Officer Daniel Hodges courtesy of wikipedia.org
Patriotism is out of favor these days, dropping from 70% support in 2000 to 38% today. (“The Strange Triumph of a Broken America,” by Michael Beckley, Foreign Affairs, Jan/Feb. 2025, pg. 50.) Because we choose our leaders in a democracy, the decline says the voters are unhappy with the choices they’ve made. But who’s to blame for that? Nonetheless, though the citizenry suffers a period of discontent, writer Michael Beckley is positive about the nation’s future.
Many obstacles lie ahead, he admits, but he points to our demographics as a significant strength. Cosseted between two large bodies of water, we are protected from many international conflicts. We also benefit from our decentralized form of government. A drought in Oklahoma won’t disrupt the economy of California. That decentralization keeps our economy afloat and, so far, has overcome the rift between urban and rural America. (Ibid, pg. 56)
The strength of the U. S. dollar is another plus. True, the petrodollar which kept our currency robust no longer exists. Saudi Arabia has moved on to become a member of BRICS, a competing trading partner. But, foreign investments keep our economy buoyant, and having a large consumer population also helps. (Ibid, pg. 56.)
Not all experts agree with Beckley’s array of facts, however. Many feel BRICS will negatively impact our economy. They also add that Donald Trump’s recent tariff proposals affecting trade with Mexico and Canada could have destabilized both our economy and our politics. Tariffs wouldn’t have enhanced our standing south of the border either. Latin America has a long memory concerning U. S. bullying in the region. A recent example is his threat to retake the Panama Canal.
Trump’s proposal to annex Greenland is hurting us abroad, as well. Greenland belongs to Denmark, a NATO ally, and they are unhappy about the idea. Worse, his decision to level retaliatory tariffs against Spain, another NATO member, exposes his colossal ignorance. He mistakes the “S” in BRICS for our trading partner. But it doesn’t stand for Spain. The “S” stands for South Africa.
When voters elect inferior minds, no one should wonder why faith in our democracy declines. The effect is exponential. Trump’s proposed Cabinet members are also unqualified–the dregs of malcontents as Eric Hoffer would call them. (The True Believer, by Eric Hoffer, Harper, 1951, pg. 25)
Like a pimple, the corruption and cronyism we see breaking to the surface points to a deeper infection, a deficiency in moral character. Sadly, that malady doesn’t confine itself to Republicans. Insider trading is rampant in Congress, according to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. A recent example might be Nancy Pelosi’s sale of Nvidia stock before it plummeted. A fair question to ask is, “What did she know about the stock and when did she know it?”
The many negatives of government may cause voters to look for a strongman to clean up the mess. Unfortunately, strongmen can become tyrants, and democracy is lost. On the other hand, a government that works well may be taken for granted. Either way, indifference is where the infection begins. When people do nothing, their leaders grow contemptuous and act accordingly. (Ibid, pg. 119)
To maintain a democracy, citizens must remain alert. Today, that is especially true as we live in perilous times. The U. S. Supreme Court says our President is immune from prosecution for the criminal acts he commits while in office. That immunity he can extend to others as he did for the 1500 convicts he released from prison on his first day in office. Think of the consequences. Violent gang members are on our streets ready to do Trump’s bidding again without fear of arrest. In effect, they have become the President’s private militia, one he can unleash at any time, anywhere, and against anyone.
Those who assume the ship of state can be righted in the 2026 election, have no reason to be sanguine. A private army can wreak havoc in the streets, giving the President a fig leaf he can use to justify implementing martial law. Once in place, an election could be postponed indefinitely.
I may sound like I’m hyperventilating, but such action is within the realm of possibility. Already, Trump has violated many Constitutional safeguards. I ask, “Who is there to stop further assaults?” Not the Congress. Not the Courts. Not the Military. To keep our democracy from becoming despotic, there is only the ballot box. Sadly, in the 2024 election, almost as many people failed to vote as those who did. Even so, Trump considers his election a mandate. His delusion has some justification. Since he began his assault on our Constitution, his popularity has soared.
An honorable State does not arise from dishonorable leaders. Those who failed to vote in 2024 face a hard question. Are they happier today than they were before the election? If not, they must take responsibility to bring about change in the future. Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people. (Harry Emerson Fosdick).
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