Whiskey Tango

Over the decades, and actually centuries, we have marked the demise of certain persons who have had significant impact in one way or another on the world in which we live. There was Socrates in 399 BC , Edgar Allan Poe in 1849, John F Kennedy in 1963, Mark Twain in 1910, Bertrand Russell in 1970, Albert Einstein in 1955 and Carl Sagan in 1996. And now, we will mark 2024 as the year that perhaps marks one of the most significant deaths – the death of democracy in the United States. While this may be a bit premature, the seeds have been sown and the proverbial die has been cast.

Sometime back in about 1974, there was an article in the American Educator written by the esteemed scholar and statesman, Daniel Patrick Moynihan. The article was titled  “ Defining Deviancy Down”. Based on several theories in the world of criminology, the article lays out how, after a point, with so much criminal behavior swirling about, the behavior becomes tolerable, even for some, the norm. Can you understand how this is relevant to today and how certain elements of the fringe now have what can be described as permission for their conduct.

Moving forward, Moynihan’s observations continue to be relevant and are picked up by Yale professor, Timothy Snyder who warns, in no uncertain terms, about how movements like the Third Reich took over a country through first manipulation of and then controlling of the messaging throughout the country, all the while stifling any and all resistance to its singular way of thinking. Paired with scapegoating a specific ethnic group for all the country’s ills, the movement grew and grew and, well, the rest is history and the question remains, have we still not learned from it all . In fact, we are facing much the same scenario .

Professor Snyder updates the warnings, particularly regarding the messaging flow, by pointing out the dangers of our wholesale surrendering to social media, whether  the content is based in fact or not.

But, while the eminent Yale professor in plain talk, has presented a warning for us all regarding our politics fate, there is one whose commentary on the politics and governance of this country and its fate, is not only as compelling but reiterates a warning that many have been laying out there for decades, yes, decades. Which segues in to what’s to be, in our opinion, a discussion of what is a primary causal factor contributing to how ew ended top in this ever intensifying state of chaos.

Twelve years ago, retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter was interviewed by Margaret Warner of the PBS News Hour, the focus of the  discussion being his observations on the fate of our democracy. The interview was held at the Capital Center for the Arts in Concord, New Hampshire. The discussion went per usual but then Ms Warner, based on  comments earlier in the discussion, probably asked the Justice what keeps him awake at night. His reply was irrefutable in its compelling scope. He quoted Benjamin Franklin’s admonition about democracy struggling to survive “ too much ignorance” and then proceeded. 

To paraphrase, Justice Souter laid it out. I don’t worry about losing the republic to a foreign invasion, nor to a military coup. He continued .. and I quote here – “ What I worry about is that when problems are not addressed, people will not know who is responsible. And when the problems get bad enough….some one person will come forward and say “ give me total power and I will solve this problem”.  This show the Roman republic fell. This is the way democracy dies and if something is not done to improve the level of civic knowledge, that is what you should worry about at night.

Clearly, the honorable Justice was stating what many have said over the decades. Fear and ignorance will win nearly every election and will precipitate the collapse of the nation.

The MAGA cult has been given its permission slip. That one person has been put in the most powerful position in the world and  the list of possible cohorts to be joined in that power is frightening indeed . As the New York Times post election analysis noted in a two sentence paragraph that summarizes it all,  this was a conquering of a nation not by force but with a permission slip. Now America stands on the precipice of an authoritarian style of governance never before seen in its 248 year history. ( Lisa Lerner, NYT 11/06/2024 ).

A virtual crime family has secured power by capitalizing  on the widespread , mostly unfounded and baseless fears and the likewise  wide spread civic ignorance of the voting body politic.  It has happened,  as it is  and now we, assuming the citizenry will awaken to realize  the value of a democracy, must engage in a war of recovery before the inevitable damage becomes irreparable.