As Senators like John McCain, Bob Corker and Jeff Flake have distanced themselves from Donald Trump, some progressives have speculated that Trump may be gone sometime after 2018. But William Anderson writes that their rejoicing is premature:
The possibility of a Republican overthrow of Trump has been considered, even from within his inner circle. Vanity Fair recently reported that months ago, former Trump strategist Steve Bannon warned Trump "the risk to his presidency wasn't impeachment, but the 25th Amendment -- the provision by which a majority of the Cabinet can vote to remove the president." In addition to this, a source told Vanity Fair's Gabriel Sherman, "Bannon has told people he thinks Trump has only a 30 percent chance of making it the full term."
However, we cannot simply rejoice at such possibilities. If one thing is certain, it's that with or without Donald Trump as president, we'll still have to contend with white supremacy and its supporters, who elected this president in the first place. Moreover, we will still have to contend with the violence of capitalism. The forces that pushed Donald Trump to the forefront of the US empire are intrinsic to the US project, and they will not go away with him, should he be cast out. If something happens that removes this president from office, it will be no shock to see those who once praised and used him quickly separating themselves from his name and administration. He may well be tossed asunder as the president "everyone" despised. Yet the millions of people who elected him will still be working, living and voting again, based on the same principles that motivated them to vote for Trump.
Trump's people may be a minority. But, thanks to the Electoral College, they are an influential minority:
Presidents are powerful, but more powerful than them are capitalism's controllers, working in the background, directing for their interests. White supremacy, too, is a grounding undercurrent of this country's history and present-day functioning. If the Trump presidency concludes, we will still be faced with a powerful system of oppressions. Until we confront the systems that enabled Donald Trump's rise to power, we'll always be at risk of seeing someone like him empowered again.
Put simply, there could be another Trump -- a smarter version of the same. Trump is a nasty piece of work. But the real problem is the nasty folks behind him.
Image: wsj.com
12 comments:
Hi Owen, its slightly off topic but still on the money. The nasty folks peddle lies and half truths to fill their own coffers. The followers are useful idiots.
There are two examples of truth in this world when it comes to finanacial security for senior citizens. There may be more but these are clear cut. Norway and Canada.
It did not have to be this way. If we had continued with fifties style pensions everyone who retires would be well off. Now if you dont work for the goverment or are rich your screwed.
https://www.thestar.com/business/2017/11/17/canada-pension-plan-is-safe-for-generations-says-ceo-of-investment-board.html
The other element worthy of consideration here is the Democratic Party, Owen. If they are willing to risk it all on a reinvention of themselves by promoting a candidate with fresh ideas and boldness instead of hewing to the status quo, they might just find that the reactionaries are not as powerful as everyone thinks. The Americans need a visionary; unless he or she leads a renewed pary, everything Anderson says in the article will likely turn out to be too true.
The Norwegians didn't buy into neo-liberalism the way the English speaking democracies did, Steve. Perhaps they remembered something about human nature which we forgot.
Franklin Roosevelt was a wealthy man who understood the struggles ordinary folks faced, Lorne. Perhaps polio shaped his vision. The Americans need a leader who understands struggle and deprivation. At the moment, I don't anybody like that on the horizon.
Owen the big headline in my comment is that the CCP is the envy of the world, and we are going to enjoy it. Even Harper did not get a chance to mess with it.
I just re-read Lorne's comment, substituting Liberal Party for Democratic Party.
It's well managed and it works, Steve.
I listened to IDEAS on CBC Radio last night, Mound. Robert Reich was delivering a lecture at UBC. He said that the Democratic Party had to cease being a fund raising machine and become a democratic movement -- with a small d. Ditto for the Liberals.
Money politics is not democracy. For example you have the Casino Billionaire Sheldon creating a vote where the people of Texas do not get money if they believe as Jimmy Carter said Israel is an a apartheid state. I am of two minds about this but one is certain, you can not have
a country thousands of miles away deciding your local democracy.
I believe electoral reform is the way to combat deep pockets.
And the first plank in electoral reform is getting big money out of politics, Steve.
We might learn from the Nordic-model that it isn't useful to await or even expect the emergence of a person who will deliver us from our collective stupidity. It's been too long in the making, rationalized by so much instant revisionism and mythologizing. It's practically an institution. For some, a Trump, a Bernie, a Reagan or even a Justin will endure in that role despite whatever outcome. Anyway, I don't think we'd have the aggregate cognitive wherewithal to recognize the real thing if there were one. I realize that my attitude is lacking in regard for vibrancy and dynamism, but I'll continue to beware of emotional connections to those who want the job and look to the less stupid among my neighbours for inspiration.
We live in a culture that mistakes celebrity for leadership, John. On that score, Trump is Exhibit A. It's never been easy to find The Real Thing -- despite what the commercial tells us.
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