The U.S. and the Need to Act

As someone currently watching what is happening in the United States from outside – specifically from Canada, a country with great interest in the outcome – I find myself feeling some surprise and confusion. And, yes, anger.

I am not referring to the behaviour of Donald Trump. The firing of thousands of government employees for no reason, the cutting of funds for anything related to diversity, the jailing of innocent immigrants, the price increases, the racism and misogyny that are everywhere in his government, and the threats to take over foreign countries - some of his actions have been a bit of a shock, but most have not to anyone who has been following what he has been saying for years.

I am speaking of the reaction of the people. Or, more precisely, the lack of reaction.

This is a population of over 300 million that is dealing with a fascist government run by a man who is autocratically destroying their country. He has some support, but the majority of the people say that they are against him and what he is doing.

So where are the people refusing to let this happen? There have been a few protests, yes, but they are in the hundreds, not the millions, like I would expect. Where are the companies standing up to his ridiculous instructions? For that matter, where are the riots in the streets that we have seen over much more minor challenges to the status quo?

No one is doing anything beyond the official filing of court motions to stop him. This is a first step, but only works when:

1.       He does not own the judge, and

2.       He follows the law if it goes against him

At this point it does not appear that these can be reasonably expected.

I have seen a few people asking these questions on social media, and the answers are along the line of “I might lose my job”, “people are afraid”, etc. While these are true, they seem to me to pale beside losing your country. Much more frightening, at least to me, large numbers are saying that these things are in fact not happening, and that anyone who says they are is crazy.

It seems like the majority of Americans are still waiting for things to “get really bad”, not understanding that by the time it gets as bad as they fear, it will be far too late to stop it.

The Democrats, supposedly the opposition to Trump’s Republican party, are likewise sitting back and doing nothing. On the budget vote, their most obvious chance to come out against them, they actually voted with them to pass it.

We, the world, have been here before. More and more, Trump is taking his ideas from Adolph Hitler’s playbook – including, now, wanting to take over other countries. We know how this is likely to turn out if it is not stopped.

Do I want a civil war in the United States? Of course not. But, sadly, I am beginning to think it would be preferable to a third world war, and that seems to be the direction in which Donald Trump is heading.

Americans need to quit sitting back and watching. To do nothing is to support the fascists. They need to accept the fact that they are the only ones who can save their country, because it will soon be too late, if it isn’t already.