Anarchy in US democracy

It is the democratic system which is weakening, because its citizens have come to believe that its key institutions are not working for them. Could anyone have imagined a ruling party “coup” in America?

About 400,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, with the US contributing around thirty per cent of all cases globally. And the numbers are still rocketing. The health sector in many states is in complete shambles, as coronavirus has pushed it to breaking point and beyond. Then, the American economy is in a mess with agricultural producers pouring milk down the drain, slaughtering livestock and digging crops back into the soil due to lack of demand and the strain put on delivery systems by the pandemic.

On top of all this, we now have the unprecedented spectacle of pro-Trump supporters storming the US Capitol, prompting a lockdown and causing lawmakers to run for cover, fearing for their lives. The Congress is home to both the US Senate and the House of Representatives and one of the most recognizable symbols of American sovereignty, power and decency. The attack on 6^th January represents one of the gravest security lapses in recent U.S. history. As a result, six people are dead. Little wonder that outrage grows over the Trump-inspired mob’s unprecedented assault on all that was sacrosanct in US democracy.

Americans watched – the world watched – in horror as neo-Nazis quickly overcame Capitol security forces and disrupted – for five long hours – what should have been a nominal count of the electoral college votes to confirm President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of November’s election.

Outgoing 45th President Donald Trump, who had earlier urged his supporters to march on the Capitol and repeated his unfounded claims that the election was lost due to voter fraud, urged the thugs in Washington D.C. that day loudly and clearly not to leave quietly but to fight to take the country back. The deaths of six Americans, the assault on the Capitol and the outrage of all sensible spectators across the USA and the world are the result of his selfishness and untruths, told to cling to power in any way he could, in the face of the will of the American people.

After lawmakers on both sides of the aisle publicly urged the outgoing President to speak out forcefully against the chaos caused by his supporters, Trump tweeted a video in which he told supporters to go home but he repeated false claims that the election was stolen. A political crisis in the United States which its citizens had never seen nor expected to see in America has nevertheless rocked the country. As the President of Venezuela said, it was a remarkable day when the US suffered the same chaos at home as it had so often stirred up abroad in trying to overturn a democratically elected government.

Although Congress did eventually manage to conclude proceedings to confirm the election of Joe Biden as the 46th US president, the chaos may not be over yet. It may, indeed, spread to all 50 states.

Some people are even inspired by the anarchic scenes from the US Capitol. Farewell, world order! Dictators, autocrats and military juntas will laugh out loud. What a shame! This is a crisis, but it has not been built just because of the 2020 election, nor solely in Trump's era. This crisis of governance has been brewing for decades. US democracy has been running into serious trouble since 9/11.

Democracy in the United States may not be in mortal danger now due to its strong democratic intuitions, especially its judiciary. If all this had taken place in any other country, it would have spread all over the country and the government would have collapsed. For now, we can assume that it is secure but for how long? I do not like to think there is a crack in it, but there is. Tensions over race are at an all-time high. For the first time in history, national unrest and a long history of racial division have become a threat to American democracy.

In recent years, social media have been blamed for their deleterious effect on American political culture. It is more visible now than ever due to social media that the US is becoming anti-democratic, in the sense that it is suspending civil liberties, failing to hold free elections. Rather, it is the democratic system which is weakening, because its citizens have come to believe that its key institutions are not working for them. Could anyone have imagined a ruling party “coup” in America?

Democracy is not just a question of whether you hold elections or not. Rather, there are a multitude of factors that influence its working, including respect for civil liberties and citizens’ faith in their country’s democratic system. As those things erode, democracies become weaker. American democracy may not be over but it is not functioning the way it should — which should worry world leaders. The current president's ongoing attacks on the rule of law, fact-based journalism, and other principles and norms of democracy threaten further decline. But even for those with whom Trump remains popular, the events last week must mark a turning point!

The United States has been the most successful constitutional republic in history and in the world. The country is an iconic symbol of democracy for many nations. The scary part is this was not a protest; it was a coup against the electoral college and the people’s mandate. If this was a protest, why were people climbing up walls, smashing windows and beating police officers with the American flag?

As the American Constitution says, justice is for all and nobody is beyond its reach. It is time they prove it. Leaders of the movement should be charged and those abetting them dealt with harshly – even the lawmakers themselves. The sad part is it was lawmakers who instigated this insurrection.

The shadow of January 6 will loom over America for a long time to come. Its corrosive impact will remain long after we have a 46^th US President!

The writer is a professor and founder, Southern University & SDG worker. [email protected]

Anarchy in US democracy

It is the democratic system which is weakening, because its citizens have come to believe that its key institutions are not working for them. Could anyone have imagined a ruling party “coup” in America?

About 400,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, with the US contributing around thirty per cent of all cases globally. And the numbers are still rocketing. The health sector in many states is in complete shambles, as coronavirus has pushed it to breaking point and beyond. Then, the American economy is in a mess with agricultural producers pouring milk down the drain, slaughtering livestock and digging cropsback intothe soildue tolackofdemand and the strain put on delivery systems by the pandemic. On top of all this, we now have the unprecedented spectacle of pro-Trump supporters storming the US Capitol, prompting a lockdown and causing lawmakersto run for cover, fearing for their lives.The Congress is home to both the US Senate and the House of Representatives and one of the most recognizable symbols of American sovereignty, power and decency. The attack on 6thJanuary represents one of the gravest security lapses in recent U.S. history. As a result, six people are dead. Little wonder that outrage grows over the Trump-inspired mobs unprecedented assault on all that was sacrosanct in US democracy. Americans watched the world watched in horror as neo-Nazis quickly overcame Capitol security forces and disrupted for five long hours what should have been a nominal count of the electoral college votes to confirm President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of Novembers election. Outgoing 45th President Donald Trump, who had earlier urged his supporters to march on the Capitol and repeated his unfounded claims that the election was lost due to voter fraud, urged the thugs in Washington D.C. that day loudly and clearly not to leave quietly but to fight to take the country back. The deaths of six Americans, the assault on the Capitol and the outrage of all sensible spectators across the USA and the world are the result of his selfishness and untruths, told to cling to power in any way he could, in the face of the will of the American people. After lawmakers on both sides of the aisle publicly urged the outgoing President to speak out forcefully against the chaos caused by his supporters, Trump tweeted a video in which he told supporters to go home but he repeated false claims that the election was stolen. A political crisis in the United States which its citizens had never seen nor expected to see in America has nevertheless rocked the country. As the President of Venezuela said, it was a remarkable day when the US suffered the same chaos at home as it had so often stirred up abroad in trying to overturn a democratically elected government. Although Congress did eventually manage to conclude proceedings to confirm the election of Joe Biden as the 46th US president, the chaos may not be over yet. It may, indeed, spread to all 50 states. Some people are even inspired by the anarchic scenes from the US Capitol. Farewell, world order! Dictators, autocrats and military juntas will laugh out loud. What a shame! This is a crisis, but it has not been built just because of the 2020 election, nor solely in Trumps era. This crisis of governance has been brewing for decades. US democracy has been running into serious trouble since 9/11. Democracy in the United States may not be in mortal danger now due to its strong democratic intuitions, especially its judiciary. If all this had taken place in any other country, it would have spread all over the country and the government would have collapsed. For now, we can assume that it is secure but for how long? I do not like to think there is a crack in it, but there is. Tensions over race are at an all-time high. For the first time in history, national unrest and a long history of racial division have become a threat to American democracy. In recent years, social media have been blamed for their deleterious effect on American political culture. It is more visible now than ever due to social media that the US is becoming anti-democratic, in the sense that it is suspending civil liberties, failing to hold free elections. Rather, it is the democratic system which is weakening, because its citizens have come to believe that its key institutionsare notworking for them. Could anyone have imagined a ruling party coup in America? Democracy is not just a question of whether you hold elections or not. Rather, there area multitudeof factors that influence its working, including respect for civil liberties and citizens faith in their countrys democratic system. As those things erode, democracies become weaker. American democracymay not beover butit isnot functioningthe way itshould whichshould worry world leaders.The current presidents ongoing attacks on the rule of law, fact-based journalism, and other principles and norms of democracy threaten further decline. But even for those with whom Trump remains popular, the events last week must mark a turning point! The United States has been the most successful constitutional republic in history and in the world. The country is an iconic symbol of democracy for many nations. The scary part is this was not a protest; it was a coup against the electoral college and the peoples mandate. If this was a protest, why were people climbing up walls, smashing windows and beating police officers with the American flag? As the American Constitution says, justice is for all and nobody is beyond its reach. It is time they prove it. Leaders of the movement should be charged and those abetting them dealt with harshly even the lawmakers themselves.The sad part is it was lawmakers who instigated this insurrection. The shadow of January 6 will loom over America for a long time to come. Its corrosive impact will remain long after we have a 46thUS President! The writer is a professor and founder, Southern University SDG worker. [email protected]