Stress-test for democracy #1 Storming of the Capitol in Washington

Yesterday we in Europe came something to see for which we have been afraid for the last few years.

Europe saw a violent insurgency and attempt to overthrow the legitimately elected government of the United States

In case Donald Trump would be right that the election was stolen, for surer, than it would have been stolen also the previous time. Then we could see that not the person who got the most votes (Hilary Clinton) became president, but that the one with the biggest mouth and the most money became the 45th President of the United States. Already many decades it is very clear that in the U.S.A. to become president one has to have a lot of money. Without enough money and backing, you make no chance for getting elected.

In case there could be a fraud which can not easily be detected, then it would mean the American voting system is as leaky as a watering can. Normally with the modern electronica and with a Card Reader; Identity Cards could easily be checked and nobody else would be able to make a vote, except when someone gives his or her code of the ID-Card to another person. But with such a card reader check there can only made one vote per ID-Card. So no extra votes can be given to someone with the same ID-Card. As such one registered person has only the right and the possibility to bring out only one vote.

When the U.S.A. even does not seem to minister such an easy control system for voting, one can wonder how the administration of those States can work properly.

In any case the previous years we could already notice the archaic voting system is not really democratic and giving enough rights to the people to really choose the president they want. The system of having electors chosing the president is something we in Europe should not copy. Also what we came to see yesterday should be a clear sign for European politicians that we should stop mirroring or looking up to America as the greatest democratic nation. Yesterday that what happened is what we are used to see in the banana republics, in South America and in Africa and unworthy any nation that calls itself democratic.

For more than four years we saw a presidential candidate spewing out unconcerned and illicit hatred and division, receiving little opposition from Republican politicians or any call to temper that irresponsible language. With the months passing, we saw one after the other event happening which had our eyebrows raised, and sometimes had us keeping our heart in our hands, afraid the American President would bring our world on the brink of a new World War. Strangely enough, no Republicans seemed to see the danger this republican president was causing. None of the Republican senators dared or was willing to say something opposing against their leader.
Their passive attitude made that instead “Making America Great Again”, the United States became divided more than it ever was since the civil war. The Making America Great Again or MAGA slogan was carried by thousands of people who also did not seem to see how their country was going into a hole.

When there are 75 million people willing to believe everything that their president tells them, without any proof of validity we should question what for people they are. We hear lots of people speaking about the “Steal”, but they never seem to be able to give any proof that there was a fraudulent election. If so many are so sure that this election was “stolen” why do thy not come up with proof?

Clearly this 45th President showed to the world how politics should not be done and how words of hatred saw also violent acts. What normally would be our example of a great democracy, yesterday proved otherwise. Insurrection came to what we would call the bastion of democracy, namely the Capitol in Washington. Already for weeks Donald Trump wants the whole world to believe that Biden was elected because of wrongdoings and did not get his seat in a righteous way. According to Mr. Trump he is the only one who is the righteous winner and the people should be part of that winning position, and therefore they should protest. Yesterday he revved up angry supporters at a fiery rally protesting his election loss. His words were very clear and could not misunderstood, how he urged the people to take democracy in their own hands and to go to the Capitol to demand that would be given to them what they have earned, Donald Trump again to be sitting president. The words could not be misunderstood. Trump was sending many of his loyalists storming across town and forcing their way into the United States Capitol building.

Whilst for Black lives matters we always could see an enormous amount of police officers, now to defend the Capitol was just a pod husk. It took hours before there was enough enforcement.

The pictures of people climbing on the walls of the Capitol and the thousands of the protesters clad in the president’s “Make America Great Again” and other merchandise and waving various flags – including the stars and bars of the Confederate States or Confederacy flag and the conservative movement’s yellow “Don’t Tread On Me” banner could give us an impression of what sort of people want up in what we in other states would call a revolution. They clearly were all very convinced that their revolt is justified and shall not stop until their president Donald Trump shall receive his second term as President of the United States of America.

Encouraged by Donald Trump his fans descend upon the US Capitol in Washington

What we came to see on our television screens, even the mob going against reporters of countries (like Belgium) of which I am sure they never ever read a newspaper or saw what those television channels showed to their people. Though the mob was and is convinced we all over the world are infected by the fake news, though they are convinced their beloved tv-station is giving the only truth. They never seem to question what their media is telling them. They never seem to think about the words their president is continuously Tweeting. All that he says seems to be sacred and true. Even the many Christians going for Trump do not seem to be disgusted by his attitude and foul words. Lots of Christians could also be seen with flags with Jesus name on it and or with a fish on it (as symbol for Christ). In any case they were not spreading the love Jesus Christ was preaching, and their president more than once has done action against the ethics and moral of the Bible.

On several television channels here in Europe we could see surreal scenes, captured by journalists and lawmakers inside the legislative hall. We saw people breaking windows and doors, damaging the building and furniture. This did not seem to be a call for justice, but more an act of violence to a legal system.

Previously when there were peaceful protest marches from the Black Lives Matters movement (BLM) we could see them were frequently met with police and National Guard members decked out in riot gear. (Remember Tulsa) The mostly peaceful demonstrations resulted in dozens of arrests and some 20 deaths of protesters, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project. Today we hear only 52 people have been arrested – 47 of them for curfew violations, this when we could see many having intruded in the offices and having stolen things. At least 14 members of the Metro police department were injured. Two were admitted to hospital, one with serious injuries after being dragged into the crowd, and the other was hit by a projectile in the face.  It can only be called strange that five guns, including handguns and long guns, have also been seized, whilst yesterday we could see many heavy-armed people, even one person with for grenades on his chest. We also could see how someone threw a smoke grenade to the cops and how the corridor filled with smoke obstructed the view.

We even got to see how members of parliament had barricaded the doors and had their guns ready to shoot. This were scenes we are more used in countries of East Europe and Central Africa.

2021 01 06 When a mob stormed the US Capitol

As several officers attempted to clear a room, “shots fired” could be heard over their shoulder-mounted radios.

Even though the US has boasted itself as a beacon of democracy, it has never been a paradigm of global democracy. We also always have seen how lots of people are marginalised and how undemocratic people of other colour or culture are treated. It was known that the US political system has many problems, but those four years of Trump’ s legislation by virtue of his power, Trump has totally vandalized the US democratic system and has taken away the credibility, certainly with what he has done the last few days. This laid it bare how the US system is very very fragile.

Since Trump took office, contradictions in terms of politics, economics, society and race have exploded and the country became more divided, with severe racial and partisan rivalries. Trump managed it to bring down the country in four years, but it shall take more than double to get America back on its legs. As long as Trump shall stay in the picture it shall be awfully difficult to mend and heal, continuing him causing conflicts.

The turmoil on Wednesday, which was a near act of violent resistance to the state and the legal system, did not come by surprise. For that reason, it is even weirder that there were not more police enforcement. The chaos in Washington and New York is directly linked to the instigation of Trump who told his supporters to “never give up” and “never concede.” When these pro-Trump extremists broke into the Capitol, Trump kept giving them enough reason to continue to “Stop the Steal” . His body language was also giving his supporters more justice for their act and to continue and the more chaotic, the better, as Trump hoped.

Mayor Muriel Bowser had called on neighbouring states Virginia and Maryland to send in their troops for additional backup.
Ahead of the citywide curfew police were able to push demonstrators away from the Capitol building, using flashbangs to try to move the crowd back.

We should wonder how people as Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley shall intend to exploit the opportunity to accumulate some reputation and resources to realise the election ambitions in four years from now. The danger can be that Republicans may obstruct John Biden his administration in areas such as legislation. The incoming president will have to face a tough domestic environment, especially a deep division between the two parties that is hard to bridge. This will pose a daunting challenge to Biden. He kept his calm yesterday, but his words did not seem strong enough to reach those fanatic Republicans. So far, he also has not yet shown his ability to convince so many millions of Americans that the voting went correctly. With what happened now, American democracy got a raw bite. It took a serious blow.

The US.A. always loved to interfere with other countries and say they were not democratic. America even often used CIA and FBI to interfere with other regimes, which were not of the liking of the United States. The US claims to practice so-called democracy internally while implanting hegemony outside the US. Even if the US is suffering chaos, I am afraid it won’t give up interference in international affairs and other countries’ politics. It looks like it is the nature of US hegemony. The US will continue its unilateralism and hegemonism. They would like to teach everyone how to do it, but do not dare to look inside themselves.
With what has now happened, the credibility of America has been completely invalidated. We in Europe will certainly have to learn from this so as not to turn our eyes to America so often and see it as a model state. Now we have clearly seen the many pus-bumps of that nation burst open.

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Preceding

To protect our democratic system #1 Danger of fake and malicious social media accounts

To protect our democratic system #2 Online platforms

Donald Trump his America

United in an open society relying not on command and control but on freedom

American social perception, classes and fear mongering

The man outranking the others having the trump card

2019 was #2 a Year of much deceit in the U.S.A.

United States of America once more showing how it wants to Distort Historical Facts and Truth

Manipulated content on social media

Who can tackle Donald Trump

In denial, Donald Trump continues to insist that nothing serious is at hand and everything is in control

A president daring to use the Bible for underlining his hate speech

The Hero of the greatest …. failures

Hollowness of democracy

2020 in view #1 The 45th president of the U.S.A.

2020 in view #2 The 45th president of the U.S.A. not willing to go

Next: Stress-test for democracy #2 A coup d’etat with bloodshed

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Additional reading

1. Trump brand of migrant demonization #1
2. Trump brand of migrant demonization #2
3. Jews the next scapegoat for Donald Trump
4. The American clouds of Anti-Semitism
5. Trump has been buffetted by accusations of misconduct
6. Seeds from the world creating division and separation from God
7. Russian involvement in US elections
8. Fearmongering succeeded and got the bugaboo a victory
9. Voted against their system
10. Incidents of hate have become commonplace in the U.S.A. anno 2017
11. The Trump clan declares itself a Kennedy-like dynasty
12. Blinded crying blue murder having being made afraid by a bugaboo
13. The clean sweeper of the whole caboodle
14. Trump’s rhetoric is infusing a culture of Anti-Semitism
15. Shall the American again being put to the test
16. The Weight of History
17. Francis Fukuyama and ‘The End of History?’
18. He Becomes a Fool Through His Endless Desire
19. So-called own sacred values under threat
20. Trump going over the top bringing a blasphemous act
21. The one that exploded the great American story that lay beneath it
22. Dear Mr. President – A Response to the “Shithole Countries” Comment
23. Americans their stars, pretension, God, Allah and end of times signs #1 Abrahamic religions
24. Americans their stars, pretension, God, Allah and end of times signs #2 War on God’s Plan, Name and title
25. Another Jewish Voice on Trump’s plan: No peace without equality and mutual respect
26. Deal of the century or roadmap to apartheid?
27. U.S.A. Investment in a demagogue
28. This fighting world, Zionism and Israel #1
29. Possibility for a Jew to replace Donald Trump
30. Dear Mr. President
31. A new decade, To open the eyes to get a right view
32. Are people likely to turn less to a divine power for help when they have a big government?
33. Signs of the times – End of the Iran nuclear deal?
34. Signs of the times – “A new deal with Russia?”
35. Signs of the times – “The US, Israel and the Golan Heights”
36. Fascinating times to the Bible reader

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