SOTG iii  2020  — A YEAR WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET, THOUGH WE MAY WISH  WE COULD

A number of years ago, when we launched this site, our stated purpose was to offer opinions and observations with the aim of spurring discourse and discussion. Adhering to the adage noted by the venerable societal scholar, Daniel Patrick Moynihan , ( that one is entitled to ones own opinions but not entitled to ones own facts ) we strived to rely on credible sources from both sides of the fence and present an opinion while wrestling with those sourced facts. Some of our offerings were simply observations of events and happenings. Most, however, were and will continue to be political in their focus as we believe that political discourse is essential to  the survival of a republic, especially a representative republic such as ours. We have tried to keep a relatively even keel about it all, though admittedly, our left leanings are evident.  However, we strongly hold that now, in 2020, as we are clearly witness to a totalitarian take over of the republic, it is time to abandon even keel and lay out the reality , partisan though it may be ,  as to  just how far down that road to perdition we have gone and  that a requiem for the republic is near at hand. Over the past four years, it has become evident that what is transpiring inside the beltway has little or nothing to do with governing and all to do with seizing and maintaining  power and securing that power for the foreseeable future. Now we are at that point where a decision must be made.

We are, as they say, where we are. However, be assured, we did not get here in short order. The excursion down this road however did not start in 2015. After a long history of up and down, flirting with varying levels of serve the party corruption and often blatant mismanagement of affairs, one can contend that this excursion began in earnest in 2010. That year we saw the emergence of the Tea Party, the GOP takeover of congress and for obvious reasons and some not so obvious reasons, the complete blockade of the legislative process – a blockade which would extend for a decade.

Congress, and particularly the Senate, became the mechanism by which government, as a process, was brought to a screeching halt. Efforts to see recovery from one, if not the greatest economic collapse to date since the Great Depression, were significantly and purposefully slowed and the drive to fulfill the promise of a one term presidency was underway. Over the next several years, we were victimized by a government shut down, constant battles over health care and near gear grinding slow down to any legislation being passed in either house. It was a mess, to say the very least. However, the worst – the unbelievable worst was yet to come. Enter Donald J Trump .  The consummate con man, put in to office through an highly questionable election, abetted by an archaic electoral college system and documented interference from Russia,  gaslighted the country in to normalizing what can only be described as severely aberrant behavior with the single purpose of enhancing his own family wealth. Governing, if you can call it that, is in the style of a well oiled crime family and we have seen the continuing deterioration of government as we know it, near to the point of extinction. The mantra of one Steve Bannon , that being the “ deconstruction of the administrative state” became the closed door agenda and the process began in earnest.

We have seen an unbridled plague of corruption  of historical proportion and total contempt for the rule of law, the precepts under the constitution and the protocols of government. The evidence is clear that the White House had fallen to a level of corruption unseen in modern history. Even the infamous Tea Pot Dome scandals of the twenties and the WaterGate scandal of the seventies  pales by comparison. While the campaign mantra was to “ drain the swamp”, it is clear that the swamp has not only not been drained, in actuality it has deepened and the stench of corruption has intensified beyond tolerance. With brazen contempt for not only the protocols of government but also for the rule of law, this regime has taken kleptocracy to new heights. Paired with the occupant’s own particular brand of extreme bigotry, the arrogant display of disdain for constitutional mandates, a domestic policy agenda which focuses on deregulating all the protections for the everyday consumer, the appalling display of fawning over some of the worst dictators in the world while denigrating our own intelligence services,  all have rendered the Office completely compromised possibly beyond repair

While  continually demeaning the press as the “ enemy of the people”, its mocking of handicapped persons, and the constant  spewing of complete fabrications , outlandish conspiracy theories and outright lies, this regime continued to violate the principles of separation of powers. It has failed miserably in a calculated manner in understanding that members of the cabinet do not work for the individual occupant of the oval office but rather they work for the people and particularly the people for whom their departments provide services. Their charter is to enhance and responsibly  manage their departments, not to dismantle them. Now, as the electorate failed to do its due diligence and make itself  aware of the long long history of corruption and criminal activity of the trump family before the election,  sure as the sun rises, they should know it now. The regime – one has to refuse to call it an administration – and its complete lack of planning and leadership during the Covid-19 Pandemic – where upward of 200,000 people have died – should be sufficient and final testimony of its failure.

Then, though, the question must be asked. How does one man and his family, albeit with the assistance of hand picked cabinet members, manage to avoid criminal prosecution – for indeed  it is warranted -and have no accountability for his  and their actions ?  And so, we return to the halls of congress, and specifically the Senate. It is not just about Trump and company. It is about the GOP, its long standing agenda and its obsession with power.  As noted earlier, no longer is the agenda about governing but rather about power. Case in point. At the close of the fiscal year, there were approximately two hundred and fifty pieces of legislation which had passed the House which remained on the desk of Senate Leader Mitch McConnell – better know as Moscow Mitch – including a bill which would have continued relief to individuals and small businesses in need caused by the economic collapse in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The only thing that moved through the senate were the weekly confirmations of federal judges, all packing in to the federal district and federal appeals courts throughout the country. It seems that selected members of the senate and occupants of the White House are determined to have friendly faces on the bench when they face criminal action after leaving office.

And so we, as a nation are faced with a dilemma of gargantuan proportions with the consequences of the choice made being nothing short of either vital or fatal.

On the one hand, do we as a nation continue to stand by and bear witness to the complete and utter destruction of our republic and the “American Experiment”, flawed though it may be ?  Can we as a nation continue on this road to perdition until we meet our ultimate demise ? Do we allow the dregs of the worst elements in our society to become our hallmark on the world stage ? Do we allow the current tsunami of fear and ignorance packaged in  a cult mentality render rational behavior irrelevant ?

Or, on the other hand, do we take a stand for real government, decency and community and return to what the late John McCain called “Regular Order”. Do we take a stand and raise a collective voice against corruption and deceit rampant throughout our system of government ? Do we abandon the apathy and the ignorance and demand transparency and accountability on all levels of government ?  Do we finally begin to support civic education and the fact checking of all public officials ? And most important now, do we turn the voter turn out from  twenty-five per cent in 2018 to upward of ninety per cent in 2020.

Yes, the fate of the American Experiment is on the ballot, along with integrity and accountability in government. IT is time to take a stand or hear those eerie words of Giuseppe Verdi – DIES IRAE !