A recent Medium article has an usual prediction for the USA’s future. He claims that the recent behavior of the Republican Party is mostly a temper tantrum that will eventually subside.
Is he right? I would say that the tantrum is a possibility. January 6 could have been a lot more disastrous if it were not for some infantile planning. So maybe we are worrying for nothing. Maybe we just need to wait for the crying to stop.
But I also see the possibility of a great amount of civil unrest and violence after November 2022 if the Republicans lose seats in Congress. Such a loss would only mean to a significant minority of Americans that the elections are indeed fraudulent. This too is a possibility.
Maybe the civil unrest is quickly subdued. But a festering sore still remains. It might come alive again in 2024.
Maybe the civil unrest leads to civil war. A lot would depend on where most of the generals put their allegiance. And we outsiders have so little control of the generals’ minds.
And Mr. Trump is an old man. He could die between now and then. There seems to be no successor in the wings, so an internal power struggle is likely which will turn the fester inward for a while. But there might be a Trump 2.0 lurking around the corridors of power analyzing these times—and history of successful coups. This person will likely be smarter than Mr. Trump. He/she will really know how to build the right alliances to use the Trump base to full effect.
Let’s just assume that the various social and political forces that were set to swirl a decade or two ago have a natural conclusion. We may not know what the conclusion is yet, but it is going to happen with or without us.
Let us also assume that the rational powers in government are fully aware of all these possibilities. At best, we can hope that they are being proactive in case there is something bigger than a tantrum. But this is out of our control. Maybe they will be wise in their deliberations. Maybe they will be wise with their implementation. Let’s just admit that we really have little influence in what the more rational powerful people will do over the next few years. It is like being a fan at a football game; the players, coaches, and referees will determine the final score; we can only watch.
So why then are there so many Medium contributors writing anti-fascist articles as if their articles alone are going to tip the scale of American history in an anti-fascist way? Especially when conservative voices are unlikely to read much from Medium?
Watch CNN. I would say this media outlet is doing a pretty good job of the anti-fascist message. They have some reach into the conservative psyche. CNN can change far more minds than 1,000 political writers on Medium. There are other left-of-center media outlets doing a similar job.
So my challenge to all political writers on Medium is this: “Let’s stop looking to 2022 and 2024. Let’s look to 2032.”
“Why 10 years?” you ask.
Because this is the time required to bring a new kind of democracy into maturation.
To help make a better world, I spent six years in a Canadian political party, circa 1990. I saw a lot of dysfunctional behavior in that time. I left politics after realizing that I could not change things. But somehow, I invented another system of democratic governance. That system addressed all the dysfunction I saw. In 1997, I started putting pen to paper. Twenty-four years ago!
Here is a quick summary of Tiered Democratic Governance (TDG). It has no political parties. Voters cast their vote based on good character and capacity for governance. Elected representatives work with the process of consultation, not partisanship, to decide things. These features make for a kinder, wiser democracy.
That explanation is too simple. So I really invite you to read my book. It will take you about three hours to see how all the pieces of the TDG fit together. Those three hours just might cause you to rethink “doing politics” much differently than how we are doing them today.
If 1% of Americans start building the TDG today, in 10 years it will be big and mature enough to be a credible political movement. The TDG might need another five years to 10 years of testing and refining before assuming responsibility and authority for governance. But, even at that stage, many citizens will recognize that something much better than western democracy is on the horizon.
Political Writing versus A New Democracy
I had a recent discussion with a Medium political contributor. He said something like: “I like your ideas Dave, but I have to spend my time fighting for 2022.”
2022 is going to unfold as it should with or without this fellow’s help or hindrance. But he could be an important TDG builder for 2032.
That is the true power he holds.
Published on Medium 2021
January 6, 2021 could have been a Constitutional Crisis
