End of America:
A lofty idea gives way to an unsightly truth.
November 16, 2024
By electing the 34-count felon, adjudicated rapist, racist carnival barker, Hitler admirer, classified documents absconder, climate change denier, white supremacist praiser, young lady’s dressing room invader, boastful pussy-grabbing assaulter, fraudulent university operator, emoluments clause breaker, porn star sex buyer, Epstein partier, Russian colluder, attempted coup stager and election overturner, Zelensky extortioner, immigrant defamer, bleach injector, authoritarian ass-kisser, witness intimidator, compulsive adulterer, disabled person mocker, windmill cancer truther, hurricane nuker, war criminal and insurrectionist pardoner, misinformation spouter, Covid superspreader, eclipse starer, bankruptcy repeater, vendor non-payer, investigation obstructor, black renter discriminator, Confederate symbol lover, draft dodger, fallen warrior and POW disparager, racist pet-eating hoax disseminator, peaceful transfer of power violator, Arnold Palmer penis chronicler, Montenegro Prime Minister shover, hate crime inspirer, 11,780 votes conjurer, blasphemous signed Bible huckster, police brutality immunizer, historically prolific liar, Constitution suspender, free press menacer and orange clown makeup wearer, America has fully established itself as not only a danger to itself, but to all the world and the future of life on earth.
I know, I know, the democrats aren’t great either. They have sponsored a full-on genocide. They have continued many of the first Trump administration’s cruel and unjust policies toward immigrants and refugees. They have overseen record highs for oil and gas production. And Harris gave little indication she would reverse course on any of these things.
But let’s be real. These cruelties and abdications are not the reason they lost. If they had been any more humanitarian, any more responsible as stewards of the planet, they would have lost by an even greater margin.
The truth is, Trumpism is what America wants. Trumpism is who America is. Obviously, not all of us. But those of us who care for human rights, animal rights, and ecological and environmental sustainability are the minority. We are not representative. If one were to be airdropped into the average American church, diner or bar, the majority would express openness, and more likely raucous approval, for draconian border policy, national origin-based quotas and restrictions, further emboldening of Netanyahu, and unlimited drilling and extraction.
“Majority America” loses sleep over a handful of transgender women competing in women’s sports but care nothing about transgender suicide rates. They either cheer or shrug at the prospect of concentration camps and mass deportations. They traffic in conspiracy theories of celebrities kidnapping and torturing children but vehemenently defend the very real slaying of children in refugee tents or sadistic border traps. Majority America throws petulant tantrums over every cent extra paid for gas or beef but can't be bothered to consider those who will ultimately pay the price for these environmentally destructive amenities. In other words, Majority America wants more cruelty while accelerating the destruction of the planet.
They want their unshackled fascism and ecocide and they want it now.
When I say “they”, I mean mostly white people. Most non-whites voted against this barbarous agenda. This is especially true of Black and Jewish Americans, who voted emphatically against Trump and the Republicans, perhaps because they have collectively developed a keen detection system for white terror whenever it is rearing its ugly head.
“Oh, c’mon man! It’s about the economy, not some mean tweets—you snowflake!” Majority America will derisively insist.
But this is objectively false. It’s not about inflation or the cost of housing. These issues are merely the thin veneer draped over what they really desire in their hearts. If Trump had overseen the same exact economy these past four years, they would have shouted from the rooftops that America has experienced an inflation rate that is among the lowest in the world, roughly half that of the OECD average of comparable nations. This was achieved while also outpacing most OECD nations in GDP growth. Yes, the cost of housing is out of control, but Harris offered a detailed plan that addresses the primary cause: supply. Trump’s plan is far vaguer and is at least partially contingent on—you’ll never guess—blaming immigrants.
Twenty-three Nobel Prize-winning economists (more than half of living recipients) analyzed both Trump’s and Harris’s economic plans and every one of them agreed that Trump’s agenda would “lead to higher prices, larger deficits, and greater inequality”.
Harris’s economic policies were also far more popular than Trump’s in blind tests, even among Trump supporters.
But who are we kidding. None of this matters. Majority America wants white supremacy. It wants patriarchy. It was never going to vote a woman of color into the highest office in the land regardless of her policies or campaign strategies. Not when they have the option for someone like Trump who speaks the coded language of white supremacy and nationalism perhaps more overtly than any other major public figure in recent history. Such a package is simply irresistible to them.
Majority America is spellbound by Trump like he's a gun-toting Jesus wrapped in a star-spangled banner because Majority America is an utter disgrace.
But worse than being a disgrace, Majority America is also an existential threat to every living being and thing on earth. By voting in leadership that does not believe in climate change or the real danger of widespread ecosystem collapse, Majority America has essentially declared to the world that it demands free license to voraciously consume all that is beneath or above ground throughout all the planet and to spew the waste byproducts wherever it pleases to feed its lust for convenience, luxury, ego and dominance. It doesn’t matter how many people have to suffer or how much future generations will pay the price. Because above all else, Majority America is calloused and unrepentantly self-centered.
Even the idealized vision of America—seen through rose-colored glasses and celebrated (by mostly oblivious white people) as exceptional, inspired, and a beacon of hope for all the world—cannot be reconciled with the abject mockery that Trumpism has made of its supposed principles.
For instance, we were taught that our Constitution was a sacred document. But the people who repeat this mantra the loudest voted enthusiastically for the man who put more effort into violating its tenets than he did governing. He sowed distrust in elections with his laughable and patently false claims of fraud. He systematically attempted to nullify the vote via illegal lawfare, for which some of his attorneys have been convicted and disbarred. During his first term, he argued in favor of terminating the supposedly sacrosanct Constitution where it suited him to do so—and he literally used this language. For his upcoming term, he has vowed to be a dictator on his first day in office. He riled up his supporters to violently attack and vandalize the Capitol to disrupt a Constitutional proceeding in what was one of this nation’s darkest and most disturbing moments. For good measure, he also blatantly violated the emoluments clause of the Constitution during his first presidency and will undoubtedly do the same in his second.
The Supreme Court and Congress also violated the Constitution by failing to uphold the Disqualification Clause of the 14th Amendment which bars a person from running for office if they have previously engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States.
So much for the sanctity of the nation’s founding document.
We were taught that America is the most moral and noble nation ever. And yet, Trump is a cartoonishly despicable character who has brought out the same in his supporters. He is literally an adjudicated rapist. And nobility? Has there ever been a public figure in all of history who likes to punch down as much as Trump does? Has there ever been a level of pettiness or nastiness to which he did not eagerly stoop? Two female black election workers, a mother and daughter, are still in hiding after Trump baselessly accused them of laundering fraudulent ballots into the vote count in 2020 when they were simply doing their jobs and performing a vital service for their country. They couldn’t even return to their homes after the death threats against them mounted. Trump has never apologized or recanted. Nor has he called upon his supporters to stand down. But he was willing to call upon a white supremacist group to stand by.
If you extracted the most loathsome qualities of every bully you have ever known, whether in real life or fiction, and injected them into a single person, you would end up with Trump. Cruel but cowardly. Ridiculing but humorless. Endlessly self-praising but never accountable. And Majority America loves him for it.
We were taught that America was a nation predicated on the rule of law where justice was truly blind. Trump was convicted of 34 counts of felony by a jury of his peers, which included at least one Trump supporter. Trump was found in a court of law to be liable for rape. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Justice for discriminating against black applicants at his rental properties. His sham university was forced to settle two class action lawsuits for defrauding its students before it was shuttered. His scam charity was forcibly shut down by authorities due to illegal self-dealing, which means he was padding his own pockets under the guise of raising funds for the needy. He has also promised to pardon convicted insurrectionists, and he will ensure that legitimate federal cases against him are dropped, including the theft and dissemination of classified documents.
But according to his supporters, he is the Law and Order President.
We were taught to revere our military since our freedoms are preserved by the sacrifices of those who serve. But Trump has exhibited contempt for them. He has repeatedly ridiculed John McCain and George H.W. Bush for being captured in combat. He has publicly denigrated Gold Star families. According to his longest-serving Chief of Staff, decorated General John Kelly, he referred to soldiers who died for the country as “losers” while visiting their graves. Kelly also warned us that Trump complained “I need the kind of generals that Hitler had.”
America’s greatest service to the world was defeating Hitler and fascism. Trump thinks Hitler “did some good things”—again, according to Kelly. Even his VP, JD Vance, once said that Trump was America’s Hitler. But this was before the opportunistic Vance fully appreciated the personal gain American Fascism presented.
We were taught that America was a nation of immigrants—a cultural mosaic—and that our strength was in our diversity. We were taught the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and the famous line, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This reinforced the idea in our minds that America was a land of equal opportunity based on higher principles that transcended skin color or cultural background. But Trump complains about immigrants from “shithole countries” such as Haiti, El Salvador and African nations. He wonders aloud why we can’t get more immigrants from “nice countries” such as Norway, Denmark or Switzerland.
Trump wears his racism on his sleeve and Majority America lauds him for it.
To summarize: “Majority America” cares little about economic policy. They care nothing about the Constitution or the rule of law. They spit and sneer at the very notion of basic decency and nobility. They openly adore the character who represents the worst humanity has to offer.
So what is it then about Trump that compels their slavish adulation?
Trump gives them the permission they’ve been seeking to be their own worst selves; to say that racist thing at the tip of their tongue without having to care what anyone thinks; to consume without restraint; to take without guilt; to withhold compassion or consideration from others without a burdened conscience; to put their hands on any woman they please without consequence. Trump is who vicious and insecure men aspire to be, and who certain women want to stand by for a confused mixture of personal, social and cultural reasons.
With every racist comment, every credible accusation of rape or sexual assault, every crime committed and law violated, every suggestion of violence against perceived adversaries, his popularity only increases.
The land of the free and the home of the brave? More like the land of the ME and the home of the depraved.
At least now we know that everything we were taught about the greatness of America was a lie. It’s a lie because it’s an idea that must be upheld by the people. If a majority of Americans genuinely took to heart these aspirational principles, they would never consider embracing this particularly repugnant brand of fascism.
But is it fair to apply the “F” word to Trumpist America? Can we be sure this is not a hysterical liberal overreaction? Let’s examine the question more closely.
What is Fascism and does it apply to Trumpist/MAGAt America?
Fascism is totalitarian. Trump openly admires dictators specifically because they can do what they want, as he has said. It is clear that Trump wants the same for himself, and many of his supporters have explicitly stated they would far rather see a Trump dictatorship than an open democracy.
Fascism is misogynistic. Trump is a rapist and serial sexual assailant who constantly uses misogynistic language against women. He has appointed another credibly accused statutory rapist to be the U.S. Attorney General, perhaps the most shocking appointment in the nation’s history.
Fascism is chauvinistic. Trump appeals to every brand of chauvinism there is—from male to whiteness to nationalism.
Fascism is anti-intellectual. Fascism requires anti-intellectualism because it cannot stand up to reasoned debate. Trump’s appointed cabinet members from his first term have painted a picture of a man incapable of grasping the most elementary of concepts. They often had to use pictures rather than words to help him understand. He appeals to his audience by speaking at a fifth-grade level. He thinks climate change is a hoax and that wind turbines cause cancer. He thought it would be a good idea to nuke a hurricane before it made landfall. He thinks exporting nations pay tariffs. He thinks ‘asylum seekers’ refers to people who literally escaped from an insane asylum.
Fascism is propagandist. Trump is history’s most prolific liar. Even when his lies are thoroughly debunked, he repeats them ceaselessly, and his supporters lap them up like the mindless lackeys that they are.
Fascism is militaristic. Even though Trump does not respect those who serve in the military, he is obsessed with the pageantry of it, attempting to violate norms by holding a military parade in the capital.
Fascism demonizes minorities. Trump … well, duh.
Fascism empowers police and security forces at the expense of civil liberties. Trump promoted use of violence against protestors, even advocating that protestors be shot. Trump openly encourages police brutality, inviting police to rough up those they detain.
Fascism is obsessed with “strongman” leaders. Trump is always proclaiming that only he can “fix it.” Even though he is a weak and pathetic man, he is obsessed with projecting a weak and pathetic man’s idea of strength.
Fascism is obsessed with unquestioned loyalty. Trump puts loyalty above principle or competence. For example, when he invited FBI Director Comey to inappropriately meet with him over a private dinner, he specifically asked Comey for his loyalty, which is an egregious overstep considering that the FBI is designed to operate as an independent agency for obvious reasons. This has proved to be a pattern with the way Trump views power—including presidential power.
Fascism seeks to turn truth and objective reality upside-down. Trump has spewed more documented lies than any human who has ever lived, and yet his supporters trust him above every other.
Fascism is incompatible with environmentalism. With its emphasis on nationalism over global responsibility, industrial expansionism, suppression of scientific query, and disregard for future generations, fascism is completely at odds with the kind of foresight and compassion that drive principles of environmental and ecological stewardship. Trump not only derides climate change and environmentalism as hoaxes, but he has been very clear about his intentions to roll back every policy that serves to protect the planet and those who depend on it.
Fascism is a cult. There is literally nothing that Trump can do that will turn his followers away from him, as the Capitol attack and his felony convictions attest. He is not only a convicted felon and attempted insurrectionist, but he is also an adjudicated rapist. He stood by idly for hours while his supporters violently invaded and desecrated the Capitol. He has violated these and many other norms and laws that would have decisively marked the end of any other politician’s career. But his followers have only become more cult-like in their support for him, which is why they tolerate the evisceration of the rule of law and the Constitution when perpetrated for the benefit of Trump and his cronies.
Yes, it is safe to say that America has taken a hard-right turn to Fascism-ville.
But as is plainly evident, the Trump phenomenon is not really about the man. It is about those who elevate him. It is a reminder that fascism is as much a bottom-up phenomenon as it is top-down. Fascism is what Majority America wants—to sell out every aspirational quality for which our country was supposed to stand in exchange for a society that instead elevates those considered to be “Real Americans”, regardless of merit or fairness.
But maybe we’ve been lying to ourselves. Maybe “Majority America” has been like this all along. Maybe a nation that was literally built by the skills and forced labor of the enslaved could never be benevolent. Maybe a nation that owes its existence primarily to an accident of biology—gained by European ancestors who ate and slept in close proximity to the feces of their livestock—could never get by on merit. Maybe the viciousness is too ingrained into our national DNA to strive for anything but fascism whenever traditional authoritarians are being challenged by capable women, minorities and queer folk.
The only difference now is that the mask of respectability has been ripped off all the way. Majority America has decided it no longer wants to even pretend to stand for higher principles.
The question then becomes, is there any hope going forward that America can transcend its insidious tendencies to instead embody the lofty ideals in which it has traditionally packaged itself? Can it be better than the America that has routinely used outright terrorist tactics against black and brown people since its inception and long before? Can it be better than the America that has routinely worked to overthrow democratically elected governments around the world in favor of dictators who would do our bidding at the expense of their own citizens? The same America that has now just willfully voted to round up many of the refugees from the same countries we have ravaged in a scene that promises to echo some of the ugliest episodes in recent memory.
The world doesn’t have the luxury of waiting around to find out. The world can’t afford an America that is going to keep leaning into its worst impulses.
It cannot afford an America that stands virtually alone (along with Iran, Libya and Yemen) in refusing to commit to even the most meager of international agreements to mitigate climate change. An America that stands alone in refusing to enshrine the protection of children’s rights globally. An America that stands virtually alone in refusing to adopt an international agreement to eliminate discrimination against women. An America that stands alone in refusing to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. An America that stands virtually alone in refusing to grant fundamental human rights to all individuals in the world. An America that continues to enforce an embargo against nations such as Cuba, which have a history of resisting America’s imperialist encroachments, even when every other country in the world aside from Israel votes to put an end to such unjust economic hostilities. An America that refuses to align itself with the rest of the world in outlawing the use of torture and weapons that are known to kill civilians in large numbers.
The fact that America has long refused to follow the rest of the world into a more humane and environmentally conscious future tells us that MAGAt America is not a product of Donald Trump so much as Donald Trump is a product of MAGAt America.
In other words, Donald Trump was a long time comin' for a nation dominated by the exceptionally vicious, pretentious and unconcientious.
This is especially ill-boding now that it has become undeniably clear that the planet is facing a multi-faceted crisis: climate change, ecosystems collapse, mass extinction-level die-offs, distressed plant life, melting glaciers, increasing deforestation, soil depletion, intensified storms, worsening drought and famine, and the social upheaval that stems from all of this.
But we can’t fix these things because we refuse to address the underlying cause, which is the great competition for dominance among nations and multinational corporations and the mindless growth imperative upon which the global economy is predicated. In other words, we can’t fix these things because the most powerful force in the world doesn’t want to. This, perhaps more than anything, explains Majority America’s embrace of Trumpism.
Also consider that America has already used up far more than its fair share of humanity’s overall carbon and material footprint, more than any other nation by far, and it has made sure that the vast majority of the benefit has flowed primarily to its wealthiest and most privileged citizens—those being disproportionately white people.
And Majority America has made it abundantly clear that it intends to double down on this crime in progress.
This leads to an unsettling but unavoidable conclusion: For the sake of all life on earth, present and future, Majority America must be stopped.
But what would that take?
Unfortunately, it’s likely going to require a disaster that rocks the U.S. to its foundation, and with Trump hellbent on eradicating expertise and professionalism from crucial federal agencies, especially in such a tumultuous time, the chances of this happening just skyrocketed.
In other words, Majority America will likely take itself down because Majority America lacks the wisdom and foresight to appreciate the ultimately self-defeating nature of its actions.
Imagine unhinged conspiracy theorists in charge of health; white nationalists in charge of defense; sexual predators and swindlers in charge of justice; climate change deniers in charge of environmental protection; anti-government nihilists in charge of virtually every aspect of government; and apolitical experts and professionals who understand how America works on a nuts-and-bolts-level dismissed en masse in favor of inexperienced and incompetent sycophants.
When things predictably get worse to the point of intolerability, Majority America will respond with cruelty and violence against scapegoats. But Majority America will keep doubling down until it self-destructs, although not before earning an ignominious place in history perhaps on par with Nazi Germany.
To be clear, the kind of existential disaster or cascading of them that can bring down powerful nations may not occur during Trump's second term. But make no mistake, a second Trump term will set the stage for such an inevitability because even if it survives the next four years intact, Majority America will not learn from its mistakes and it will not meaningfully reform itself. Unfortunately, change is probably going to come the hard way. And change is coming one way or the other because the current way is entirely unsustainable--for the unfavored within America, the citizens of the world beyond, and the planet itself.
And when the dust settles, and a rehabilitated world is finding its way, monikers such as 'Trumpist' and 'MAGAt' could very well become the kinds of pejorative bywords that are echoed with disdain by future generations. Hauntingly, even 'America' or 'American' could fall into the same category.
Either way, a livable future is probably only possible where 'America' or 'United States' undergoes a complete overhaul and reinvention, from national symbols to institutions to governing principles and national identity. Perhaps it wouldn’t even be America anymore, but instead, something like “The Spirit of Turtle Island and the Great Law of Peace”.
For the sake of all life on earth and a sustainable future, we can only hope.
