The comprehensive impact and scope of the COVID-19 pandemic have admittedly been the subject of earlier writings. Accordingly, it would now seem to suffice to briefly, but pointedly, again refer to its medically mandated prophylactic measures notably, inclusive of the limitation of human contact which was empirically productive of a substantial and enduring negative impact. Said evaluation is based upon the observed result of the effects of such absence of normal interactive personal contact. The observed, unhealthy sequelae were motivated by the dearth of person-to-person communication (except by absentee hand-held, impersonal devices), radical changes in workstyle from the place of employment to the unfamiliar, stay-at-home performance, with “virtual” interaction,” non-attendance at schools, restaurants, theaters, museums, stadia and other venues of social gathering. The universal impact of the virus protective program encompassing the lack of social contact (augmented by the recommended use of dystopic-looking face masks) had a crippling effect on the functional dynamics of society. Such separation proved to be especially harmful to society’s younger members, regarding whom the resultant rates of depression and mental illness, are reported to have skyrocketed. Such worrisome COVID-19 developments (sequelae), nevertheless, have been the subject matter of several past essays.
Accordingly, it may instead be useful, to reference the negative sequelae following our contextually stated, second National calamity, attendant upon the popular ( populist) rise of the politically toxic Donald Trump to the political scene and bizarrely thereafter, his elevation to the Oval Office.
The historically established supporting foundations of our Democratic Republic were intentionally and tactically weakened by the would-be autocrat, Donald Trump, during his one (twice impeached) Presidential term. Such egregious damage, unfortunately, has persisted, through his successful populist tactics of cultishly seductive demagoguery and publicized anti-establishment policies. The societal results of such enduring behavior are diagnostically identifiable as resultant sequelae, inarguably, dangerous to the (internally) vulnerable, existence of democracy.
Trump’s criminality (91 felony indictments), revealing his innate, pathological amorality and his publically demonstrated egocentric persona, has been causative of an ugly blemish on the historically high standing of the American Presidency, and remains an existential concern of mainstream, traditional American citizens. Of salient concern is the enduring effect of his publically declared, aspirations to autocracy, the ultimate anti-democratic “sequela.”
Borrowing, insidiously and reverentially, from history’s, perverse “Autocrat’s Handbook,” Trump at the very outset of his Presidential term, commenced its instructive program of toxic metaphysical disparagement of factual truth and the (fascistic) acceptability of “alternate facts,” disparaging the Nation’s established media, tactical encouragement of divisive prejudice to scapegoat selected targeted groups as un justly responsible for extant National problems, election denial, seditious sponsorship of a violent and bloody government insurrection, treasonous relations with America’s autocratic enemies, his protective practice of selection of incapable, but “loyal,” partisans for major federal positions, shockingly inclusive of SCOTUS and the United States Justice Department, his arrogant claims of autocratically privilege from prosecution and punishment for his criminal actions, his promotion of “patriotic” xenophobia by viciously defaming immigrants, his demeaning of science and education while, simultaneously, promoting divisive and absurd paranoid conspiracy ideations.
It is signally instructive that Donald Trump has publically, declared his intention to be a Dictator (“on the first day?”). The latter statement of intention may be the singularly, notable instance of the utterance of a truthful statement by this accomplished and systemic practitioner of serial mendacity.
The ominous sequelae following upon the Nation’s toxic epidemic of “Trumpism, in office, and, rationally foreseeable, in any aspirational second term,” predictability represents a continuing danger to American democracy, engineered by way of Trump’s manipulation of the Nation’s sizeable and tribal-cultish horde of inadequately educated and badly informed populists, with their eternally perceived grievances; financially supported by certain large industrialists (especially those in the fossil fuel industry) and other inhumane and pathological industries, that value profit above human life and health and thus oppose (Democratically supported) governmentally protective regulation.
We fear that this moment in time, presents the imminent and hazardous possibility that the foreseeable sequelae, in the unspeakably tragic, nightmarish event of a Trump re-election, would, uniquely, and unprecedently, be far worse than the precedent disease. However, much foreseeable hope does exist in the determinate vote of the traditionally mainstream American citizenry, to prevent such toxic disease and its noxious sequelae.
*Thanks to the great [and humanistic] Victorian novelist, Charles Dickens, for the (amended) use of the title of his classic, “The Tale of Two Cities.”
-p.
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