If Only I Could Wake Up

I keep hoping I’ll open my eyes and wake up from this nightmare. To find there is no possibility of witnessing the last days of the great democratic experiment called the United States of America would be wonderful. I’ll come out of my slumber and find that the people of the United States have not just elected a narcissistic tyrant who ran for president because it was the only way he could stay out of jail, and the only way he could have revenge on his perceived enemies. OK. I’m ready to face the truth. The United States is descending into authoritarianism.

The results of the 2024 election have put our children and grandchildren on the path to an authoritarian government where the many exist to serve the needs of and further enrich the already wealthy. Where a deranged president declares himself a dictator, above the rule of law and takes over many of the functions of the government, helping himself and his supporters to the spoils and punishing those who have attempted to keep him from power. Where our people are indoctrinated in the propaganda of an authoritarian government and those who dare speak the truth are threatened, jailed, or worse.

We stand on the brink. Already our legacy media is acting like we have elected a normal human being who will govern with some semblance of reasonableness. And, already, Trump is making it clear that will not happen if he has his way.

There are those who would say my worries are overblown. Those who say this administration is so riddled with infighting and incompetence that it will not accomplish anything. Those who say that the campaigner didn’t mean all he said and really won’t try to do all he promised.

There are also those who voted for the upcoming administration to make America great again (whatever that means), and who believe that will happen. Though those people are diminishing in numbers.

It Keeps Getting Worse

Five weeks into this administration, it is increasingly apparent that many are going to be harmed by the pathological egotism of a president intent on revenge and power; a president busy with flaunting the rule of law and unconcerned with government and the people who voted for him.  A flurry of executive orders, the approval of unqualified and billionaire cabinet members, and most of all, the unfettered permission given to Elon Musk, the richest person on earth, and unelected, to tear apart the system in place makes it clear that my concerns fell short of reality.

Originally, I wanted to track the words and activities of the Trump administration that posed a threat to democracy, the rule of law, and the citizens of the United States of America. Since events have moved too quickly, that has proven too much, and there are many much more qualified than I. A list follows:

Letters from an American – Heather Cox Richardson, historian, has kept us up-to-date on events throughout most of the years in which Trump has posed a threat to our nation. She has framed this information with relevant history.

The Guardian, US – A look at the US from another perspective. It is informative to get out of our bubbles and see how the rest of the world lives.

Associated Press News – A not-for-profit news agency.

National Public Radio – American public broadcasting organization.

Instead of attempting to track the words and activities of the Trump administration, my focus will be on how we got here–both as a country and as a community. Should we find our path out of this mess, hopefully we will have the knowledge to build anew, to create a nation where our children, our grandchildren and their children can thrive.

For all of my time on this planet, I have lived in Western Pennsylvania.  Most of those years have been in what is now Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District. Hence my interest in who represents me and my following Congressional events that have a profound effect on this district.

The district’s current representative, Mike Kelly, is a pro-Trump election denier who consistently votes against the interests of families and women in his district, though he claims to support family values.  It’s past time to vote him out of office.

For more on PA’s 16th District and Rep. Kelly.