We live in parallel universes.
Our society is not simply fragmented. The cleavage runs much deeper. We are polarized.
It is not simply a Trump world versus a Never Trump world. Vaccinated versus Never Vaxxers. Science and climate change believers versus science and climate change deniers. Those who see January 6, 2021, as an insurrection against our government versus those who see it as an expression of citizens who have lost confidence in the integrity of the electoral process.
The damage to our American experiment has many wondering how, or if, we will have enough reserve to survive a close election in 2022 and especially in 2024.
The playbook for dismantling our democratic republic form of government is being written chapter by chapter by the Republican Party.
By not agreeing to meet with The House select committee investigating January 6, even under threat of being cited with contempt, Representative Jim Jordan and other Trump acolytes set a dangerous precedent. Should the GOP regain control of Congress, will Democrats—elected or administration officials—feel any obligation to appear when subpoenaed? Hardly.
Republicans have threatened to hold hearing after hearing challenging the Biden administration, reminiscent of what they did investigating Hillary Clinton’s role as secretary of state in the deaths of four State Department staffers in Benghazi. But will they get any cooperation from Democrats after Republicans have pulverized Congress’ traditional power of oversight? Doubtful.
There can be little doubt a Republican House will vote to impeach Joe Biden. Doesn’t matter on what charge. Even a trumped up charge will earn Biden an impeachment.
Barring a shocking takeover of the Senate by more than 66 Republicans, conviction will not happen. But the injury to America’s reputation will be devastating.
Speaking of the Senate, if Mitch McConnell has less than a filibuster-proof majority, bet on him changing Senate rules to enable a simple majority of senators to pass legislation. Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema may have had scruples about upholding Senate tradition. McConnell thinks only about consolidating his power.
Democrats, Independents and true—not Trump—Republicans have it in their power to save our republic. How? By stop being complacent. They must vote in droves for candidates who believe the 2020 election was legitimate and that Biden won the presidency. That applies to federal, state and local elections.
The New York Times reported Sunday that “a national survey led by Robert Pape, the director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats at the University of Chicago, concluded that about 47 million American adults, or one in every five, agreed with the statement that ‘the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump and Joe Biden is an illegitimate president’” (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/23/us/jan-6-attendees.html?smid=em-share).
Keep in mind, 81.3 million voted for Biden in 2020, of which 31.9 million were in 15 key battleground states. More than enough to reject that Big Lie.
Last Thursday, January 20, was the 70th commemoration of the Wannsee Conference outside Berlin wherein 15 members of the Nazi regime plotted the Final Solution, the annihilation of Jewry throughout Europe. “Conspiracy,” a film re-enactment based on actual minutes of the meeting, is a chilling depiction of the proceedings.
In his review of the 2001 film, James Rampton in The Independent wrote, “Frank Pierson’s film underscores only too well the old maxim that evil prospers when good men do nothing.”