It is 2024. Election year. And I will admit to dreading this particular election year for a long time. Probably since the very end of the 2020 election, in fact. And especially after January 6th. Because frankly, I felt this one coming for a long time. As I understand it, I'm not the only one. Many people seemed to expect a Biden-Trump rematch, including Bill Maher, who voiced one of my own fears: that this election might usher in a very explosive situation, particularly on January 20, 2025, when two people - and all of their supporters - converge on Washington, each side believing themselves to have won the election, and determined to see their candidate sworn in.
Perhaps even worse, seeing Trump win outright. Because this country simply does not seem to be politically mature. And we seem absolutely determined to repeat our mistakes. Not just one or twice, but over and over and over again.
Not sure about this particular Op/Ed piece. Yet, it feels like this year, nothing short of democracy itself is on the line. Trump, and many (although not necessarily all) of his loyal supporters seem ready to drop any pretense of being fans of democracy, or of even being bound by laws. And yet, I am not a firm believer that Biden and the Democratic party are actually all that much better. After all, there were a lot of abuses of power by each of the last three Democratic administrations: Clinton, Obama, and Biden. Yet so paranoid of the "other" have mainstream Democrats become, that they consistently turn a blind eye to these abuses, and give "their" guy a free pass. Both the Democrats and Republicans seem to be guilty of this.
And the state of our democracy - and our country more generally - suffers as a result. Now personally, I admittedly seem to have grown more cynical with age. It seems to me now that things inevitably need to get worse - perhaps considerably worse - before things actually begin to really get better in this country. So we shall see what happens. Even if my own worst fears regarding this election are not realizing - God willing - it still seems to me that we will continue to be in a sorry, compromised state as a nation. Not sure what it will take for Americans to wake up and put an end to this consistent state of deterioration - a deterioration which, it seems to me, has been happening likely since November of 1963 - but I admittedly do not hold out much hope that we collectively possess the wisdom to avert some kind of disaster.
Let's hope that I am wrong.
In any case, take a look at this link below and see if you agree or not.
Believe in democracy? Then, I’ve got some bad news for you. | Opinion by Star-Ledger Guest Columnis | Opinion Updated: Feb. 04, 2024:
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2024/02/believe-in-democracy-then-ive-got-some-bad-news-for-you-opinion.html?utm_term=NJ.com++-+Conversions_nj_paid&utm_medium=social&utm_source=fb&utm_campaign=01.02.03.04.05.06.07.08.09.10.11.12.2024+SNDX+DNA+Advance+Local++-+Conversion+-+MLIVE+%26+NJ+-+NEW_love_dcr2023&utm_content=NJ.com++-+Conversions&fbclid=IwAR3Q-j6XaZBc6VxBFA_34NuGQUJR3OMyJtTeq1EXz3RaLHq0v0svmQ1M0es
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