Hi Everyone!
I'm writing this post well before the election that will have happened a week ago because I want to be honest about my thoughts regardless of who wins. I think, I hope, that all the results have been tallied by now, and that the winner has been decided. I further hope that there were no shenanigans that have cast doubt as to the validity of the election. But, somehow, I find it difficult to have much confidence that last will be achieved. Still, I'd like to share my thoughts and fears regarding the outcome for a win by each of the candidates.
The short version is, I really don't have much hope regarding the future of this country. Regardless of how the election goes, I think we're pretty much fucked. If Trump wins, he'll do his best to end our democracy. The problem is, I think Biden will do the same if he wins, and he won't even face any opposition while he does it.
I know many people think Trump is a far worse danger than Biden. I don't agree. Every door that Trump is walking through was opened by neoliberal corporatists like Biden. And often by Biden, himself. I don't really think Trump is doing anything but taking the next logical step. The only real difference is that when Trump attacks our freedoms and works to erode the foundations of our system of government, the mainstream media reports on it. When Obama and Clinton and even the Bushs did the same thing, there was silence from journalists.
And I think the notion that protests will continue if Biden is elected is fanciful. Some protesting will continue, but not much. If you ask people why they're willing to vote for Biden, a lot of them will tell you that it's because they don't want to have to keep fighting. Biden being elected will give a lot of people the excuse they need to go back to their sofas and go back to sleep. So there really won't be much pressure on Biden to do the right thing.
As for considerations like the courts, I honestly think Biden will do even more damage than Trump. Biden loves to give Republicans everything they want, so I have no doubt his judicial nominations will be just as bad if not worse than Trump's. And because they will come from Biden, there won't be much scrutiny from the media, and there will be no push-back whatsoever from Democrats in the Senate.
I also think it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Biden will escalate tensions with Putin and with China and likely get us into more endless wars. He won't do anything to address anthropogenic climate change, and will likely make things worse by giving the continued deregulation of fossil fuel companies a "bipartisan" figleaf. I don't think there's any doubt at all that the rampant corruption and selling of our government to private interests at the expense of the American people will continue and expand under Biden. And I don't even think he will protect women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, or the rights of Black people and other people of color because to do so would be "divisive" and he doesn't want Republicans to criticize him.
So, I see no upside to a Biden election, at all, but Trump is still a monster. So, regardless of what happened last week, I think this country is in for a really dark time.
So, yeah, I'm pretty pessimistic about the future of this country, but I think it's important to acknowledge the truth of the situation. I think the only possible hope is to build so much momentum for progressive third-parties during this election cycle that they will have to be taken into account in both midterms and four years from now by the major parties. Building a true party of the left is the only way we'll get the changes we need, and that's where I'm focusing my energy and time. Hopefully, we'll get those changes before it's too late, if it isn't already. It's a longshot, but it's the only shot we have, so I'm going to take it. And I hope I won't be the only one.
Peace!
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