Of course, Trumpi did himself in with his botching of the covid crisis, and his callousness toward George Floyd and black people in general; but nevertheless, the Dems took their gloves off and went for the jugular. In that sense, although his claims of voter fraud this election are completely farcical, I can sympathize with the poor douche bag: of course he wants to instil in the public mind, his base in particular, that this election got stolen. Joe Biden's call for unity sounds heartwarming, but the reality is that again, 70 million Americans will regard his presidency as illegitimate. Sure, it would be great if he can get a handle on the virus, on climate change, and on racism; but the bottom line is that the country is a broken political entity, like Humpty Dumpty, and I can't see the king's horses or men being able to put it together again.

Of course, from a declinist point of view, it's just as well. I've suggested before that the American empire can collapse via a number of different scenarios, and fascism was certainly one route. If we have now averted that, there is a more likely scenario on deck: we just tear ourselves apart, and continue to do so until secession becomes the obvious solution. Whether that will generate a better world than the one we have now is anyone's guess, but what I do predict is that the world will regard America with pity--as politically irrelevant. I think it was David Susskind who once remarked (rather unkindly) that Canada was "a large, snow-covered land limping toward anonymity." Leaving the snow aside, that might be more our fate than Canada's.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to this new thread.

-mb