In The Balance

In The Balance

By

John M. Lane

                          “As a nation, we began by declaring that ‘all men are created equal.’ We now practically read it ‘all men are created equal, except negroes.’ When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read ‘all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.’ When it comes to this, I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.” 
― Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Letters

                Events in the United States over the next thirty months will go a long way in determining the future of democracy in this country and freedom-loving countries worldwide. As said previously, the forces of authoritarianism are on the march. The ability of the forces of evil and tyranny to recruit and radicalize racial and religious zealots has reached the point where acts of terrorism can be carried out similarly worldwide because of the internet. Politically, the United States in particular, and democracy in general, faces an existential threat. Some political parties and countries have eagerly embraced the new “fascism” of the 21^stcentury. The future of the three great “western democracies” literally lies in the balance. It is in the realm of possibility that Britain, France, and the United States, could, by 2028, be ruled as authoritarian one-party states in “illiberal” democracies/dictatorships, complete with phony elections and sham legislatures, and faux legal structures. Large portions of the populations in all three countries appear to want that outcome.

                               French authoritarian Presidential candidate Marine LePen announced that she would pull France out of the NATO command structure.  LePen lost the election to President Macron. However, as stated in earlier writing, her vote total increased from 31% five years ago to 41% in the recent election. Similar rumblings about NATO were heard in the United States between 2017 and 2020. Britain has already exited the European Union. If democracy collapses in France, Britain, and the United States, how long will it last in Australia, Spain, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, and Italy…?

                                       That list is long. The awful possibility is there. European and American fascists/authoritarians are especially enamored with Russia because, at their core, they are racists. Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia no longer exemplify “western civilization.” They are now seen as decadent mongrels, poisoned by “yellow, brown, and black” immigration and homosexuality. Russia is seen as the last bastion of “pure white” civilization and manly virtues; the sooner the other “white” nations join with Russia, the better. European and American fascists/authoritarians see China as the implacable foe of the West for obvious reasons. (Apparently, the current Russia-China détente can be overlooked.) Pictures of western leaders/celebrities shaking hands with the Russian leader are clear signs of progress and stability. Images of western leaders/celebrities (mainly American Presidents) shaking hands with Chinese leaders are clear signs of “weakness.”

                                     The possibilities of the “American Experiment” are endless. It is finally time to realize those possibilities. The rule of law and the rule by law, free and fair elections, equal opportunity, and the expanded right to vote need to be defended, not disparaged. These are things that many Americans are now sadly turning their backs on. These Americans believe that trust in the ability of a “Great Leader” is all that is needed. The enemies of the United States, foreign and domestic, are counting on class, gender, and especially racial divisions to continue. (Unfortunately, it appears this situation is not going to change. The sad, shameful, yet not surprising massacre in Buffalo, New York, is confirmation. (The forces of chaos unleashed on the Internet, and the media are determined to ensure that it does not). The 21st-century fascists/authoritarians intend to destroy the United States and its institutions. In the 1940s, the United States and its Allies defeated the fascist/authoritarian attempt to create empires and destabilize the world. However, this time, the fascist/authoritarians are better prepared and organized; they live among us and will use available technology and the institutions of democracy to their advantage.

                                Everything hangs in the balance…

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” 
― Abraham Lincoln