View From Vienna By An American
What Is Going On In The United States?
A right-wing minority prevails — not only in regards to gun laws
The answer, as horrifying as it sounds, is this: Maintaining white supremacy. A minority, a white, conservative to far-right minority, wants to turn back the clock. To maintain white supremacy in the ethnic-sociologically changing USA. The fact that this — strong — minority succeeds in asserting itself in this way is due to the following two critical factors:
- the US electoral system
2. the determination of right-wing conservatives.
Political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, authors of the bestseller How Democracies Die, said this in 2020:
Today the American parties are starkly divided along urban-rural lines: the Democrats are concentrated in the metropolitan centers, while the Republicans are increasingly concentrated in sparsely populated areas that have their base. That gives Republicans an advantage in the Electoral College (which favors sparsely populated states in presidential elections), the Senate, and the Supreme Court (which Trump was able to fill with three ultra-conservatives during his presidency).
The two authors state that there is a “minority rule” in the USA. Although a majority of Americans support abortion and stricter gun laws, a right-wing and motivated minority continues to prevail. Moderate conservatives currently have little to say, while important observers now regard the Republicans as a whole as authoritarian and anti-democratic. And what are the left and liberals doing? The Democratic Party? Joe Biden? Too little and sometimes the wrong thing.
Coming to the conclusion about the minority rule of diehard white supremacists, the electoral college, the right-wing fervor — that’s nothing new. There really is no excuse this has continued and manifested itself to such a degree. The thing is: now and going forward, everyone outside this group of radicals must come up with a plan to bring the United States back into the 21st century as a functioning democracy. Because as it stands now? Not so good and pretty much doomed. Fall of the empire scenario — doomed.
Meanwhile...
Death from guns was and still is the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States. In 2020 it was 4,386 deaths. The umpteenth school massacre, this time in Uvalde, Texas, will have little impact on America’s absurd gun laws. The Supreme Court will soon rule on whether to lift the ban on concealed carry in New York. With possible consequences for the whole country.
And of course, it is expected that the Supreme Court will soon open the door for draconian bans on abortion. As well as possibly lifting the ban on minority protection measures (“affirmative action”). Gay rights, including same-sex marriage, are also on the line. Ultra-conservative forces are going about this with fervor.
The congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol by far-right groups is uncovering more and more details about Donald Trump’s role as the instigator. But Republicans have labeled the de facto attempted coup, designed to prevent Congress from confirming Joe Biden’s election victory, as “legitimate political discourse.”
Trump continues to tell the Big Lie that the election was stolen from him. His party and too many Americans largely follow him. A year ago, around 53 percent of Republicans and thus 25 percent of Americans believed in the Big Lie. Trump supporters seem onboard with civil war.
What’s wrong with the US? Has the world’s most important democracy gone insane? Transatlantic has become a dirty word in Europe, but anyone with a shred of realism knows that without a truly democratic US, Europe stands little chance against Vladimir Putin’s war and dominance plans.
Stay tuned.
A noteworthy remark I heard from Trevor Noah: He explained the difference between South African Racism and US racism: South African racists are openly racist, proclaiming it for all to see, giving the opposition a clearly defined enemy. In the United States, these ultra-right-wing assholes all pretend they’re not racist, that they see everyone as equals. Watch. It’s awesome.
And seriously people, is it too much as to ask to clap 50 times? Sheesh.
