BIDEN’S AMERICA

In a peaceful transfer of power unthinkable just two weeks ago when democracy was threatened by the invasion of the Capitol by white supremacist domestic terrorists, the future is no longer what it used to be. The whole political scene has been shaken up with Biden appealing for unity, Trump’s position weakening and McConnell emerging as crucial to POTUS 46’s agenda.The central question behind Trump’s rise to power is, - are only those with white skins American? This core belief was accompanied by his desperate attempts to remain in power which resulted in a threat to the constitution.

Biden in his inaugural speech was vintage authentic Biden. He emphasized unity, truth instead of lies, transparency and a message of hope as he faced four domestic crises - the pandemic, the economic crisis, climate change and racial inequity, not to mention reestablishing America’s reputation in the world and reconnecting with their allies. 

THE AFTERMATH AFTER THE INSURRECTION 

The major sequelae following the storming of the Capitol were:  Biden who was not starry eyed about the divisions in the country emphasized that their can be differences without rage; McConnell and Trump are now in open warfare symbolizing the fight for the Republican Party’s soul; Several members of the white supremacist militia groups, particularly Q,Anon and The Proud Boys and to a lesser extent the Oath Keepers, America First and the Three percenters, believe Trump has sold them out; The FBI, who had previously claimed that domestic terrorism was the major threat to the country, have opened three hundred dockets for those who had been involved in the attempted insurrection of the American Government; Trump, facing impeachment and a nightmare of legal problems, vanished from sight for the moment promising to return in one form or another as his “movement” had just begun and finally, January 20, 2021 was a day of firsts for elected government officers which in a way epitomized the political issue facing the nation as to “Who is an American?”.

THE FIRSTS -  WHO IS AMERICAN?

Biden’s cabinet as well as the activity on Inaugural Day illustrated the talented and diverse group who are part and parcel of who constitutes the American population. First and foremost is his Vice President Kamala Harris the first women of color, both characteristics firsts, to be elected to national office. She then went to the Senate to swear in the first Latino Senator from California, whose population is forty percent from that national group. She followed with the pair of Senators from Georgia, Pastor Warnock, the first African American Georgian Senator, who preaches in Martin Luther King’s Church, and Jon Ossoff, the first Jewish Georgian Senator whose work with African American activists and parliamentarians was on record. What was amazing was that these two unashamed liberals won in a red state, where when Democrats win, their credentials are right of center.  

POTUS 46’s cabinet proved what he said it would be, “The most diverse cabinet in history” and would look like America. There were three firsts - sixty percent were women, fifty percent were citizens of color and twenty percent were first generation Americans. Most notable among these selections were the Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the first African American to hold this position, Lavier Becerra, the first Latino to lead the Health and Human Services portfolio, Peter Buttigieg the first openly gay member of an American Cabinet, Jennifer Granholm the first Canadian born member of an American cabinet, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first native American, the double first - Alexandro Mayorkas an immigrant and the first Latino to be nominated as Homeland Secretary, Janet Yellen the first woman Secretary of Treasury and the first female Director of national intelligence, Avril Haines.

Trump had over seventy percent of his cabinet in the first hundred days who were white and male and in his revolving door tenure it never improved. 

Not to forget the first American Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest person ever to address an Inauguration, Amanda Gorman a young African woman. Her poem “The Hill We Climb” was nothing of short of genius. To quote from the beginnings and ends of her hopeful and generous poem:

“Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed

a nation that isn’t broke,

but is simply unfinished

We are the successors of a country and a time

Where asking Black girl

descended from slaves and raised by a single mother

can dream of becoming president

only to find herself reciting for one….

But while democracy can be periodically delayed

It can never be permanently defeated……..

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states

we will rise from the sunbaked south

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover

every nook of our nation

every corner called our country

our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,

battered and beautiful

When day comes we step out of the shade…….”

The personnel appointed and associated with the Biden regime versus those of Trump’s is a reflection for who is an American and who is not. What Trump really meant with his slogan Make America Great Again versus those of Biden’s - The Battle for the Soul of America and Unite for a Better America is let us keep America white versus Biden’s melting pot that America is and will become even more in the years to come.

PRESIDENT BIDEN AND AMERICA

Biden has been consistent from the day he announced his candidature which was precipitated by Trump, when he all but backed domestic white supremacist domestic terrorists in Charlottesville Virginia. The Covid disaster that has killed four hundred thousand Americans has been his top priority and the Unity of Americans his goal. In fact that was the theme of his speech. It was code for a celebration of the multicultural multinational and multiethnic nation that America is versus the hearkening back to the days when whites were in total control of politics, economics, the professions and culture. Those were days when America’s immigrants were the poor or oppressed who were the whites of Europe, a situation which prevailed for centuries. But whether they were the Irish, Italians, Germans, Scandinavians or Jews from pogroms and in the late twentieth century the East Europeans and the Russians they all had a rough time of it even though of a different scale than the browns, as illustrated by Trump who defamed the Mexicans immigrants as being “Drug Dealers, criminals and rapists”.

Even Trump recognized that the American success can be largely attributed to immigrants but the Norwegians, (white), that the ex POTUS invited, like the rest of Europe, (white) and large parts of South East Asia no longer have “The Tired, Poor, Huddled Masses, Wretched Refuse and Homeless, Yearning to be free” populations.  It is now the brown races that fall into that category. There are eleven million that are here illegally, most of whom are fully integrated. Without them - Mar - a - Lago and Trump’s properties couldn’t run not to mention the rest of the American economy. 

Biden has a whole package including legislation to deal with these problems including coping with the cruel mess Trump caused at the border 

BIDEN WITH COVID AND THE  ECONOMY

It is a fair characterization to label the POTUS’S approach to Covid and the economic recession in its wake as being managed on a war footing basis. With a chief Covid coordinator reporting to him, the decision to utilize the Defense Production Act, an active committee and a “liberated” Dr. Fauci it is all systems go. Biden has underpromised on producing a hundred million vaccines in his first hundred days. This is his number one priority. Covid management will serve as a metaphor for comparing Trump’s Presidency versus that of Biden.

Biden’s belief is that the economy’s future is totally dependent on the control of the pandemic and has put forward a two billion dollar package in an attempt to save citizens from poverty, resuscitate businesses and stamp out Covid. To effect this is he is going to need the collaboration of McConnell.

MCCONNELL v TRUMP AND THE WHITE SUPREMACISTS

Notwithstanding the fact that McConnell is no longer the majority leader of the Senate he is to a certain extent even more influential to the future of America than he was in the Trump era. There he was appointing conservative judges, lowering taxes for the rich and otherwise holding his nose at Trump’s unpresidential behavior and actions. Now he is reflecting on the destruction that his unholy alliance with Trump has wrought and the future of the GOP. As Jay H. Ell has written these past few weeks he has noted the evolving anger of McConnell’s attitude to Trump.

When the Senate returned from recess following its storming by terrorist insurgents, McConnell opened the proceedings as follows: “The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the President and other prominent people. And they tried to stop  a specific proceeding which they did not like. And they tried to use fear and violence….”.McConnell seems pretty close to voting for Trump’s impeachment. While garnering seventeen Republican votes is a stretch, McConnell is the only Republican who could effect it 

 Lindsey Graham who was Trump’s day to day enabler, probably even letting him win at golf, has warned against impeachment. His argument being that the majority of the Republican voters back Trump. What Graham ignores is that number is receding and when the full extent of Trump “using” these terrorists as his army is revealed it will decrease even more. The latter circumstance added to his legal woes will not increase his popularity. In addition his throwing the rioters, whom he had sent and promised to follow, under the bus is not going to endear him to his followers. He pardoned his cronies and those who could spill the beans on him but not those he incited to do his dirty work. 

The Q,Anon fantasy has been smashed partly by the former POTUS. He is still not President and the FBI didn’t march in and arrest Biden and his followers as their narrative predicted. The white supremacist blog sites indicate their feeling of betrayal and some even coming to the reality that they have been had.The movements will take a long time to recover as their leadership will all be locked up as they were the ones smashing the “People’s House”, wanting to hang Pence and kill Nancy Pelosi. Also as each day passes and Biden does what he promises the Republican Party will lose even more adherents. Trump is already talking of forming a new party, “The Patriot Party”.

The idea floated, particularly on Fox News, that if Biden is serious about unity he should stop the impeachment is disingenuous. The agencies and individuals that were screaming the loudest that Biden “stole” the election are in the forefront of this cry. However history has shown that there must be accountability and justice. 

With respect to Lincoln in his second inaugural speech, “With malice to none and charity to all …….to bind up the nation’s wounds…” followed by his proclamation of forgiveness resulted in no justice to the defeated who had started the Civil War. Mandela turned the world upside down for unity but there was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that decided if there was not true remorse and or crimes that were too outrageous to grant amnesty, such as murder, assault and crimes against human rights. Those that didn’t deserve amnesty stood trial. The Commission was held under the dictum that “taking orders” was no defense for atrocities.This should apply to Trump downwards and to all who breached the Capitol and those that aided and abetted them. Otherwise healing cannot take place. 

IMPEACHMENT

It is interesting to note McConnell and the new leader of the Senate Chuck Schumer now cooperate as there has never ever been any love lost between the two. The impeachment trial could start anytime as it should begin within twenty - four hours of Pelosi bringing the Article of Impeachment to the Senate. That would suit neither the Republicans or Democrats. Trump in particular would be further up the creek because he has just finally found a legal counsel that will represent him. McConnell asked for a delay till February 18 and Schumer compromised till February 8. This gives Biden an opportunity to get his Cabinet ratified, possibly his Covid package debated and for the House Managers to collect further material to build their case. It has been revealed, for example, who further has been involved. The latest revelation shows that Trump tried to force the acting attorney general to get the Georgia results reversed.

Butch Bowers Trump’s newest attorney has a good reputation in South  Carolina and was found by Lindsey Graham. He has argued on behalf of South Carolina Republicans with similar problems. Whether he can find a table full of colleagues to share the load remains to be seen. Just a word of advice to Trump’s newest best lawyer, get a fat retainer before starting as your client is not very good at paying his bills.

At the end of the day public opinion may well shape where wavering Senate Republicans vote on impeachment.

TO END WITH BIDEN

“…12 years ago, I was waiting at the train station in Wilmington for a black man to pick me up on our way to Washington, where we sworn in as President and Vice President of America. And here we are today, my family and I, about to return to Washington to meet a black woman to be sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States……Don’t tell me things can’t change they can they do….”

“……Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together, Uniting out people and uniting our nation. I ask every American to join me in this cause….”

“……..The story that tells, ages yet to come, that we answered the call of history. We met the moment. That democracy and hope, truth and justice, did not die on our watch but thrived. That our America secured liberty at home and stood again as a beacon to the world…”