What If Trump is NOT Re-elected?
The 2020 election is a few short months away now. It looks like it could still go either way. Cogent arguments can be made for and against the various policy decisions, executive orders and so on; talk shows and media outlets have exhausted every wrinkle. In the "good old" days most of what we are now exposed to from all sources would have been called "Agit-Prop", or just propaganda.
We pretty much know where we are as a country and as a society now. It has been better in the recent past, in about every way, and could soon get better than it is now, but will it? Trump is a difficult man to deal with in every way. While I find many of his approaches to societal and economic issues attractive,(and I recognize that many do not) he is n ot a likeable guy in his public persona. It has been reported that his Secret Service code name is "Chaos".
And yet, if he is not re-elected, what will the country look like? Will we have wide-open borders and unlimited immigration of anybody from anywhere? Will the Nation's credit, already at risk, be finally and irrevocably ruined? Will any of the freedoms and protections of the Bill of Rights or the Constitution itself survive? I used to think we could weather any storm in those regards. As a nation, we have survived, essentially intact, through huge dislocations including a violent and bloody Civil War, many economic and financial collapses and two World Wars. The list of historic dislocations goes on and on. Through all rthat there has always been a nearly cyclic change of political authority fro liberal to conservstive, from Democrat to Republican from left to right or however else you wish to categorize it.
Yet, the rise of "Antifa", the so-called anti fanciest movement in parallel with the democratic socialists have become, in my view, a truly existential threat to the Nation. The liberal agenda has always championed issues such as free speech and the protection of civil liberties. In recent years free speech has been suppressed to the p;oint that no stand-up comedian will book a date at any university. Any attempt at humor is considered hate speech. Acedemic freedom is no longer a viable concept in Acedemia.
Just as severe an attack on the Bill of Rights has come in the name of gun control. Several states have changed their laws to restrict the purchase of firearms to persons twenty one years old or older. It can be argued that allowing a teenager to freely buy fire arms is a bad idea, and I might agree with it. . . .but they have not also raised the age of majority to twenty one. In effect, the legislature of several states have delayed a legal adult's access to a constitutionally guaranteed right. Why not make it illegal to purchase a firearm before the age of thirty-five or seventy? I recognize that it can be argued that private individuals should be prohibited from possessing firearms. There is a constitutional mechanism for making that so.
The WHO declared pandemic of 2020 has brought other challenges to the Constitution. Some have been upheld by the Supreme Court. Others have yet to be brought there to be addressed. I cannot fathom how or why it is constitutionally permissible for a local city council to forbid a family to assemble with other church goers for worship while remaining isolated in their family vehicle in an outdoor parking lot. Yet that has happened with enforcement coming in the form of tickets with significant fines and a police record. This, while any member of the public at large can walk in to a big box store on any day of the week unrestricted in any way, but small businesses must remain closed or face serious charges.
Strict lock-downs have been enforced, bordering on house arrest in some areas. Where some freedom of movement was allowed, the wearing of a face mask has been made obligatory. Legal consequences, confrontations or severe public shaming (bullying) have occurred for those who refuse to wear a face mask. The right to peacefully assemble and protest these sorts of restrictions have been condemed with people arrested. . . . except if the protest is organized by Antifa and is accompanied by violence, rioting and looting. Some folks try to separate the protest form the anarchy, and I get that. Yet the condemnation of assembling in a crowd with a non-uniform regard to distancing or mask wearing is in glaring contrast to the reaction to the protests against social restrictions, in Michigan for example.
Now Antifa has taken control of six square blocks of Seattle Washington that they call CHAZE, for Capitol Hill Autonimus Zone and declared it to be a country. They denounce any civil authority. It is an anarchist's free zone. The police are forbidden. They have set up barricades with armed security personnel. They demand, as a human right, that food, water and sanitation services be provided.
Waite! Whatever happened to the concepts of open borders, no immigraton restrictikons and the freedom of anarchy?
For as much as I dislike Donald Trump in his public persona and past demonstrations of integrity or character, I am trolley farad of what the Nation will become if he is not re-elected. My imagination runs wild with visions of Joe Biden as a puppet president with Pelosim Schumer, Schiff, Ocasio-Cortez and others calling the shots behind the scenes , or acting overtly with the freedom of tacit approval.
You can be concerned about the future of the Nation with Trump in office; you can dislike Trump with a passion; you can feel in your heart that Hillary Clinton was cheated in 2016; but if Trump is not re-elected, this country will cease to exist in any form envisioned by the men who wrote the Constitution.
Originally Posted by ICU 812
Much of what you're concerned about, like ANTIFA and whether they're going to point a gun to your head and tell you that you must wear a mask is governed at the state and local level. Whether Biden or Trump is elected won't make any difference.
You pose the question, "Will any of the freedoms and protections of the Bill of Rights or the Constitution itself survive?" Of course, this is America. Not a lot will change. Although yes, if several conservative members of the Supreme Court croak and are replaced then you could see gun owners having a tougher time.
Immigration? For better or worse, you'll see more family members of immigrants and the like coming into the country. Democrats want more poor immigrants because that means more Democratic voters later on. And similarly Republicans want fewer.
As to the deficit, who knows. As esteemed former contributor WTF correctly used to say, when one party controls the presidency and both houses of Congress, the National Debt is more likely to balloon. The last time we had a balanced budget Clinton was president and the Republicans controlled Congress. I suspect you're right though, when Democrats control everything spending and deficits are worse.
My concerns are very different from yours. If Biden wins the presidency, the Democrats will probably control the Senate and end the filibuster. They will raise taxes on corporations and taxes on capital gains hugely, which I think will be bad for the economy.
Biden says he'll implement the framework of the Green New Deal and put the nation on the course for "0" carbon emissions. Well, I can see the point in encouraging green energy and reducing emissions. But Biden has been so influenced by the most progressive elements of his party that he's ready to go Medieval on this. It will be bad for the country and fatal for certain parts of Texas which depend heavily on the energy industry.
Biden will re-regulate what Trump deregulated, which will be bad for business.
On the plus side, Biden will make foreign policy more logical and stable than Trump. We'll see improvements in relations with other countries. Perhaps we'll see an end to the trade wars, which would be good for the economy. Biden's more of a uniter than Trump, which is good considering how divided we've become.
I'm more worried about the Senate, as I'm not a fan of either of the presidential candidates. If Biden wins and the Democrats sweep the House and the Senate, I figure a lot of us are going to get hit in the pocketbook badly. Actually I honestly think most people will get hit to an extent because of the effect of the the Democrat's favored policies on business, which will adversely affect employment and wages.