In the famous Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln questioned, “whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.” The definition of “long” may be the operative issue as America hurdles towards an uncertain future; one that does not guarantee continuance of governance in its current form. Disconcertingly, it is clear that tens of millions of Americans don’t care and would willingly overturn the U.S. Constitution in favor of an authoritarian leader.
Recent American history is one of betrayal of the basic principles of democracy at many different levels, both institutional and personal. As Madeleine Albright, a staunch defender of democracy, stated in one of her last interviews with Fareed Zakaria, “democracies must produce.” Specifically, she noted, platitudes were one thing but meeting physical needs (bread on the table) was also necessary to remain in a governing position. Focused on creature comforts, the voting public rarely chooses to hold accountable those making even the most egregious ethical errors. This may prove be a fatal flaw.
There is no single point of betrayal. From the U.S. Governmental level, the deceit encompasses all three branches, Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. Then too, while generally privately held, the Fourth Estate has significant culpability. Too frequently they skew public opinion to fit the obscene narratives contrived by unscrupulous officials or the philosophical bent of their owners.
For media moguls, such as Rupert Murdoch, money trumps morality. Thus, unbounded by facts or reality, controversies generate revenue. The Murdochs can rightfully be equated to the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, which manufactured OxyContin and directly contributed to an opioid epidemic that killed more than half a million Americans. Like the Sacklers, Rupert Murdoch and his son Laughlin, knowingly pedal a lethal substance far more consequential than pain-relieving drugs; it undermines democracy. With their pundits, such as Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity, claiming victimhood through censorship, Fox News Channel routinely espouses the Big Lie (Trump won the election), as well as various anti-scientific themes such as questioning the efficacy of Covid 19 vaccines and the reality of climate change. Unfortunately, their rhetoric is more addictive and dangerous than any of the opioids pushed by the Sacklers.
From a governmental perspective, the most abused issue, and the one most central to a functioning democracy, is that of voting rights. Contentious, voting rights as defined initially in the US. Constitution, have undergone several major revisions. That is exemplified by the XV Amendment (1870 African American men’s right to vote) and the XIX Amendment (1920 women’s right to vote). Despite those amendments being codified, many state and local governments created what were known as Jim Crow Laws, that adversely impacted Black voters. Therefore, to counteract those blatant injustices, Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6th of that year.
Notably, the Congressional votes on that Act were far from unanimous. While a considerable majority of both chambers did vote in favor of the Voting Rights Act, 85 House Representatives and 19 Senators opposed granting equal voting rights for all citizens. In the intervening period, far more Republican elected officials have stepped forward to voice objection to the inclusion of groups they feel might vote for candidates that oppose them. Vigorously employing gerrymandering, their clear intention is to select their voters and dampen the effects of dissenting populations. Yes, there have been some gerrymandering activities by Democrats, but not near the extent of those of the GOP.
The Judicial Branch has played a critical role in eviscerating the rights of all citizens to vote. It was hardly naivete when the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) effectively gutted key portions of the Voting Rights Act, holding the oversight of state’s improprieties would no longer be needed. Decided in 2013, Shelby County vs Holder, SCOTUS ruled by a 5 to 4 vote that “Section 4(b) was unconstitutional because the coverage formula was based on data over 40 years old, making it no longer responsive to current needs and therefore an impermissible burden on the constitutional principles of federalism and equal sovereignty of the states.”
There is little doubt Trump betrayed his oath of office, when as POTUS, he attempted to reverse the election that ousted him. His criminal conduct is evident in his overt attempt to have Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, change the official vote count in that state. He continues to betray the country with insistence on the Big Lie, (that he won the 2020 election). The evidence was so overwhelming and blatantly obvious that it led to his unprecedented second impeachment. Through the release of various text messages, we have learned of other betrayals. Former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, was a significant conduit in supporting plots to reverse the outcome of the election. Chad Wolf, then acting Secretary of Homeland Security betrayed the country by withholding an investigation report on Russian involvement in the election he thought might damage Trump. Attorney General Bill Barr betrayed the country when he intentionally misinformed the American people about the findings of the Mueller investigation.
The more significant betrayal of America, however, was the failure of the U.S. Senate to convict Trump on his second impeachment. Most strikingly, given his prior admonition of Trump, Senator Mitch McConnell voted to acquit. That while publicly stating that Trump was personally responsible for the insurrection on January 6, 2021. While seven Republican Senators did find him guilty, the remaining ones took their lead from McConnell and also voted for acquittal. While a few GOP Senators may have believed otherwise, most of those voting knew the facts and thus their votes constituted a betrayal of their oath of office and to America.
Senator Mitch McConnell, the epitome of a self-indulged politician, appears in a league of his own in his betrayal of the country. One has but to remember his position regarding President Obama when he stated, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” In so doing he made it clear that the needs of the people of America are insignificant compared to his personal political goals. Of course, that move was supported by John Boehner, then Speaker of the House, who said of the agenda to help the citizens of this country, “We’re going to do everything — and I mean everything we can do — to kill it, stop it, slow it down, whatever we can.”
Of course, with maximum hypocrisy, McConnell has personally packed SCOTUS. First, he denied Obama’s moderate appointee, Merritt Garland, to even have a hearing with over a year left before the 2016 election. Under Obama’s term he insisted that it must be left up to the people to decide based on the outcome of the presidential election. He held the position open until Trump nominated conservative perjurer Neil Gorsuch to the vacancy. Then, with only a few weeks left prior to the 2020 election, he rushed through a very conservative and sixth Catholic, Amy Coney Barrett. in record time. (Note Catholics make up 23 percent of US population, yet 67 percent of the Court)
Recently coming to light is the consummate betrayal of America by House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy. Immediately following the January 6, 2021 insurrection, McCarthy publicly stated that Donald Trump bore responsibility for that event. That same month he shamefully went to Mar-a-Lago to pledge allegiance to Trump. Like McConnell, he reversed course and stated Trump was not responsible for that horrendous event. We now know he talked with Trump shortly after that incident, and reportedly told Trump he needed to resign from the presidency. McCarthy then held a conference call with multiple Republican officials and told them not only that he suggested resignation, but that Trump acknowledged to McCarthy, that as POTUS, he (Trump) bore some responsibility for the carnage that followed.
Once accusations of these interactions were made public in April 2022, McCarthy proclaimed the comments were not true. Unfortunately for McCarthy, someone had recorded that critical call and made it available to Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, reporters for The New York Times and authors of This Shall not Pass. They made the recording available to various media outlets proving conclusively that McCarthy had told several GOP Congressmen that the prior information was accurate. All of this condemns McCarthy for betraying not only his constituents, but all Americans, for not supporting Trump’s removal from office. This, though there is evidence that he, McConnell, and others discussed invoking the 25th Amendment and putting Mike Pence in the presidency.
Until recently, the US Supreme Court has enjoyed more trust and confidence from the American people than either the executive or legislative branch of government. During this past week a draft decision was leaked to the public regarding the demise of Roe versus Wade. Chief Justice John Roberts wrongly stated that the leak would not impact the integrity of the Court and its decisions. He affirmed that the leaked draft report written by Judge Alito was accurate. In reality, it is the blatant hypocrisy and perjury by several members of the Court who concurred with Alito’s draft that constitute a betrayal of their oath of office as well as testimony at their confirmation hearings. Their actions are far more detrimental than the leak, to the integrity, not only of the Supreme Court, but the entire judicial system of our country. If judges on the highest court in the land lie under oath with impunity, why should any judges deserve the trust and respect of the public.
There are many other examples that could be cited in which various organs of the government have betrayed their oaths and responsibilities. Near daily, new allegations are reported as the public learn more about the activities endemic during the Trump Administration, especially during the intervening period between the 2020 election and Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021. Unfortunately, truth rarely matters in swaying public opinion. How long a nation can endure when tens of millions in the general public, and their leaders, reject demonstrable reality in favor of tribal affiliation, is in serious doubt. Make no doubt about it, democracy is at stake. Most unfortunately, that is not a unique statement but one that is being made by many of the most astute minds in America.
Madeleine Albright was correct in noting that democracies must produce. The vast majority of Americans living today have never known the time when they have been called on to truly sacrifice. As both the public and government leaders put both greed and personal ambitions ahead of civic duties, prospects for maintaining democracy as our form of governance decrease.
A legitimate question becomes, despite being lied to extensively, how much of the responsibility transfers to the voters who have enabled these obvious and continuous betrayals? Worse, those voters keep reelecting the fraudsters despite the overwhelming evidence of their culpability in the degradation of America for personal gain.
Sinclair Lewis is credited (possibly falsely) with stating, "When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." Prophetic when first written, it accurately describes the base of the Republican Party today.