Today I’m on the road somewhere in North Carolina. Since I’m not back home in Alabama, I didn’t vote. But make no mistake, I wouldn’t have voted either way.
Even still I’m thoroughly bemused watching the election and results this morning. The campaign was one for the history books before the winner was decided. Make no mistake about this too, Trump’s reelection is a referendum. Exactly on what I’m not sure but, as Ms. Harris recently said: “…it’s an inflection either way.”
Some might mistakenly say it’s about the “black” “woman” Kammy. In truth Kamala Harris just wasn’t all that strong as a candidate and might have done better than expected with Joe’s spring board than if she had been been flying solo from the start. And let’s face it, she’s no Oprah.
The trouble in figuring it out is that it doesn’t matter what got the dander up in this country, or even who’s been elected to fix it. Illegal immigration, abortion, affirmative action, freedom of press, guns, jobs, economy, welfare, separation of Church & State… are questions that will largely be steered by the new old world Supreme Court and it’s already settled for decades to come.
The old world simply doesn’t exist anymore anyway and no matter how hard the ultra-left may try they aren’t going to be setting the agenda, even when elected to the White House. But then, neither will the alt-right, at least not in our lifetime, because the entire world is a different place than it was in the 1950s.
In retrospect, maybe the greatness of America wasn’t quite so lustrous as the “privileged” would like us to think and the fact is Donald Trump’s “isolationism” is predicated upon the reality that the world dominance of the United States as a superpower is waning. Modernization of infrastructures around the world has shifted economic balance away from the US and is beginning to reflect demographics more closely than in the past. That’s what went with our manufacturing to start with.
The US does need to “retool” the manufacturing sector if for no other reason than national security. If that means tariffs then so be it. Resources and competing with communist governments still play a role in deciding what the “New World Order” will look like, but all those influences add up to a total that isn’t likely to sit well with the left or right in this country.
One news source I follow is the New York Times and I have to say their biased reporting savaging Donald Trump is disturbing. They talk about laws and rights and authoritarianism but these days they seldom seem to present both sides of the coin.
The war on the 1st amendment as the leftest attack Alex Jones attempting to tear down his right to free speech comes to mind. However despicable Jones may be, as he falls so goes the 1st amendment. Who defends the 1st amendment anymore.
The best we can do in this country as times will continue to change is to defend and protect the basic principles of our constitution. They have never failed, only people have failed to understand the principles and importance of adhering to them.
Trump’s reelection is astonishing and might accelerate the shift which is now occuring and the truth is Ms. Harris wouldn’t have stopped the direction of the winds had she been elected.
For now, it’s hard to say what’s exactly next and it’s probably best to accept reality taking it one step at a time.
®2024 – Jim Casey
