The current state of dysfunction in Washington has been a long time in the making. It began with President Eisenhower when he gave his country’s military support to Charles de Gaulle’s vision for France in post-Second World War global affairs. President de Gaulle envisioned France returning to its glory days of imperial power. De Gaulle was in trouble. The Algerian Revolution for independence from France was in a crisis state. French forces were being decimated in French Indochina. Quebec was still part of Canada. England wouldn’t help.
The Vietnam revolt was being supplied militarily by Russia. Eisenhower was caught. Senator Joseph McCarthy was at the peak of his destructive demagogic popularity – convincing America that there were ‘Reds under every bed’. A communist domino effect in Southeast Asia had consumed American foreign affairs since the Korean War. Eisenhower gave in to de Gaulle. (The rest of us didn’t).
U.S. military intervention in Vietnam failed utterly under presidents Kennedy and Johnson. America became violently disillusioned. Congress retreated, transferring to the Office of the President its functioning control and responsibility over almost all American external affairs. They retained some control over budgetary matters and the constitutional authority over a formal declaration of war. Congress’s legislative and political time and attention then, and now, focused almost exclusively on constituency matters. Of course, the Washington pork barrel remains huddled over any time internal military defence spending occurs. Anyway, America revolted. President Nixon was elected. He got out of Vietnam. Then Congress got him out of Washington.
President Ford hit a spectator teeing off a golf ball. America teed Ford off by electing President Reagan. He, along with Canada, gave away bilateral trading balance predominance to Mexico. President Bush Sr. claimed a new world order as the Soviet Union collapsed. The American economy almost did likewise. President Clinton brought back the economy and survived Monica.
Then the 2016 election year presented itself after two previous presidents had failed in their conduct of U.S. involvements in the Middle East – once again losing American pride, self-confidence and lives. The country’s economy, wages and jobs became destabilized. Corporate America continued to transfer jobs and manufacturing capacity offshore. Congress dithered (they are all millionaires). As with Vietnam, America became angry, frustrated and pessimistic. Middle and working class America revolted. Half of voting America chose the pugnacious anti-establishment Washington outsider Donald Trump as their president.
Tragically, he has shown himself to be a foul-mouthed, pervasive liar with a narcissistic personality who struts and acts in the same manner as Benito Mussolini. Before COVID-19, President Trump, like Mussolini, successfully got the economic train back on the tracks and running again. He now has his black shirts with their assault rifles openly on standby and the National Guard to act as as his personally controlled internal army, He will bring civil order back as did Mussolini when he drove his way to dictatorial power.
The question now for America is whether they are prepared to elect an ‘old political soldier’ (like pre-Second World War Germany did with President Paul Von Hindenburg), as a reliable standby until a younger generation leader emerges.
Or will America choose a fascist Washington?
Alan Murdock is a local pediatrician.
