How can anyone fail to be struck by the degree of raging anger held by a sizeable group of the American people, mostly white supporters of former President Trump, including a significant subset of QAnon followers. These people continue to believe Trump’s “big lie,” among many others, and some have even called for the execution of the thousands of people who they believe conspired against them to steal the election.
Despite having observed this country for over 150 years now, including a front row seat at some pretty tumultuous events, I remain all but astonished by these people’s raging fury. It’s clearly based on more than just their conviction the election was stolen; these people are passionately aggrieved to the point of debilitating hysteria. We know they feel their country is being stolen by the “browning of America,” but there seems more to it than that. Do they really hate “liberal elites” and the “radical left” that much? We know they feel their values and culture are under assault, but does that justify executions? Admittedly the answer continues to allude this humble spirit.
At the risk of repeating some of my previous ramblings, these passionately aggrieved people continue to reject the realities of the world they live in and seemingly oppose any form of change. It’s not just the browning of America they wish to forestall, they reject science and technology as well. Never mind complex issues like global warming, many of them even reject vaccines that can save their lives. They seem desperate to cast aside human progress and the benefits it potentially bestows upon them. In their minds it’s all a conspiracy and they’re the aggrieved victims. What the hell is going on here?
The Capitol Insurrection was the Equivalent of Vandalizing an ATM at Bank of America or Citibank.
Well, if you will allow me to speculate. . . the U.S. Capitol has long since ceased to be the “temple of democracy” and become the “temple of corporate lobbyists” instead—something that needs to be addressed, BIG TIME— and that points out the futility of the attack. As barbaric as the insurrection was, and as close as it came to destroying American democracy, it’s economic and social impact was about the equivalent of vandalizing an ATM at Bank of America or Citibank, a meaningless and pathetic gesture. Sadly, the ATM (that being the United States Congress) is the only access to power remaining to the rioters, and once it’s gone they’ll have lost their country completely—only NOT to brown people, as they have been painstakingly persuaded to believe. These people are justifiably angry at being shut out of a corporate power structure and a ruling class that increasingly seems beyond their comprehension and control, but smashing their only remaining ATM isn’t the answer.
By refusing to accept the election results, believing Donald Trump’s lies and QAnon’s fantasies instead, these passionately aggrieved (mostly white) people are cutting themselves off further from the realities of the present day—and any means of rectifying the true causes of their frustrations. Despite what they are told by a pillow manufacturer, among other unscrupulous characters, Trump will not be reinstated as president in August, a disappointment that will no doubt serve to stoke their rage further and result in more violence. I fear these people have worked their way into an unresolvable bad head (an expression we didn’t have back in my day) and are continuing a downward spiral with no peaceful resolution in sight.