I'll get to the latest twists in our ongoing political crisis in a moment, but first I need to reflect a more hopeful mood, because finding yourself in this type of in-between place in life isn't really as bad as it may seem at the time.
In between jobs, relationships, living spaces, Presidents -- these can always be intimidating moments, frightening even, unless you let yourself trust in the kindness of serendipity.
I've been in this spot so many times in my life that I stopped fearing the worst a long time ago. Instead I anticipate the upside -- that there will be new work opportunities, new friends, maybe even a new relationship, and definitely a new space to live in.
And yes, even a new President in a matter of days.
That all sounds really nice to me, so I'm in a hopeful mood. After all, we have each other as long as we continue to reach out and connect. Here's to a wonderful 2021 for everybody!
Now on to the sordid business at hand.
Covid-19 has ravaged the country and the world; Trump has done the same.
We have vaccines against the first scourge; how do we inoculate ourselves against the second? While we must support the aggressive prosecution of the criminals who trashed the Capitol, that is not going to help heal the divide in this country, which is Biden's sincere objective.
In addition to the criminal prosecutions, there is now the impending impeachment of Trump scheduled for next week. The article of impeachment has been drawn up. I'm afraid impeaching him at this point will provoke open civil war, and I am not exaggerating. It seems unlikely that the Republican-controlled Senate would agree to convict Trump, anyway, though once control flips to the Democrats on January 20th, an impeachment trial could be an option.
Again, the cost of that could be open violent clashes all over the country led by the aggrieved partisans who actually believe the election was stolen.
In any event, I suspect that every significant figure in both parties just wants Trump to fade away. And that is probably the last thing he wants to do, which is why conflict is inevitable.
Republicans are certainly prepared to become the party of opposition, and they expect Biden's far-reaching agenda on numerous issues to provide the substance they need to galvanize supporters going forward without Trump. But if Trump remains a force, they will be caught in a whipsaw that could shatter any hope of achieving unity in their ranks.
They are caught between a rock and a sociopath.
Biden's Democrats face the daunting prospect of holding in the more progressive wing of the party, led by younger members like AOC, in as they advance what is essentially a moderate policy agenda.
I can't foresee how any of this is going to play out, but we have a third plague, even greater than the first two. It's also potentially a source of hope.
Probably the one great opportunity to unite the parties and the population is against that third danger --global climate change, the existential threat that looms over us all, regardless of our affiliations or orientations.
I'm not worried about my grandchildren contending with Trump -- he'll end up as a mere footnote to history -- and Covid too will pass, but whether this planet remains habitable for them should be of grave concern to all of us.
After all, we're in that fight together. And I for one wants my friends in Trump country on my side in that war. Being liberal or conservative, rich or poor, religious or not, simply isn't going to matter.
***
The headlines, as usual, are all about our divisions:
* Twitter has suspended Trump's account permanently. (CNN)
* Inside the U.S. Capitol, the rioters were in charge. Trump supporters were roaming freely, carrying off furniture. Capitol Police had not asked other law enforcement agencies for help until their building was surrounded by a mob seeking to overturn the election results. Now, their officers were exhausted and injured. Their chief was down the street, in the department command center, and a police commander on the scene was pacing in a circle. Top congressional leaders, hidden in secure rooms, were calling the governors of Maryland and Virginia directly to plead for help. (WashPo)
* A Republican state legislator let protesters into the Oregon Capitol last month during a closed session, according to state police and officials, resulting in a showdown that left two people arrested. "Oregon State Police (OSP) has confirmed and informed us that Representative Mike Nearman did open a door to allow demonstrators into the building," Oregon Speaker of the House Tina Kotek said Thursday during a press briefing on Capitol security plans. (CNN)
* Trump is maniacal. He will do terrible things. Our lives could have been lost (in the insurrection) (Rep. Jackie Speier/CNN)
*Laptop stolen from Pelosi's office during storming of U.S. Capitol (Reuters)
* Republicans Splinter Over Whether to Make a Full Break From Trump (NYT)
* Storming The U.S. Capitol Was About Maintaining White Power In America (538)
* The mob that rampaged the halls of Congress included infamous white supremacists and conspiracy theorists. (NYT)
* Trump has 12 days left in office. After he incited an insurrection that left five people dead, some 50 injured and the U.S. Capitol ransacked, Trump was deemed too dangerous to post to his social media accounts. But he is still in charge of the executive branch, the military and the nuclear codes. Now, lawmakers must decide what to do about it. [HuffPost]
* Following the U.S. Capitol riot, Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to strip President Trump of his powers. (Reuters)
* After inciting mob attack, Trump retreated in rage. Then, grudgingly, he admited his loss. (WashPo)
* U.S. labor federation urges Trump removal, calling him 'danger' to nation (Reuters)
* Three days before Trump supporters rioted at the Capitol, the Pentagon asked the U.S Capitol Police if it needed National Guard manpower. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders asked to send FBI agents. The police rejected both offers. [AP]
* A Shattering Blow to America’s Troubled Democratic Image -- The mob in Washington attempting to disrupt the peaceful transition of American power also posed a threat to all democracies. (NYT)
* Dozens arrested in wake of Capitol riot; officials vow that more will be charged (WashPo)
* They’d lost their power and wanted a return to normalcy. They stood back as they carefully planned an insurrection to attempt to regain control. They turned to violence in an effort to “make America great again.” This was the case for pro-Trump rioters in 2021. It was also the case for white supremacists in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898, in America’s first and only successful coup d’etat. [HuffPost]
* Experts say recent actions by President Trump and his loyalists are harder to stop than a coup — citing anti-democratic slides in Turkey and Venezuela as closer examples. (NYT)
* Moderna Inc.'s chief executive said the company's vaccine will likely offer protection from the coronavirus for a couple of years, although more data is needed to say for sure. New research meanwhile suggests that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can protect against a mutation found in two highly contagious variants of the coronavirus that erupted in Britain and South Africa. [HuffPost]
* Post-infection coronavirus immunity usually robust after 8 months, study shows (WashPo)
* White House task force says there could be a fast-spreading 'USA variant' of coronavirus (CNN)
* As the Vaccine Arrives, Death and Denial Rage in a California Coronavirus Epicenter -- In the San Joaquin Valley, medical professionals fear that many in the public still fail to grasp the dangers of COVID-19. (The New Yorker)
* 2020 has officially become the hottest year on record, tied with 2016, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said. The year rounds off the hottest decade globally ever on record as the impacts of climate change intensify. In 2016 the extreme heat was partly attributed to the end of an El Niño event, a huge ocean-atmosphere climate interaction which results in warming in sea surface temperatures. 2020 had no such event. [HuffPost]
* "Perhaps you are looking to read about anywhere but here for just a moment? Our cover this week, which features two very different books, can help get you there. The first, “Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World,” by Andrea Pitzer, offers a historical Arctic adventure about the Dutch explorer William Barents (namesake of the Barents Sea). The second, “Himalaya: A Human History,” by Ed Douglas, is a social, cultural and geological portrait of the mountain range separating the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia, shaping the populations, economies, politics and landscape of the region." (The NYT Book Review)
* With bag over head, Trump tries to trick Twitter on another account but is caught red-handed. (DW pretending to be The Onion)
***
It's too hot to sleep, time is running away
Feel like my soul has turned into steel
I've still got the scars that the sun didn't heal
There's not even room enough to be anywhere
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there
Behind every beautiful thing there's been some kind of pain
She wrote me a letter and she wrote it so kind
She put down in writing what was in her mind
I just don't see why I should even care
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there
I've followed the river and I got to the sea
I've been down on the bottom of a world full of lies
I ain't looking for nothing in anyone's eyes
Sometimes my burden is more than I can bear
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there
I know it looks like I'm moving, but I'm standing still
Every nerve in my body is so vacant and numb
I can't even remember what it was I came here to get away from
Don't even hear a murmur of a prayer
It's not dark yet, but it's getting there
-30-
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