Donald Trump is no stranger to outrageous public poses and statements, but his refusal to condemn white supremacists post-Charlottesville has apparently struck a nerve. Has he crossed some sort of new line? Here are some dark, speculative thoughts about the events of the past few days.
I believe Trump’s impeachment is an option that political and financial elites are holding in reserve. They appreciate the vehicle that has brought the hard right to power, but they are ready to remove it if it no longer serves their purposes. It’s not clear whether there is evidence sufficient to impeach him today, but there almost certainly will be in the coming months, especially as his finances are exposed. I am not claiming that impeachment is a certainty, only that less hormonally imbalanced elites want it to be available should they need it.
The problem is that something like a third of the country supports Trump, most of them passionately. His base will regard an impeachment as a final, decisive battle for American freedom, the fulfillment of all their most paranoid suspicions about the evil forces arrayed against them. And quite a few of them are armed.
The nightmare scenario is an impeachment process setting off mass violence in the streets—a civil war. Trump can be forgiven climate denialism, nuclear sabre-rattling and various other sins, but he can’t be allowed to encourage the formation of loyal paramilitary band of supporters, a praetorian guard of street thugs. Hence the uproar over Charlottesville by plutocrats and Republicans who have swallowed equally contemptible posturings in the past.
Correction: Trump DID condemn white supremacists. It is just that he "tempered" his condemnation with a two-day delay and a false equivalency with the "other side" who "didn't even have a permit."
ReplyDeleteThe evangelical Christians are key here. Currently those on Trump's council are sticking it out, trying to have it both ways by decrying hate and at the same time winking at Trump's duplicity. Come Sunday there's going to be a lot of talk about what would Jesus do and this might tip the scales.
ReplyDelete& I hear there is an eclipse of the sun coming Monday.
Have there been any new polls taken since Tuesday's afternoon statements by Trump? I would be very interested to see them and what they say about Trump's support. I refuse to believe that there are something like one third of Americans who could be described as hard core Trump supporters. Maybe ten percent are hard core racists or nationalists or gun nuts. We really aren't that bad a 'people' here in the US. There won't be any revolution when he gets impeached or resigns more likely.
ReplyDeleteJB: I truly, truly hope you're right.
ReplyDeleteYeah, me too...
ReplyDeleteIt is one thing to exercise violence against essentially unarmed people in a street brawl when one carries firearms, another thing is to grab those firearms and confront a fully armed military or even a police force.
ReplyDeletePeople have done that. The jihadists are currently confronting the might of the US military. The question is: Would an eventual "loyal paramilitary band of supporters" or a "praetorian guard of street thugs" be as resolute and fanatical as the jihadists?
Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I'd have to see that to believe it. But that's me.
Isn't that cute. The commies are all in a tiffy because the High Priest is not willing to cast an anathema on their enemies.
ReplyDelete