Democracy at DEFCON 1

Despite the antiquated Electoral College, patently racist redistricting, systematic voter suppression and a habit of installing presidents who fail to win the popular vote, the United States piously celebrates itself as a “democracy” worthy of global emulation.

But with the suspiciously timed retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, this tragic myth has led us to a truly frightening new reality. Not only is the political framework of our democracy broken, it may well be beyond repair with the generations-long right-wing Supreme Court now taking shape.

I truly believe that “Republicans,” and string-pullers like the Kochs and Mercers, want to make America a one-party country where Democrats can no longer win elections.

Their power-at-any-cost and hideously self-serving agenda has engineered court rulings to dismantle the Voting Rights Act, turn a blind eye to racist and partisan gerrymandering, elevate fictional voter “fraud” above fundamental voting rights, devastate unions and their ability to give lower and middle class wage earners a voice — in a political process utterly corrupted by the Citizens United decision — while allowing freeloading hypocrites to enjoy the wage and policy benefits of collective bargaining without paying for the only entity which made them possible, their workplace brethren.

Kennedy’s abrupt retirement put this conservative campaign into full relief. They have won. After stealing a Supreme Court seat that not only belonged to Barack Obama but to the wide majority of Americans who elected him precisely to make those appointments, Democrats, progressives and independents are left at the bottom of an unscalable hole. It will only get deeper.

You could see the progressive mood crash in real time this week, as Facebook posters and commenters instinctively came to terms with this new reality. For most of Trump’s first term, it was almost entertaining to wallow in the incompetence and evil-doing. “We will get through this. This is a blip in the chart. America's true soul will ultimately prevail. Just let me toggle again between CNN and MSNBC.”

Well, America's true soul elected Hillary Clinton. It wanted a progressive to take the place of Antonin Scalia and thus secure the fair-minded, non-ideological court that reflects who we really are. It wants universal health care and an end to runaway gun sales. It wants women to have the right to choose their own reproductive destiny, and LGBTQ people to have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. It wants teachers to make a decent living, and migrants to be treated as human beings. It wants all the things mainstream society has always wanted, always aspired to, and moved closer to achieving with each passing decade.

But what we, the majority, want is no longer operative. We are in thrall to a corrupt system, venal politicians who want nothing more than their own power, and multi-billionaires who feel entitled to own our system of government and operate it for the sole benefit of themselves.

There are thin strands of hope. Maybe the empty suit Jeff Flake will change parties to spare our country this irrecoverable next crime. Maybe John McCain will ride in on a horse. Maybe Bob Corker will want to leave an honorable legacy. Maybe Susan Collins will figure out why she even has a part in this drama. Maybe Democrats will prevail in November and again in 2020, so we can begin to mitigate the damage.

I’m not sure I’d bet on any of these things happening. Our souls are being poisoned by what is happening to our country in plain sight, and our spirits are sapped by the mendacity all around us. There are glimmers of a better outcome, and I will invest in and work for them this fall and thereafter. But my heart is on DEFCON 1 because my country is teetering on the edge of a terrible cliff.