The hyperbolic nature of this upcoming election is overheated to the point of insanity. If we are to believe the press and the pundits, this election will determine the end of our country and perhaps the world as we know it, no matter who is elected.
In reality, after the election life will go on much the same as before, although many of us will be deeply disappointed, depressed, and distrustful. Our country will become increasingly damaged from continued division and distrust.
For the Democrats, the worst-case scenario is that Donald Trump will be re-elected, the Senate majority will be retained by the Republicans, and all four of Donald Trump’s eldest children will be nominated and confirmed for cabinet-level positions.
Beyond that, the Democrats’ worst-case scenario includes concerns that:
- The replacement Supreme Court Justice nominated for Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat will be a reactionary conservative who will help to strike down Roe v. Wade and the Affordable Care Act, allow open-carry of semi-automatic handguns and assault-type rifles in all 50 states, allow any business to discriminate however they see fit based upon race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, country of origin, etc. based upon the concept of freedom of religion, and allow further control of our political system by the uber-rich and corporations by allowing unlimited expenditure of money based upon the concept of freedom of speech;
- There will be further prosecution and incarceration of Democrats and Republicans alike who have investigated and/or questioned Donald Trump, the friends and associates of Donald Trump, or the Trump organization itself;
- The Supreme Court will confirm the constitutionality of the widespread use of the National Guard and the military to keep order in all major cities in the United States in support of President Trump’s Law and Order doctrine;
- There will be widespread commercial exploitation of Federal and Native American lands, the elimination of all regulations involving clean air and water, the elimination of the capital gains tax, and the privatization of Social Security and Medicare, all actions to benefit the business interests of the uber-wealthy and corporations;
- The social safety net, including Medicaid, food stamps, and other federally-funded programs that primarily benefit the most vulnerable of Americans will be decimated through drastically reduced funding;
- All undocumented people living in the United States will be deported, regardless of circumstance.
For the Republicans, the worst-case scenario is that Joe Biden will be elected President and the Democrats will gain control of the Senate, soon followed by Joe Biden being replaced by Kamala Harris as President, Ilhan Omar nominated and confirmed as Vice President, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez nominated and confirmed for a cabinet-level position.
Beyond that, the Republicans’ worst-case scenario includes concerns that:
- The Supreme Court will be packed with additional Justices added to give control of the court back to the liberals/socialists, who would then reaffirm the nationwide right of women to obtain an abortion up until birth, approve a single-payer health system, support draconian limitations to the Second Amendment including confiscation of certain types of weapons, and extend affirmative action programs to include all sexual orientations as well as all undocumented residents;
- The Green New Deal will be instituted, including the elimination of fracking, the elimination of all fossil fuels and nuclear power, the institution of a carbon tax, restrictions on air travel and the eating of meat, and payment of reparations to all minorities to make up for centuries of white privilege;
- There will be acceptance of a world government that supersedes the authority of the Federal government, essentially allowing China to become the dominant political and military power;
- The borders will be opened, resulting in uncontrolled entry of non-white, non-English speaking, criminally-inclined, unskilled, unhealthy immigrants into the country, who will then become immediately eligible for government assistance for food, clothing, shelter, medical needs and education, including preferential treatment for employment and other benefits at the expense of our own citizens who are not already covered by expanded affirmative action programs;
- There will be taxation/confiscation of all private wealth and property owned by the upper 1%, major industries will be nationalized, and wealth will be redistributed in accordance with Marxist principles;
- There will be restrictions on Christian religious freedom in favor of the expansion of Islamic values.
These are both pretty striking worst-case scenarios, and I think that concern from both sides of the political spectrum is warranted because all of these ideas have been proposed at one time or another. It is going to be up to the Problem-Solvers Caucus and like-minded rational people to work through this insanity.
God help us.