As America’s 45th president appeared in a New York court for allegedly making illegal hush money payments to a porn star and others, breaking campaign finance laws in the process, it is worth remembering that in a functioning democracy, nobody is above the law, even Donald Trump.
Time for Trump to be held to account…
At a lunch party in the US last week, I suggested America feels like the 4th century AD Roman Empire… in decline. Nobody disagreed, even a couple of Republicans. Of course, it will remain the world’s premier superpower for decades, possibly centuries due to its military capabilities, but the increasingly polarised political discourse is fracturing society and undermining the ability of the US to govern itself.
The Democrats are not without blame, with splits between moderates and the hard left, but responsibility for this decline relies firmly with Trump and the supine GOP. Shame on them.
Trump is a known liar, without morals who lauds autocrats around the world, including Putin. How the GOP allowed him to take over their party, with his conspiracy theories, extreme language, contempt for the law, and refusal to accept his election defeat, is one for the history books.
But the consequences are stark. Increasingly extreme political debate is becoming a democratic threat.
Evidence of this is everywhere in opinion polls. A third of Americans do not believe Biden won his presidential election legitimately. One in five think political violence is justified on occasion. A third of voters would prefer autocratic rule over a weak, democratically elected leader. Two-thirds think US democracy is in crisis. Democracy is overwhelmingly the preferred form of governing but the headwinds opposing it are strong.
So, the solution? The GOP and MAGA crowd need to unite with the Democrats to remind the public it was democracy that made America great in the first place. Campaign finance laws need to be revised to cap election spending. State laws that undermine election officials and dissuade minority voters from participating in elections need to be withdrawn. Term limits need to apply to an increasingly politicised Supreme Court.
Umm… a very tall order. The crisis in American democracy is not going away anytime soon…
Happy Easter!
Inside Right Politics 