Friday, September 25, 2020

A Violent Holocaust

 


This week, early voting began in the American presidential election. Frank Bruni writes:

Trump supporters descended on a polling location in Fairfax, Va., and sought to disrupt early voting there by forming a line that voters had to circumvent and chanting, “Four more years!”

This was no rogue group. This was no random occurrence. This was an omen — and a harrowing one at that.

Republicans are planning to have tens of thousands of volunteers fan out to voting places in key states, ostensibly to guard against fraud but effectively to create a climate of menace. Trump has not just blessed but encouraged this. On Fox News last month, he bragged to Sean Hannity about all the “sheriffs” and “law enforcement” who would monitor the polls on his behalf. At a rally in North Carolina, he told supporters: “Be poll watchers when you go there. Watch all the thieving and stealing and robbing they do.”

It's going to be a helluva election. Bruni asks:

Is a fair fight still imaginable in America? Do rules and standards of decency still apply? For a metastasizing segment of the population, no.

Right on cue, we commenced a fight over Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat that could become a protracted death match, with Mitch McConnell’s haste and unabashed hypocrisy potentially answered by court packing, among other acts of vengeance, if Democrats win the presidency and the Senate.

That’s a big if, because we’re also hurtling toward an Election Day that may decide exactly nothing — and I don’t mean that night. I mean for months. I mean forever.

It looks to me that the United States is on the verge of a violent holocaust. I hope I'm wrong.

Image: The New York Times

8 comments:

The Disaffected Lib said...

I checked and, sure enough, this sort of voter intimidation is a criminal offence in the US punishable by a fine and up to a year in jail.

https://codes.findlaw.com/us/title-18-crimes-and-criminal-procedure/18-usc-sect-594.html

So why is no one calling the cops?

Owen Gray said...

It appears that when the attorney general is your defence lawyer, Mound, many statutes simply aren't enforced.

Anonymous said...

A wave to all ... we are still all in this together.

But, it occurs to me this is the perfect metaphor for "The Donald's" presidency:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZUJLO6lMhI

It's prescient if the Republicans invalid him out of the White House at at some point?

j a m e s

The Disaffected Lib said...

Yes, I suppose when the White House functions as a de facto criminal enterprise laws are 'flexible.'

Owen Gray said...

I suspect that -- like the bricklayer -- they'll be left hanging, james.

Owen Gray said...

When I was growing up in Montreal, Mound, we used to say that any traffic sign was merely a suggestion.

Anonymous said...

"we used to say that any traffic sign was merely a suggestion"

Don't forget the other part Owen: "turn signals are a sign of weakness"

Oddly pertinent somehow . . . Governments seem to think the choices that voters make through elections are only possible suggestions, and they have no responsibility to inform people of their intentions before slamming down new laws or tearing up old ones

Owen Gray said...

Point well taken, Anon. Please initial your next comment.