America in Crisis

It seems lately that books have been coming out once or twice a week with new revelations about Trump’s criminality, his deeply corrupt and narcissistic character, and his incompetence and ignorance, his only skills being those of a con man and mafia boss. Abetted by the entire Republican caucus in Congress, corrupt and complicit cabinet members, greedy and power-hungry morally deficient rich corporate and individual donors, and wildly irresponsible right-wing media, he has mounted a full scale assault on our constitutional system and institutions of justice in his attempt to undermine electoral processes and retain power in Putinesque fashion. Meanwhile, the pandemic continues its grip, and fires of unprecedented ferocity and scope ravage the California, Oregon, and Washington.

We are in the midst of what appears to be the worst crisis in American history, arguably worse than the Civil War, because even if the Union had lost, it would have been diminished, but it would have survived –– “the last best hope on earth” would have survived ––  and its citizens would not be living in a world in which civilization is threatened by the effects of accelerating climate change and the resurgent risk of nuclear war.