America did this to itself

Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.

This time the nation was aware. In 2016, those of us who supported Donald Trump at least had the excuse of not knowing how sociopathy can manifest, and we at least had the conceit to believe that the presidency was not just a man, but an institution greater was then the man. , with legal and traditional mechanisms in place to ensure it never goes off the rails.

In 2020, after the chaos, confusion and incompetence, we knew a lot better. And most other Americans did the same, voting him out of office that fall. And when his criminal attempt to steal the election culminated in the violence of January 6, their verdict was upheld.

So this year there was no excuse. We knew everything we needed to know, even without the mendacious anger over Ohioans eating pets, the fantasizing about shooting journalists, and arresting political opponents as “enemies of the people,” even without the evidence contained in courts was presented and the convictions in a court of law which showed his appalling criminality.

We knew it for years, and have known it for years. Every American knew it, or should have known it. The man elected president last night is a depraved and brutal pathological liar, a shameless con man, a sociopathic criminal, a man who has no moral or social conscience, empathy or remorse. He has no respect for the Constitution and the laws he swore to uphold, and on top of that, he has emotional and cognitive deficits that seem to be increasing, and that will only make his shameful actions worse. He represents everything we should strive not to be, and everything we should teach our children not to pursue. The only hope is that he is completely incompetent, and even that is a double-edged sword, as his incompetence can often do as much damage as his malice. His government will be filled with corrupt crooks, hateful maniacs and morally bankrupt sycophants, who will follow his lead and carry out his directives because that is who they are and want to be.

Tyler Austin Harper: Blame Biden

I say all this not in anger, but in deep and profound sorrow. For centuries, the United States has been a beacon of democracy and reasoned self-government, in part because the Framers understood the dangers of demagogues and saw fit to create a system with safeguards to prevent such men from undermining it, and because our people and their leaders, out of respect for the public interest and the people of this country, adhered to the rules and norms of this country. The system was never perfect, but it slowly moved toward its own improvement, albeit in fits and starts. But ultimately, the system the Framers set up—and indeed all constitutional regimes, no matter how well designed—cannot protect a free people from themselves.

My own hopes and beliefs about what would happen last night were sadly and profoundly wrong – like many, I have made the emotional and intellectual mistake, if that is what it is, of assuming that people are wiser and more decent than they actually turn out to be. are. . I feel chastised – distraught – over my apparently naive view of human nature.

I no longer dare to predict the future, especially when it comes to elections and other forms of mass behavior. But I dare say I fear we will see a profound decline in this nation’s ability to govern itself rationally and fairly, with freedom and political equality under the rule of law. Because that’s not actually a prediction. It is a logical conclusion, based on the words and actions of the president-elect, his enablers and his supporters – and on a long and often sad history of human history. Let’s brace ourselves.