FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Mar 19

Anti-Asian Racism On The Increase In North America

by bcurry

A recent study in the U.S. indicated that Anti-Asian hate crimes have spiked 150 percent since the pandemic began.  In Canada, a June 2020 survey by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute noted that, of those of East Asian descent surveyed, half reported being called names or insulted as a direct result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and 43 percent further said they had been threatened or intimidated.  Then came the March 17, 2021 shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, where six of the eight victims killed are of Asian descent — shootings subsequently being investigated as a possible hate crime.  Anti-Asian attacks in person and on-line have significantly increased during the past year in both countries.  Physical or verbal attacks have particularly occurred in major urban centers with large Asian communities such as Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver and Toronto.  Asian Americans and Canadians are increasingly fearful for their safety and even their lives, especially after the tragic Atlantic shootings.

People of Asian descent have been living in the United States and Canada for more than 160 years, and have long been the target of bigotry and racism.  In both Canada and certain U.S. states, there are hate crime laws in place.  However, hate alone without the addition of a criminal act is not illegal, and proving that a criminal act is a hate crime can be a difficult action.  Unfortunately, under the Trump administration, certain expressions used by the former president could be taken as anti-Asian in their context.  Former President Trump frequently referred to COVID-19 as “the China virus,” “the Wuhan virus,” and the “Kung Flu.”  All adding fuel to an already burning fire.  Blaming Asian Americans and Canadians for the pandemic outbreak unfortunately also became immersed in the propaganda of white supremists groups in both countries. 

What seems to be missing are national programs aimed at educating people about the contributions of people of Asian descent in both countries.  Such programs must emphasize that physical and verbal attacks on citizens, no matter what their colour, gender and ethnicity, is wrong and unacceptable.  Indeed, U.S. lawmakers have called for national action in the wake of the Atlanta shootings and for the creation of a national day to speak out against anti-Asian hate later this month.  Mayors in large urban centers have spoken out against racial attacks on their Asian communities, but much more needs to be done. 

It greatly saddened me and I’m certain many others that any particular group is being singled out by bigots and uninformed individuals.  Many of us know people of Asian descent in our communities who not only merit our respect, but also deserve our protection.  They are health care providers, educators, police officers, military personnel, researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and work in many other professions.  Like us, they are hard workers, raising families, supporting their elderly and living peacefully in the community.  It’s time that we all step up and condemn any further spread of hate literature and personal assaults on our Asian citizens.  As one Asian American activist recently noted, “Who marches for us?”

Canada Extremism Race Relations Racism US

Leave a comment »
Mar 14

U.S. has tended to prioritize private wealth over public resources

by bcurry

Kids are sitting in front of fast food outlets trying to do their homework on their note books or lap tops because they have no access to the Internet at home.  This has been a major issue during the pandemic because of school closures and children being forced to do full-time on-line learning.  This is happening in the same country that just put another rover, fresh off its flawless landing, on the surface of Mars — an extraordinary engineering feat and once again proving that when it comes to space exploration, no one does it better than the U.S.  Yet when it comes to maintaining its public infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers earlier this month gave the country a C-minus for the overall quality of its infrastructure.  Then there was Texas’s  failure to properly weatherize and maintain power generation systems which led to the most recent massive power crisis and subsequent water crisis which lasted for weeks in some counties.

Take the American health care system which is among the most advanced in the world, but only for some.  Remember that the U.S. is the only major industrialized country that doesn’t have a universal healthcare system.  Instead, a significant proportion of the population lack sufficient health insurance and have to depend on publicly under-funded hospitals and clinics that in turn lack adequate resources to treat their patients.  Even in good times the U.S. records higher mortality rates and earlier deaths than other countries, especially among Black, Latino or Native American citizens.  Unfortunately, the pandemic highlighted this tragic situation whereby the U.S., accounting for just four percent of the world’s population, had 20 percent of worldwide coronavirus deaths.  While, American scientists, laboratories and pharmaceutical companies helped in record time to develop effective vaccines, the country has consistently lagged behind other developed nations in the more elementary tasks of coronavirus testing and prevention.

The U.S. once was at the forefront of advances in green technologies, much like it had been in computer technologies.  Unfortunately, the Trump administration ended American participation in the Paris Accord on Climate Change and set back American initiatives in tackling the causes of global climate change.  Although the Biden administration has indicated that climate change is once again a priority issue on its agenda, it will take time to repair the damage inflicted by Trump on the Department of Environment and its programs related to air, water and soil quality.  Instead, numerous federally protected lands were opened up to pipeline construction, mining and drilling by the private sector.  The negative impact on valuable non-renewable resources will no doubt take time to be reversed, much to consternation of Americans.

If anything, the pandemic has drawn attention to the need for the U.S. to adequately invest in upgrading, maintaining and expanding its existing public infrastructure.  This applies not only to energy sources, public roads and bridges, but also to Internet access and the public health care system.  Failure to do so will only further lead to great inequities among Americans at the expense of their livelihoods and health and safety.

Cimate Change Economy Health Care US

Leave a comment »
Mar 7

Canada’s Prisons Are Broken — Whole Systems Need To Be Fixed

by bcurry

Back in the early seventies, I came across a report by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that placed Canada among the worst countries for recidivism as it pertains to its prison population.  “Recidivism” is defined as the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend.  What the report pointed out is that the system is primarily one of incarceration and not rehabilitation.  When I questioned the Solicitor General at the time, whose department was responsible for administering the prison system, he acknowledged that there were serious problems with high levels of recidivism.  The OECD could not find any evidence that Canadian prison sentences reduce recidivism and concluded that prisons should therefore not be used with the expectation of reducing criminal behaviour.  A fairly recent report by the Office of the Correctional Investigator found that more than 40 percent of all inmates released in Canada are returned to custody within two years, usually on parole violations.  About a quarter of all those released from prison are convicted of a new offence within those two years, although most charges are non-violent.

To make matters worst, one is dealing with increasingly large prison populations.  Since the 1970s, OECD countries have experienced steady increases in prison population.  The U.S. has witnessed a huge jump in the prison population that bears no historical comparison, with a prison population in 2000 four times as high as in the early 1970s.  When comparing prison populations in 2000, the U.S. stands far above the norm with an incarceration rate five times as high as the OECD average.  More than 1.2 million convicted American adults are in prison.  Canada’s rate is also far too high with an incarceration rate of 107 persons per 100,000 of national population, ranking 17th among countries surveyed in 2020 (Statista.com).  The U.S. ranks first with an incarceration rate of 655 persons per 100,000 of national population.

Rising prison populations, unless fully resourced, generally reduce the effectiveness of criminal re-education.  Upward trends can pull down the staff-prisoner ratio, a key component for achieving effective prevention of re-offending and promoting reintegration in the community. Moreover, prison overcrowding tends to exacerbate already high levels of tensions and violence, raising the risks of self-injury, suicide, substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.  Overcrowded prisons are more likely to act as “universities of crime”

In Canada, Black and Indigenous inmates represent a significantly disproportionate number of inmates compared to their percentage of the national population.  These inmates are notably more likely to be rated as a security threat, despite the data showing them less likely to reoffend than white offenders.  In the U.S., the same can be said for Black and Hispanic inmates who are disproportionately represented when compared the general population.  There is little doubt that the prison systems are plagued by systemic racism.

The pandemic has only exacerbated and highlighted the existing poor conditions in our prisons.  Resulting in the deaths of numerous inmates, COVID-19 has run rampant in prisons despite governments’ assurances that everything is under control.  Interestingly, in order to reduce prison overcrowding, many non-violent prisoners were given early release and parole in both countries during the pandemic.  There are so many continuing reported problems with prison life that one could write a book about them.  Indeed, several studies about deplorable and unsafe prison conditions are gathering dust on shelves somewhere.  Unless society develops new non-incarceration policies and implements initiatives aimed at supporting real rehabilitation, including alternatives to imprisonment, the recidivism rates in both countries will continue to be unacceptably high.

Canada US

Leave a comment »
Mar 4

There May Be Light At The End Of The Tunnel, But How Long Is The COVID Tunnel?

by bcurry

Today one hears a lot of spokespersons stating that we can now see a light at the end of the COVID tunnel.  However, I would ask just how long the tunnel is?  Yes, we fortunately have seen the incredible introduction of several effective vaccines in the U.S., Canada, Europe and elsewhere.  However, although the inoculation of people against the coronavirus, especially those who are vulnerable, is great, the slow speed with which the vaccinations are taking place is worrisome.  Then there are those who believe that it is alright to now remove the pandemic control measures, such as wearing masks in public, restricted business openings and social distancing.  Recently, the governors of Texas and Mississippi lifted state-wide mask requirements and have allowed all businesses to operate at full capacity.  In the case of Texas, this was done even though the state considerably trails the national average for vaccinations.  Texas recently recorded more than 7,000 new cases daily and, in recent weeks, ominous variants of the virus have appeared in the state.  Indeed, Houston became the first American city to record five of the COVID-19 variants circulating worldwide, including a number from Brazil.

When it comes to dealing with COVID variances, one can learn a lot from the current Brazilian experience.  No other nation that experienced such a major pandemic outbreak is still grappling with record-setting death tolls and has a health care system on the brink of collapse.  Much of this is due to the emergence of a variant that swept through the certain Brazilian cities.  The variant is not only more contagious, but also appears able to infect some people who have already recovered from other versions of the coronavirus.  Throughout the pandemic, researchers have said that COVID re-infections appear to be extremely rare, allowing people who recover to presume they have immunity, at least for a while.  However, in the case of this new Brazilian variant, it has been reported that some who recovered from COVID-19 months ago had fallen ill again and tested positive.  This suggests that researchers in the coming weeks and months will have to constantly be modifying the vaccines to deal with such variants, including that from Brazil.

What this developing situation implies is that, while taking tentative steps toward a semblance of so-called normalcy, countries will have to be very careful about lifting restrictions too soon.  In both the U.S. and Canada, health officials continue to plead for everyone to maintain social distancing and mask-wearing.  Simply by too quickly lifting official sanctions related to transmission precautions, governments are sending out the wrong messages that this pandemic is soon coming to an end.  There is little doubt that after over a year of lockdowns, economic costs and public restrictions, there is a degree of “pandemic fatigue”.  While vaccines offer hope, until a sufficient percentage of the population is fully vaccinated the danger of the re-emergence of the virus in new and more lethal forms is always there.  One only has to look at Brazil and the fact that Texas is seeing an increase in new COVID cases and emerging variants of the virus.  Yes, optimistically there is perhaps light at the end of tunnel, but the tunnel appears to be a long one!

Canada Coronavirus COVID-19 US

Leave a comment »
Mar 2

When It Comes To COVID-19, Journalists Need To Have More Analytic Skills

by bcurry

How the media analyzes statistics coming out of data bases in countries has in itself created confusion as to what they signify in terms of effectiveness in dealing with the pandemic.  Right now, the coverage of course is concentrated on the rollout of vaccinations among countries, particularly those in the industrialized groupings.  This is understandable given that countries are largely depending on vaccines to help them get through the pandemic economically and politically.  The problem is that when all is said and done, a broader assessment of the efficacy of each countries’ approach to tackling COVID-19 will be needed.  In some instances, a country will have better dealt with controlling the initial outbreaks more successfully than others.  Take for example, the U.S. and Britain.  With over a half-a-million COVID-related deaths, the U.S. ranks seventh in deaths worldwide per one million population as of March 2, 2021 (as per Statista.com).  With over 123,000 deaths, the U.K. ranks fourth in deaths worldwide per one million population.  The U.S. has had close to 29 million confirmed cases and the U.K. over 4 million cases to date — incredibly high numbers.  However, one has to recognize that big differences show up between countries when combining the number of deaths against confirmed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 test rates can vary per country.  Eventually, epidemiologists and statisticians will have to investigate such anomalies.

Nevertheless, despite the obvious fortunate distribution of vaccines in the U.S. and U.K providing hope for an eventual end to the pandemic, the costs associated with recorded deaths has been far too high each country.  In particular, the coronavirus has disproportionately affected visible minorities, especially people of colour, and those in lower income neighbourhoods despite their numbers being less than half of the total population.  What has made matters worst is the fact that the large number of past and present cases led to the growth in COVID variances in both countries.  As we know, these variances are more easily and quickly spread from person-to-person.  This led to more cases of COVID-19 which in turn has put more strain on health care resources, leading to more hospitalizations, and to potentially more deaths.  Rapidly emerging variants became the biggest problem in the U.K. and states like California, something which perhaps could have been avoided had more stringent measures been put in place at the pandemic’s outset.

In Canada, lockdowns and other restrictions were implemented back in the early spring and resulted in the number of COVID-related cases and deaths levelling off during the summer.  Canada, although with a smaller population than the U.S. and U.K., ranked fiftieth in terms of deaths worldwide per one million population as of March 2, 2021.  Of the 22,000 recorded deaths, the majority unfortunately were disproportionately among seniors in long-term residences in two of the most populated provinces, Ontario and Quebec.  This unfortunate situation is why both provinces have targeted vulnerable seniors in both provinces as the country’s initial vaccinations begin to roll out.  However, with around 900,000 cases, analysts may conclude that Canada’s overall approach to the pandemic has been successful in limiting the number of related deaths and hospitalizations. 

Taking all the data into account down the road, I am certain that some countries’ approach to tackling the pandemic will have proven to be more effective than others.  In the meantime, many of the restrictions imposed by health authorities will have to be maintained in the coming months to avoid the emergence of a third and possibly more deadly wave of the virus.  This is despite the current rate of vaccination in all countries with which the media appears to be currently infatuated.  Given the evident concerns about the impact on economic growth in all countries, this proposition will not be an easy one politically to accept, especially now that more pandemic fatigue has set in. 

Canada Coronavirus COVID-19 US

Leave a comment »
Feb 28

Once Again, We Have Forgotten About Afghanistan

by bcurry

Yes, the primary news today and during the past year in North America is all about the pandemic and how governments are attempting to cope.  However, loss in all of this is the deteriorating state within Afghanistan.  I have previously blogged on issues surrounding the survival of the current American-backed government in Kabul and the past tremendous investments that Western countries, most notably the U.S., made in that country as noted in: Afghanistan-good-investment-or-sink-hole-and-lost-cause/.  In the meantime, the Taliban have been encroaching on key cities around Afghanistan for months, threatening to drive the country to its breaking point and push the Biden administration into a no-win situation just as the United States’ longest war is supposed to be coming to an end.

Under the deal struck by President Trump with the Taliban last year, all foreign troops — including the remaining 2,500 U.S. service members who support Afghanistan’s army and security forces — were scheduled to have withdrawn by May 1, 2021, leaving the country in an especially precarious state.  As talks between the Afghan government and Taliban continue, the reality is that insurgents already hold much of the country.  The Taliban is back to using terror and fear tactics to control the population in those parts of the country occupied by its forces.  They have a loose network of prisons wherein many people are being tortured.  They also operate a parallel network of civilian courts in which religious scholars adjudicate land disputes and family disputes, much like they did when they ran Afghanistan’s government two decades ago.  Supported by the local tribal officials, Taliban courts also try murders and suspected moral and religious offences. 

It has been argued that if the U.S. delays its withdrawal deadline, the Taliban would likely consider the 2020 deal with the U.S. void, likely leading to renewed attacks on American and NATO troops.  The result potentially could draw the U.S. deeper into the war to defend Afghanistan’s beleaguered army and security forces, whom the Taliban could still retaliate vigorously against.  Unfortunately, many Afghans see the current government as corrupt and its justice system as crooked. 

Then, there’s the ongoing cost of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.  According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the total military expenditure in Afghanistan from October 2001 until September 2019 was $778 billion.  In addition, the U.S. State Department – along with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and other government agencies – spent $44 billion on reconstruction projects.  Then there were the American lives lost.  As of July 2018, there were over 2,300 U.S. military and over 16,000 civilian deaths in the Afghan war.  In addition, over 20,000 American service members had been wounded in action up until then.  There were also over 1,700 U.S. civilian contractor fatalities.

All of this leads one to understand the American hesitancy to simply pack up and leave Afghanistan as it did during the Vietnam war.  Much has been sacrificed in a cause that was a no-win from the outset, demonstrating the dangers associated with trying to impose democratic ways in a poor country which has only known authoritarianism.  Unfortunately, without U.S. support, the current Afghan regime obviously cannot stand on its own.  It’s a difficult decision for President Biden to make, but it’s one that has to be made sooner than later given the daily costs, human and financial, associated with sustaining the current regime in Kabul.  Afghanistan is certain to be back in our headlines once again.

Afghanistan Foreign Policy US

Leave a comment »
Feb 24

When It Comes to COVID-19, the Cure Could Be Worse Than the Disease?

by bcurry

I just heard a radio interview with a so-called expert on infectious diseases who proclaimed that he viewed government prevention actions are worse than COVID-19 itself.  He suggests that health authorities are being overly cautious and that the extent of lockdowns and restrictions on openings are overkill.  His views are especially disconcerting, particularly as they are presented just as the U.S. has surpassed half a million COVID-related deaths.  He seemed to imply that the worst is over, even though numerous other experts have expressed serious concerns about a possible third wave due to the disease and its variants.  Indeed, it has just been disclosed that a coronavirus variant emerged in California and has surged to become the dominant strain.  This California variant not only spreads more readily than its predecessors but also apparently evades antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines or prior infection.  Not good news!

Yes, there is little doubt that lockdowns of businesses, events and schools hurt a lot of people.  However, what is the alternative?  How many deaths are we willing to accept as a consequence of remaining open and removing our masks?  If one takes the Swedish example where schools and businesses remained open for a substantial period of time following the pandemic’s emergence, there have been many times the number of deaths compared to other Scandinavian countries where more restrictions were quickly introduced.  We now know that the Swedish economy did not do any better than other economies who implemented lockdown practices.  Swedes became increasingly fearful of going outside and eating in restaurants in light of the high death totals.  In addition, there has been no herd immunity until now and Sweden will have to rely on vaccines and continuing precautions to contain the coronavirus, including the variants. Just like the rest of us!

As mass inoculations occur globally, it will take several more months before one can safely say that the pandemic is truly under control.  In the meantime, ethically we need to avoid and limit the potential of future COVID-related deaths as much as humanly possible.  This may mean that certain societal restrictions, including those on travel, will need to be maintained in the coming months.  Yes, vaccines will help.  However, the reality is that it will take the remainder of the year to inoculate enough of the global population to eventually create some form of so-called ‘herd immunity’.  The science is always trying to catch up to the mutations associated with COVID.  Remember as Dr. Anthony Fauci notes: “If viruses don’t replicate, they don’t mutate.”  The greater transmissibility of the virus could cause hospitals to become so overwhelmed and healthcare resources to be stretched so thin that more deaths are the result.  This is why we need to stop the further spread of variants by getting vaccinated, wearing masks, physically distancing, avoiding travel and limiting exposure to others.  It’s a difficult cure, but it is a lot better than the consequences of having more significant outbreaks of the disease in our communities.

Canada Coronavirus COVID-19 US

Leave a comment »
Feb 23

Canada Also Has Its Own Right-Wing Extremist Groups

by bcurry

Just recently, there was an anti-lockdown demonstration in front of the provincial legislation in Edmonton, Alberta.  Interestingly, the province’s premier, Jason Kenney, associated several hate groups and racism to the anti-lockdown protest.  Now, Alberta is politically Canada’s most conservative province, having elected a string of conservative governments in the last five decades.  Nevertheless, the Premier openly declared that some prominent racists and white supremists promoted Saturday’s protest at the legislature, and individuals attended the event from known hate groups like the ‘Soldiers of Odin’ and ‘Urban Infidels’.  What these groups failed to mention is that Alberta had a disproportionately high number of COVID-19 cases and deaths compared to the rest of Canada.  Although somewhat late off the mark, the province eventually and somewhat reluctantly was forced to introduce lockdown measures and mandatory mask wearing, especially in its two largest cities of Calgary and Edmonton.  Once again during the protest, violence broke out when the police were forced to intervene.  Allegedly, several officers were punched by protesters while trying to make an arrest.  Premier Kenney correctly asserted that while Albertans value freedom of speech and assembly, the event’s connection to hate groups and any violence had to be condemned.

For a number of years, studies have shown right-wing extremist groups are ‘prevalent’ across Canada, including the ‘Proud Boys’ which has recently been added to the national terrorist list in Canada.  A number of Canadians supported Donald Trump when he was president and continue to support him even today.  As in the U.S., one place where right-wing extremists find support is online.  Sub-forums of the white supremacist website, Stormfront.org, are among the most popular.  It should be remembered that the Proud Boys was origionally founded in 2016 by a Canadian, Gavin Miles McInnes, a Canadian writer and far-right political commentator at the time.  Under its current American leader, Enrique Tarrio, many Proud Boys members stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th and several, including Tarrio, have since been arrested. 

The fact of the matter is that Canadian authorities will have to continue to assess and investigate all extremists groups in order to prevent associated violent activities, especially against minorities.  These groups have particularly emerged during this pandemic and have taken advantage of the anger, mistrust of government and general fears of some Canadians.  They tend to ally themselves with anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers and those opposed to government lockdowns of businesses and services.  Don’t be fooled, these are not temporary movements and will be around for awhile in both Canada and the U.S.  There is no invisible wall between the two countries, especially in the age of the Internet.

Canada Extremist Groups Extremist Groups Terrorism US

Leave a comment »
Feb 20

There is little doubt that Walmart is part of an oligopoly

by bcurry

As supplier of produce and goods, you don’t have much choice now but to deal with one or more of the large retail distribution firms in Canada and the U.S.  In recent years the choice of which retail outlets to deal with has greatly narrowed.  What the pandemic has highlighted economically is that certain sectors in both countries are basically controlled by a few large companies who make up oligopolies.  The Oxford English Dictionary defines “oligopoly” as “a state of limited competition in which a market is shared by a small number of producers or sellers.”  Today, as a supplier, one has little choice but to deal with the likes of Walmart, Cosco, Loblaws, Amazon, etc.

These large enterprises in turn are increasing their sales through online ordering, a somewhat costly transition but a necessary one.  The pandemic and changing customer preferences for shopping have speeded up this process.  In the meantime, these companies have recently introduced new higher supplier fees, arguing that they are intended to help cover the cost of modernization plans, especially those related to improvements in e-commerce and to help pay for upgrades.  The introduction of these higher fees set off a prolonged conflict between manufacturers and supermarket chains, a few of which like Loblaws Canada sought to charge similar supplier fees.  Walmart for one said the fees were a fair trade-off for suppliers, since the proposed investments would lead to sales growth.  Walmart and Loblaws have now set a dangerous precedent in the sector by asking suppliers to help cover the costs of new investments.

It’s understandable that suppliers are enraged by these new fees, wondering why they are being forced to subsidize the likes of Walmart and Loblaws to modernize their businesses.  Given the nature of oligopolies and their desire not to increase their retail prices to consumers, what’s frustrating is that the suppliers may not have any choice but to accept the additional costs and reduce their profit margins accordingly.  Several may even find it difficult to survive by doing so, including some of the independent grocers.  What’s even more frustrating, due to the pandemic’s impact resulting from the frequent closures of medium and small retail businesses, these larger companies have significantly increased their overall profits for the last year.  For example, Walmart reported record revenue worldwide of over US$152 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020, a 7.4 percent increase over the previous year. 

Governments have legislation regulating “monopolies” which inevitably reduce competition in the economy, affect the normal operations of the free market and increase costs to consumers.  Perhaps it’s about time that governments take a closer look at oligopolies as suggested by a number of industry organizations.  In addition, maybe corporations like Walmart and Loblaws could reintroduce or increase hazard pay to their employees as long as the pandemic continues.   Through the end of 2020, the total additional COVID-19 compensation Amazon and Walmart provided to their frontline workers represented only a small fraction of the companies’ extraordinary earnings, and an even smaller percentage of the stunning, pandemic-fuelled wealth created for their richest shareholders. 

Canada Economy Economy US

Leave a comment »
Feb 11

Split in Republican Party Worsens As Impeachment Trial Drags On

by bcurry

As it stands now, the Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is for all intent and purpose over.  According to recent polls, the Democrats and those few Republican senators supporting a conviction have already won in the court of public opinion with a majority of those polled supporting Trump’s conviction higher than during the first impeachment.  While there are obviously not enough Republican senators to convict Trump, the damage from the January 6th riot at the Capitol continues increasingly to split the ranks of the GOP.  Those Republicans in Congress supporting Trump’s impeachment and the election of Joe Biden are now the target of several state and local Republican officials.  Since Trump left office, grassroots Republican activists and state parties have become his most vociferous defenders, often condemning and censuring elected Republicans who dare to deviate in any way from full support of the former president.  Whether or not one likes it, Trump remains the most popular national figure associated with the Republican Party.  State and local party organizations elect their own members and operate with considerable autonomy under the GOP system.  Many continue to believe that Trump was the voice for their agenda in D.C.  However, the reality is that Trump’s gang created his image and platform more than the GOP rank and file did.  Narcissist Trump simply used them and continues to do so after the election to support his nonsensical claim that the election had been stolen.

Now, you have dozens of former and current Republican officials who view the party as unwilling to stand up to Trump and his attempts to undermine U.S. democracy.  Apparently, some senior Republicans are even contemplating the formation of a center-right breakaway party.  As argued by certain party strategists, the problem is that the growing GOP split will undercut the party’s chances in the 2022 midterm elections to win House and Senate majorities.  As it stands right now, the possibility of quickly regaining party unity appears to be a long shot as long as Trump’s influence on the local and state GOP continues.  Many Republicans remain fiercely loyal to the former president, while exasperated others seek a new more centralized direction for the party back to its conservative roots.  Instead, they would run on a platform of “principled conservatism,” including adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law.  They feel that the party’s integrity is at stake and Republicans need to distance themselves from Trump’s influence.

Emotions are running high among both pro-Trump supporters and the anti-Trump faction of the party.  Trump not only inspired a mob to storm the Capitol, he also brought the Republican Party close to a breaking point.  Whether or not Trump is convicted and thereby unable to ever run again for the position of president, the damage is already done within the GOP.  There is no other way to describe the GOP’s internal squabbles but that of continued ‘fanaticism’ and ‘disfunctionalism’.  Moreover, millions of Republican voters are seeking no such separation from Mr. Trump.  The House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, many of his House colleagues and state lawmakers around the country continue to express support for Trump.  For the moment at least, they are far more loyal to their lame-duck president than to the traditional party leaders who preceded him.

As part of the impeachment process, the House is currently laying out a very convincing case against Trump, branding him the ‘Inciter in Chief’.  Interestingly, in the unlikely case that the Senate were to convict Mr. Trump — finding him guilty of “inciting violence against the government of the United States” — senators apparently could still vote on whether to bar him from holding future office. That vote would only require a simple majority.  If it came down to party lines, Democrats would prevail with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie breaking vote.  This could help the GOP to begin to renew its fractured party, but don’t count on it.  It may also cause more backlash among Trump’s supporters, while further widening the existing spit within the party.  All of this makes for great political debate in the coming months, much to the growing embarrassment and consternation of the Republican establishment. 

Donald Trump Impeachment Proceedings Republican Party US US Politics

Leave a comment »
«Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Blog at WordPress.com.