Watching the news pan out around the globe it rather puts one in the mind of a song. Prophetic and lyrical, the verses are not merely repeats but different ideas around the same ideology and only the chorus repeats.
What we have just witnessed in the US is a bastardisation of democracy. Donald J Trump is clearly not fit to serve as America’s 45th President and yet he has been elected by an antiquated and racially motivated system. The Electoral College has been designed to mitigate the black vote and in this case, dumb down the popular vote. I believe no other democracy has such an obscene system, one that is so blatantly prejudiced towards white supremacy it ignores the true wishes of all the American people.
Despite Democrat Hillary Clinton winning the popular ballot by 2.8 million votes she will not serve as America’s first Female President due to a cumbersome and weighted second vote by the Electoral College.
We are now entering a period unprecedented in American politics, where big corporations clearly will run the country to suit their own agenda, bypassing the true and necessary schema of creating an economy where all Americans can participate and prosper, and where every day citizens can enjoy the freedoms entrenched in the US constitution.
Despite history and what previously made “America great” the first amendment will be largely ignored and substituted with controlled reporting by the media. Opinions, previously and freely expressed will likely be subdued and the definition of “making America great again” will be contrary to popular thought. It will be great for a few and hell for the rest.
Ethnic cleansing of Muslims has been indicated in the lead up to the election. Trump himself said he would deport Muslims once in power. Islam is a religion and should not be differentiated from Christianity or any other faith.
“U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump came under fire when he said he would look into ways of getting rid of Muslims in the country.’
‘Right-wing, racist United States presidential candidate Donald Trump came under fire Friday for saying that if he were elected president, he would look into ways to get rid of all Muslims in the country as a response to a question by a supporter during a rally who asked what Trump would do to fix the “Muslim problem” in the U.S.’ Telesur 18 September 2016″
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Trump-Will-Look-into-Ways-to-Get-Rid-of-All-Muslims-in-the-US-20150918-0013.html
The press has been put on notice, by Trump that the media is not free to criticise or show him, or his government in a bad light.
“Trump kept saying, ‘We’re in a room of liars, the deceitful, dishonest media who got it all wrong.’ He addressed everyone in the room, calling the media dishonest, deceitful liars. He called out Jeff Zucker by name and said everyone at CNN was a liar, and CNN was [a] network of liars,” New York Post November 21, 2016
At this point it might be prudent to examine the First Amendment to see whether Trumps’ actions are constitutional or not:
“Article [I] (Amendment 1 – Freedom of expression and religion) 13
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
So much for freedom of religion and of the press.
In today’s progressive world, where technology plays a vital role in societal participation, the US will likely be left behind, because science will largely be ignored or repressed in favour of the teachings of the bible in US schools. Children will not be taught about evolution but rather Creationism.
Christian studies can effectively form part of an education, along with other religions and beliefs for a true understanding of the world in which we partake but not dominate at the expense of science. This is in breach of the first amendment also:
“Congress shall make no law respecting [regarding] an establishment of religion”
And Article 1, Section 8 of the constitution:
“8: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts…”
Without science the US will have no new technologies, no new medicines and no understanding of the environment, which brings up the subject of climate.
Climate change has been listed as the most serious problem to face mankind, ever and yet Trump has no policy to deal with global warming. He believes it is a hoax.
“The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive”.
Donald J. Trump
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
The Chinese were quick to respond:
“Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin repudiated Trump’s accusation on Wednesday, telling reporters at United Nations talks in Marrakesh, Morocco, that U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush started the global warming conversation by supporting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change during the late 1980s, according to Bloomberg News.”
Trump has stated he will tear up the Paris agreement and he has appointed Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
He is also a climate sceptic.
This from the Financial Times:
“Trump picks climate change sceptic to head environment agency” And
“Choice for EPA signals intent to undo Obama efforts at curbing greenhouse emissions”
‘Scott Pruitt has dismissed the EPA as a rogue operator that overstepped its authority by bossing around states’ © AFP’ Financial Times December 8 – 2016″
Trump has also nominated Rex Tillerson, EXXONMOBIL CEO, as secretary of State. Apart from Mr Tillerson having no experience as a diplomat he is also a personal friend of Vladimir Putin and a climate sceptic with an agenda to push oil as an energy source, completely at odds with climate science.
“EXXONMOBIL CEO Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the State Department, has ample experience in dealing with other nations, but strictly as a businessman, not a diplomat.’
‘Mr. Trump has announced what had been expected, that Mr. Tillerson, 64, will be his nominee for Secretary of State.”
This tells us Trump is serious about denying climate change in favour of oil exploration. It also puts the US in some very bad company.
“Exxon has operations in dozens of countries, some of them politically volatile or estranged from the US. Leading the list is Russia, which has leaned heavily on Western companies for technology and know-how to tap its vast oil and gas resources.”
Last but not least, Trump has enraged the Chinese by recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign state and telephoning Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.
“Trump’s phone call with Taiwan president risks China’s wrath’
‘Diplomatic experts predict fraught start to US relations with Beijing after president-elect’s conversation with Tsai Ing-wen.”
China was not impressed and retaliated:
“US PRESIDENT-elect Donald Trump has taken a veiled swipe at China just days after he controversially took a phone call from Taiwan’s leader, raising eyebrows across the world.
Beijing has lodged a protest with the United States over a call between US President-elect Donald Trump and Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen, the foreign ministry said Saturday.
‘We have already made solemn representations about it to the relevant US side. It must be pointed out that there is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,’ the statement said.”
Beijing continued:
“We urge the relevant parties in the US to abide by the commitment to the one-China policy and to handle Taiwan-related issues with caution and care to avoid unnecessarily interfering with the overall situation of Sino-US relations,’ it said.”
All this is hardly breaking news. Rather it is an overall view of the US/global situation as it has unfolded over past weeks. There are many other items of concern that can and will be discussed later but for now we can list just some of the threats to stability and peace and to progress within American society quite simply:
Democracy is under threat, by Trump not recognizing or understanding the US constitution and;
Racism/ethnic cleansing and denial of other religions and;
Trump has no clear vision for science and the future.
There is also no policy on climate change and;
The possibility of global unrest in what has remained a relatively stable world since World War Two.
Conclusion or should this be the chorus to be repeated over.
One self-opinionated man with no vision and filled with hatred has single-handedly achieved all this chaos before even getting into office. Imagine what will happen after January 20th. Is this Bye Bye Miss American Pie? And will 2017 be the year democracy dies. We shall see.
*David Leigh is a Writer, Film maker, environmentalist and vineyard owner. Living in Moorina northeast Tasmania. Books currently in distribution Eucharist (a novel on home-grown terrorism) Climate Change Generation (serious work) and (A WORM in the APPLE) book of the film. The Documentary that brought me to Tasmania, A WORM in the APPLE (Gunns Pulp Mill and the couragious efforts of the Tasmanian people who fought to opposed it.) Currently settling down to write more novels, screenplays and grow grapes.
