Never in my lifetime did I imagine we would have such dangerous and divisive candidates for the highest office in the land. The year of my birth, Harry Truman was president, the Korean War had just broken out and America was resolute in its opposition to tyranny abroad. People were scared and rightly so as the Soviets had toppled numerous nascent democratic governments in Eastern Europe, replaced by Soviet totalitarian systems. Communist forces were gaining ground across Asia. The Cold War had begun in earnest.
Yet, for all this Americans of all colors and ethnicities were united in their love of the country. The flag was respected, our heritage revered, the 4th of July celebrated across the land. Patriotism was taught in schools and our nation was optimistic about the future. Most importantly the national press shared those values and their reporting reflected it. No candidate could expect to lie their way into office without being exposed by an adversarial press. The 4th Estate, as the press was known, was fulfilling its constitutional duty of keeping government power in check.
Today, we live in a very different America. Half the country seems to believe the American dream never existed, that we live in a racist, fascist society which must be destroyed and the free-market system under which we live is unfair and only government can rectify the inequalities of life. Socialism for many has become the shiny ornament on the tree that promises a utopian society. The Left calls for dismantling the constitution, packing the federal judiciary with like-minded jurists, and re-writing the Bill of Rights to eliminate constitutional protections for ideas or religious beliefs that fail to conform to that which is politically correct.
Today, I don’t recognize my country or those who seek to govern it. Former presidents have exacerbated simmering social divisions. Obama had a golden opportunity to unite us and heal racial divisions; he instead chose to further divide us, tarnishing the image of the nation by belittling its past, even bowing to foreign kings. He abandoned the field in Iraq, nullifying the sacrifices thousands of Americans had made on the battlefield and created the conditions that led to the rise of a bloody Islamic State in Iraq that slaughtered thousands. Obama was raised by Marxist mentors and influencers in his youth; he didn’t share the reverence for America’s heritage many of us held.
Trump came into office like a runaway train, promising to dismantle an overreaching federal bureaucracy and rebuild a faltering economy. His trademark was the biting personal insult, inflaming his political opponents and deepening cultural divides. The press hated him as did the “Left.” The federal bureaucracy, especially the national security apparatus aided by a compliant press, conspired to destroy him and all associated with him. They’ve succeeded by convincing millions that Trump is dangerous, under the influence of foreign dictators and will destroy the Republic. Trump attempted to rebuild the economy and partially succeeded, leaving the nation with low inflation (1.5 percent the day he left office) and headed towards energy independence. He supported Israel as no previous president had, attempted to secure our borders and protected constitutional freedoms by appointing justices that respectedconstitutional limits on federal power. The bureaucracy was incensed, undermining his administration at every turn. Worse, Trump’s penchant for personal insults and arrogance continued to alienate people regardless of his accomplishments, leaving us deeply divided as a nation.
Biden, shielded by the press from criticism, campaigned as a moderate who would restore a sense of calm to the nation. He governed from the farthest extremes of the Left on every policy front. He adopted the extreme agenda of the “Green New Deal” to destroy the American energy system, costing millions of working-class Americans their jobs, furtherimpoverishing the most vulnerable at the bottom of the economic scale. Biden abandoned the field in Afghanistan, again nullifying sacrifices of thousands of American servicemembers. Millions of Afghans, especially women, have been abandoned to endure a brutal Islamic Taliban dictatorship. America’s defenses are in a shamble and it’s questionable if we will be successful in any future military conflict with China or the emerging unholy alliance of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.
Kamala Harris has the moral compass of a weathervane. She answers no questions and the press asks none. Shechanges positions on issues of national importance as fast as most of us change our socks. Her record is that of the most extreme Left in American politics; she also had Marxist mentors in her youth. While she claims to have moderated her views on fracking and other issues, none of her Leftist allies have denounced or abandoned her. She campaigns towardsthe center but no doubt will govern from the hard Left. Her running mate, Tim Walz, thinks communist China is an ideal state and refused to condemn Hamas terrorists this week after they slaughtered another six Israeli and American hostages. His record as governor of Minnesota is that of a bully with strong authoritarian tendencies; his economic policies left Minnesota devastated.
We have entered a dangerous era with existential threats to the Republic from within and without. Who are these people who wish to govern? Where will they take the nation? Will the nation survive the next four years and if so, will it still be a Republic we recognize? I suggest prayer.
Al Fonzi is an independent opinion columnist for The Atascadero News and Paso Robles Press; you can email him at ajfonzi2@hotmail.com.
