Saturday, September 12, 2020

Dancing With the Devil: The November Elections


What do you think will happen if Donald Trump is reelected President? What do you think the outcome would be should Joe Biden win in November? Given the derisive climate we are living in, those are two questions we need to seriously think about. In fact, in a October 2019 Georgetown University poll, almost 68% of those surveyed said that we are quickly heading for a second civil war. That's a scary prospect folks.

The first civil war was the bloodiest war ever fought by this country. Some 620,000 died with another million or so either missing, wounded, or dying from their wounds or disease. About 420,000 died in World War II; 58,000 died in Vietnam. Given the size of our population and today's technology, can you imagine what the death toll could be? Ghastly would be an gross understatement, especially when you consider that we have a much higher percentage of people who are considered seniors, in nursing homes, or requiring medical care of some sort than at any time in our history who would affected.

Nevertheless, let's briefly consider the two scenarios. Ever since Trump's election in 2016, the establishment media has been waging a political assassination campaign against him. At every turn they have been trying to find some way to discredit or remove him, be it claiming Russian collusion, insider deals and bribery, to falsified "leaks" and whatever else you can think of.

The Democrats have been trying to undermine him at every term. The contempt individuals like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and a myriad of others have for Trump is palpable to the point of being embarrassing. Even prominent Republicans have been critical of the president, violating Ronald Reagan's old political maxim, "Thou Shall Not Criticize A Fellow Republican". Loyalty is a fickle thing in politics.

Meanwhile, since the 2016 election, there has been growing street violence. Groups like Antifa have been using old style "Brownshirt" street fighting to attack anything or anyone who disagrees with them. BLM, which started off seeking social justice for black individuals, has morphed into a radicalized Left wing political group more akin to Antifa than not. Other, even more radical groups, including several militia-like organizations which threaten violence have started forming.

In addition, a new Left formed on college campuses, social media, and elsewhere. Their goal is to deny, wherever possible, the opposition an opportunity to speak. They have attacked speakers (including those who had been invited to speak), trashed stores which sell anything opposing their views. They have harass individuals on social media in an attempt to silence them while going after subscribers, commenters, or even advertisers who support them. Freedom of speech for some but not all.

Since March, the violence has increased due to the deaths of several black individuals resulting from police shootings. Most of these incidents are still under investigation, but the tone has been set---charge them or the city will burn, which carries the obvious implication that their guilt and conviction should be foregone conclusions. So much for a fair trial.

Former 2016 Presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton has already publicly stated that should Trump win, Biden is to, under no circumstance, accept the results. Hillary has stated that they will need additional time to "ensure" that all votes are counted, which could take months. Presumably, this means they'll all be properly---and legally---counted before January. This brings up another issue, the votes themselves.

Because of the COVID-19 virus, many locales are encouraging mail-in voting. Of course, this creates the opportunity for all sorts of mischief such as lost ballots, altered ballots, disallowed ballots, or maybe even the dead voting! For those who "insist" on voting in person, this will likely be made as inconvenient as possible.

Traditional polling places will be closed and people will be herded into large buildings to vote amid constant reminders of the dangers of COVID-19. That may be enough to keep a lot of people home. As Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin once said, "It doesn't matter who votes. It only matters who counts the votes". Ole Uncle Joe knew what he was talking about.

So, Trump wins, then what? At first, not much. The media will downplay it and point to the votes yet to be manufactured...err...counted. However, as days drag into weeks, the patience on both sides will wear thin. There will be an increasing number of confrontations; many of them violent. When it becomes obvious that either Trump still wins or that fraud is afoot, that's when gloves will come off quickly.

The Far Left will go all out. There will be no middle ground. No compromise. There will be violence in the streets, be it cities, the towns, or the suburbs. The media will censor much of it as it has thus over the past several months. The economy, already hobbled by COVID-19, will largely come to a screeching halt (except possible online). It will be simply too dangerous for many people to go out.

There could be blackouts as electrical substations are attacked. Water purification plants could be attacked as well. Hospitals and pharmacies could be periodically attacked. In short, think Beirut. Read up on or watch videos about the "Color Revolutions" in Eastern Europe or the "Arab Spring" to get a good idea of what to expect.

Meanwhile, expect to see local police set up at key locations, especially major streets and expressways which will be subject to roving roadblocks by protestors. The state police will be out in force (most of them deputized as federal marshals). The National Guard will be out too. As looting and riots increasing, "shoot to kill" orders will be issued. Some states may even tell their citizens to move to certain secure areas or be prepared to defend themselves best as they can. It like literally look like a war zone.

After a few weeks of this, many of the least committed on both sides will start to settle down, leaving only the most extreme (of which there will still be plenty), but a general sense of normalcy will slowly evolve. Ultimately, Trump may be forced to resign "for the good of the country" in what will be a thinly veiled coup staged by his own party. An interim "caretaker" President will be installed. The media will hail it as brilliant statesmanship but everyone will see it for what it really is. The ruling Oligarchs of the Corporatocracy will use the chaos to restore order and everything else to their liking.

We will enter a long period of "normalization" which is code for protracted martial law. Various rights will be "temporarily" suspended for our "own good". Of course, we will never see those rights ever again, at least not in the same form. The New Order will begin. "Your papers if you would please".

What if it goes the other way and Biden wins? What happens then? You will immediately see the corporate media proclaim a "mandate by the people". There will be an immediate demand that Trump concede regardless of the status of mail-in ballots. They will want to secure the election as quickly as possible to avoid any delays or possible dispute of the results.

You will see the Left go bat shit wild. Yes, there will be massive celebrations in the streets, but in conjunction with these there will a great of celebratory violence with the usual vandalism, burnings, and lootings. On a slightly deeper level, you'll see Leftist groups start going after those who supported Trump and the Republicans (with the exception of large donors who just as likely donated to Biden and the Democrats).

Meanwhile, the Far Right will cry "foul" and take to the streets. Voting locations will be quickly secured by not just police but also by Right wing groups. There could be direct clashes with the Left while the small conservative media eggs them on. Indirectly you could see demand from all quarters of the Right for an immediate recount. Lawyers will file their previously prepared briefs to bring the whole process to a halt. Again, the economy would be affected through fear of potential violence.

As before, the local and federally deputized state police will be out in force along with the National Guard. The Democrats will assert the legitimacy of the election while the Right---conservatives and Republicans---will demand a recount first. Ultimately, martial law will be imposed under the pretext of restoring order and normalization, thus ushering in a New Order.

It's highly possible that during the chaos, that there is a massive wave of illegal immigrants, be they from Latin America, Asia, or the Middle East (especially terrorists hiding among the influx). This surge could overwhelm already strained social safety nets of cities and states throughout the nation but mainly in the southwest, Oregon, and Washington State.

Hostile foreign powers could use the chaos to make whatever nefarious move they've been harboring such an invasion of South Korea by the North, a Chinese invasion of Taiwan or the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a possible toppling of the government in Iraq by pro-Iranians, or attack on Israel by Iranian backed terrorists.

Of course, any combination of the above could potentially happen. It's also possible that aside from a few protests or minor riots, a bit of looting, and some political posturing that not much of anything happens. That's the best case scenario I think. However, it's more likely that the post-November election will bring about a new course for America, whether it's a more polite form of corporate fascism from the Right or a more direct form from the Left. "How do take your revenge my dear---sweet or bitter?"

One of the things which has made the American Experiment so unique in history has been the peaceful transition of power. Given America's deep divide, fanned by the corporate media, this election will put the American Experiment to its toughest test to date. As long as we remain divided, only the Corporatocracy will win. In a "winner take all" electoral system, sometimes the losers are the weepers.

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