There are two ways to view what is happening here; sadly, only two.
One is that we are witness to a pathetic attempt by a con man who is also a sore loser to delay the inevitable, while he scoops up every last dollar he can rustle from his misguided followers.
The other is far worse; That we are witness to an attempted coup d'etat led by the sitting President of the U.S.
I regret coming to such a starkly bipolar conclusion. Anyone who knows me personally or through my writings knows I resist simplistic analyses or extreme thoughts. By nature I prefer moderation, nuance and subtlety.
Poems move me far more than sermons. I'm skeptical of power and wealth and privilege and cruelty and yes, certainty. I cringe at the prospect that humans are evolving into our worst selves and pray (if I prayed) that we still care enough for each other to locate our best selves.
So naturally, I'd like to believe what Trump and his minions are up to is the final act of a very poorly written play -- the kind that when you are a teacher leaves you speechless simply because there is no constructive word of criticism you can possibly find to utter.
I've read such plays and witnessed them in real life as well.
But darker explanations than idiocy have to be considered at times like these.
This is precisely what a coup d'etat looks like. As David E. Sanger's brilliant essay suggests in today's Times, Trump's actions to undermine the results of the election are the ugliest exercise of raw power we've seen in this nation in 144 years.
That sounds like a long time, but many among us have lived half that long and we can tell you, it goes by in a flash.
Many sweet and wonderful things happen quickly. Rainbows come and go almost in an instant. Butterflies appear and disappear. Just like her inner smile. Love seems to arrive, only to vanish without a trace.
The sky is emptier after a storm. The heart may still beat but ever more mournfully.
Other precious gifts can disappear too. Our rights to speak, assemble, write, pray, demonstrate, stand up for what's right -- these too can vanish in a flash.
A bad wind is blowing. Can you hear its howl?
***
Here's what blew in as today's news, with all the answers hanging.
* In a wild, tangent-filled and often contentious press briefing led by President Donald Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, the Trump campaign's legal team laid out its case for widespread voter fraud in the election. The roughly 90-minute briefing was overflowing with falsehoods and conspiracy theories. (CNN)
* Trump’s Attempts to Overturn the Election Are Unparalleled in U.S. History -- The president’s push to prevent states from certifying electors and get legislators to override voters’ will eclipses even the bitter 1876 election as an audacious use of brute political force. ( David E. Sanger/NYT)
* Disarray and defeats mark post-election period as Trump struggles to govern and fails to change vote results. (WashPo)
* A national survey conducted in late April and early May of 3,300 high school students found nearly a third reporting they were unhappy and depressed "much more than usual." (KQED)
* How Iowa’s Governor Went From Dismissing Mask Mandates to Ordering One Herself -- “I don’t want to do this,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said, joining a wave of Republican governors issuing new mask orders as her state faces a spiraling hospital crisis. (NYT)
* Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin declined to extend several pandemic emergency-loan programs established jointly with the Federal Reserve that are set to expire on Dec. 31. The Fed said it would prefer that the programs continue. (WSJ)
* A wrongful death lawsuit tied to COVID-19 infections at Tyson Foods’ largest pork processing plant accuses the meatpacking giant of ordering employees to come to work while supervisors privately bet money on how many would get infected with the coronavirus. [HuffPost]
* San Francisco has rejected the Warriors’ ambitious plan to bring more than 9,000 fans to games in the upcoming N.B.A. season — at least for now. [The San Francisco Chronicle]
* How the Out-of-Control Pandemic Is Speeding the Testing of Vaccines -- The surge in coronavirus cases worldwide is helping researchers measure more quickly how well their vaccines protect against Covid-19. (NYT)
* California's Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board just voted unanimously to approve new rules to protect California workers from COVID-19 in the workplace. (KQED)
* Facebook says it labeled 180 million debunked posts ahead of the election (WashPo)
* Police Break Up Protest Against Virus Restrictions in Germany -- Riot police in Berlin used water canons to disperse crowds at a demonstration against coronavirus restrictions organized by coronavirus deniers, vaccine skeptics and right-wing extremists. (AP)
* Santa, barred from malls and chimneys, enters homes via interactive video. (Reuters)
* BuzzFeed to Acquire HuffPost in Deal With Verizon Media (WSJ)
* U.S. greenhouse gas emissions set to drop to lowest level in three decades, study finds (WashPo)
* General Motors says a pending breakthrough in battery chemistry will cut the price of its electric vehicles so they equal those powered by gasoline within five years. The technology also will increase the range per charge to as much as 450 miles. (AP)
* Man Hasn’t Heard Or Read Single True Thing In 6 Years (The Onion)
***
Apologies to Sinclair Lewis but thanks to Joel Kirshenbaum.
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid
Oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
Stand by me, oh stand by me
Oh stand, stand by me
Stand by me
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
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