My politically conservative, life-long Republican mom and I had a conversation last night that I thought I’d share.
Craig: If you could receive a Christmas present in the form of a breakthrough in U.S. politics, what would that be?
Mom: Trump would announce that he’s not running, though I know this is impossible.
Craig: So whom would that leave?
Mom: DeSantis and Haley.
Craig: Well, DeSantis is trailing badly, and one has to assume that his right-wing policies don’t appeal even to the GOP, and would certainly not play well in the context of a general election.
Mom: What about Haley?
Craig: I have to admit that I admired her when she was a Democrat U.S. rep in Hawaii, but then she, perhaps along with her advisors, figured out that she could go further as a Republican. In the blink of an eye, she went from, to take an example, claiming that that abortion was a woman’s right to demanding that it be banned. Maybe she had a personal epiphany on this and a dozen other hot-button subjects, but it seems more likely that she saw this as politically expedient.
I regard this is the same way as I would someone who told me that I could attain enormous power and wealth if were to write a book whose premise is that climate change is a hoax and that fossil fuels are the way of the future. Not going to happen.
I join those who say that the human race has evolved to be tribal and selfish. We are largely indifferent to the needs of others, and the capitalist society we’ve built has only served to reenforce this.
As Tom Waits observed, “We’re monkeys with money and guns.”
Now, are there some extremely decent and kind people spread around the globe? Of course. But they tend not to be the billionaires who make all the important decisions as to the how our culture will conduct itself.
Well, never is a long time, as they say.
Yet imagine this scenario, which is quite possible:
Trump is impeached and removed. Almost immediately, there is an incredible outpouring of information on an additional set of crimes committed by Trump and his administration. Simultaneously, the U.S. morphs into a social democracy, and its people enjoy quality education, access to healthcare, and prosperity, not unlike those in Northern Europe and elsewhere around the globe.
Yes, there will always be Republicans promising mass deportations and whatever else appeals to a dwindling MAGA base, but I would think they will have one hell of a hard time winning a national election.
The GOP can say the American economy is skyrocketing. But then there’s that nasty little piece of reality that people can’t afford groceries and are suffering financially more generally.
Or they can day that people are suffering financially, but it’s Biden’s fault. Oops. Biden left office 588 days ago.
Or they can say that the war in Iran has driven up gas prices, but that will turn immediately because we’ve won the war. Yikes. What can we say about all these bombs?
Or they can say that all the racial hatred and divisiveness is Obama’s fault. No, that’s problematic, since he’s been gone for almost 10 years.
Trump supporters may not be too sharp, but even they are having trouble accepting all this crap.
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