Wakeup call

The disconnect is hard for us outside the US to swallow even as many of us understand the process that got us here. There is huge dissatisfaction among the people who have been manipulated by both parties and are now sharpening their pitchforks readying for the revolt.

While the GOP was working on their strawman culture war strategy, the Dems had been counting on the belief that failed ideas inherent in Neoliberalism would save them. Free trade policies which go back to the early 1990's were to save America but instead only lined the pockets of a tiny group while the rest were left with job insecurity and increasing costs. Bailing out huge greedy corporations during the 2008 crisis only made the problem worse.

In that sense, Trumpism is the inevitable result of the same things we saw in Spain, Italy and Germany in the 1930's. People who were losing ground became willing disciples of autocracy because they were so desperate for someone to save them. As witnessed by the interviews I have seen, people today don't understand what got them here any better than those in the early 20th century but they are looking for satisfaction and need someone to pin the blame on. In that sense they can be easily manipulated.

If Trump wins in November it will be a far scarier world than if Biden does. However even if the Dems squeak out a victory, the core problems will still need addressing because the country is living the inevitable consequences of late stage capitalism which is sinking them.

The only saving grace will be to bring some semblance of fairness and balance back. But in this environment of divisiveness and hatred I fear that only a collapse will bring the wakeup call that is needed.