Never in my lifetime has America been so polarised. For years the Left has ignored, ostracised, ridiculed, humiliated and attacked their ideological enemies--including their own. In response, the Alt-Right raised the blood-red banner and used the Left's tactics against them. There is a bitter divide between them. Donald Trump's Presidency marks a new era in American politics, an era where the Left-Right divide in America spills out into the open and engulfs the world.
I think America dodged a bullet by electing Trump. Hillary Clinton was the worst qualified Presidential candidate in my lifetime. Regardless of what you think about her, among her many misdeeds, she mishandled government secrets, promised the public one thing and told global billionaires another, and she could not align herself with the interests of the American people.
The first sin alone should have warranted a criminal indictment. American troops have been charged and jailed for lesser crimes. Everyone who handles classified information in America receives the same briefing about the handling of classified information and the weight of laws protecting that information. She could not be ignorant about the proper procedures to handle secret documents, and 'no intent' to deliberately distribute classified information is not a defence. In a just world, there is no way she should have walked away clean. Yet, after a meeting with the Director of the FBI and the Attorney-General, she scooted. Twice.
How many suspects get to meet the head of the law enforcement agency investigating them? How many suspects have friends in the Justice Department?
Every soldier, airman and Marine in the United States swore to preserve and protect the Constitution from all enemies "foreign and domestic". Many civilians on the Right share that same sentiment, and religiously practice their Second Amendment rights. If Clinton were elected to power, how many of these people would consider her a domestic enemy?
What do you think they would do?
However, with Trump's ascendency, the same phenomenon, albeit to a lesser degree, is being replicated on the Left. Now the Control-Left has reared its ugly head. The world has seen the #notmypresident riots following the elections. A new wave of protests is scheduled for Inauguration Day, and there is every expectation that they would be as peaceful as the #notmypresident 'protests'. These protests require organisation, and organisation requires leaders. These leaders are the same people who demand martial law to deal with Trump, call riots 'peaceful protests', and march against Trump in support of every cause but national unity.
And, most assuredly, Trump is aware of this.
All Hail the God-Emperor
The question on everybody's minds is: What would President Trump do?
Only Trump knows.
Throughout his campaign, Trump employed a technique Scott Adams called 'pacing and leading'. Trump is deliberately acting and talking like the people he wants to persuade to win their trust. His rhetoric cannot be treated as his policy positions.
It's a smart move. He needs the Hard Right -- which includes the Alt-Right -- on his side. People at that end of the spectrum are fighters. They will never back down and never quit. He needs them fighting for him, not against him. If he had tried to appeal to the moderates first, the Hard Right would jump on him -- and even if he moved further to the right, the moderates would be disenchanted and the Hard Right would suspect that he is simply trying to manipulate them.
Trump appeals to the Hard Right with his rhetoric. Then he rolls out much softer policy positions. This lets the moderates convince themselves that Trump is making concessions to them, and the Hard Right can tell themselves that this is only the first step of his master plan. Then, depending on how well his policy is received, Trump can unveil future policies in either direction.
His true positions are known only to himself.
Much has been said about Trump's profligate use of Twitter and open disdain of the traditional media. His media strategy is brilliant. For decades, the media has sucked up to the Democrats. Wikileaks revealed that the Democrats leaked debate questions to the press and cosied up to reporters during Clinton's campaign. The mass media has consistently criticised Trump while remaining soft on Clinton, and there is no sign this will change.
Instead of relying on the mass media, Trump speaks directly to the people through Twitter. He is his own brand and he is forcing the traditional media to follow his lead and take their cues from him. He is in complete control of the image he is presenting to the world. On Twitter, Trump talks tough, picks fights and makes bold declarations. This is the emotional tenor that resonates with his supporters, especially on the Hard Right and Alt-Right. It is also what his enemies expect of him.
Trump is not an idiot. One does not become a multi-billionaire by being an idiot. He wants his enemies to underestimate him, and the first step is to create an image they want to see.
What is certain about President Trump is that he will drain the swamp. He will purge everyone in Washington who supports the Clintons and the Democrats. He will turn on the intelligence officers who are accusing him of being a Russian pawn. The constant shuffling of his transition team and cabinet tells me that he won't tolerate anyone who refuses to obey orders, and he will apply the same attitude to the Federal government. With his opposition out of the way, he will be able to do what he wants. Once Clinton's friends no longer have power in Washington, you can bet that Trump will focus his energies on everyone who has opposed him.
And the Control-Left is not going to take this lying down.
Social Justice Warriors Always Double Down
As Vox Day famously said, Social Justice Warriors always double down. For decades the SJWs of the Control-Left have belittled and insulted their opponents, and used the power of the Federal government to have their way. When conservatives fought back, the Control Left doubled down with shrieking, doxxing and swatting. With the rise of the Alt-Right, people are saying that they will no longer tolerate the tactics of the Hard Left. The SJWs doubled down again, adopting violence as a political tool.
Throughout Trump's campaign, violence broke out at his rallies. Many hate crimes were reported, and a significant percentage of them were hoaxes by Clinton supporters. The Control-Left has violently disrupted right-wing events, such as Milo Yiannopoulos' campus speech tours. They have failed to make a dent in the Alt-Right, so they will double down once more. I have no doubt that there will be more Control-Left violence on Inauguration Day and in the days to come. The social justice warriors want a war.
And the only thing stupider than starting a war is starting a war you can't win.
The Control-Left preaches gun control, microaggressions and safe spaces. The Alt-Right demands firearms possession, fitness and hardcore training. The Control-Left runs to the police and military when they realise they can't bully someone. The Alt-Right are an iron brotherhood who sneer at State overreach, and many of them are police and military, former or current.
If the Control-Left turns their culture war hot, all they will get is a bloodbath on every street in America.
What Can We Do?
I'm not American, but when when America sneezes the whole world catches a cold. America in the age of Trump may be a frightening prospect to many, but instead of surrendering to fear, we must overcome.
Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, understand this: in eight years or less, Trump will be gone. If he attempts to install a dictatorship, you can bet the military will start wondering if he is the domestic enemy they swore to defend against. In these eight years, here are five things you must do.
1. Scale back the power of the Federal government. For years the Left has steadily increased state power; now they will learn what it's like to be on the receiving end. The Federal government is a necessary evil, not the solution to everything. The system is supposed to have many inherent checks and balances, ensuring that only policies that benefit everybody will pass. The powers of the Federal government must be rolled back to the minimum needed for day to day governance, preventing the rise of an American dictator from either side of the political spectrum.
2. Keep a close eye on Trump. His public words cannot be trusted to reveal his true thoughts. You must watch his deeds. Hold him to account, and ensure that he will truly make America great again.
3. Support your friends and family. Trump the man isn't important. Trump the President, and how his policies will affect the lives of you and your loved ones, is. Stand up for your loved ones, build them up, and strengthen your ties. These are the ones who will help you when you need them, not Trump or the State. Your community must be so resilient that it can endure whatever comes.
4. Participate in politics. If you participate, you can shape the direction of your country. If you do not, you are at the mercy of whoever is in power. If you have the inclination and capability, you must participate.
5. Talk to your enemies. The election has turned friend against friend, brother against brother. The Control-Left and the Alt-Right are baring their teeth and sharpening their swords. The rhetoric is growing white-hot and there is no sign of abating. I know members of the Alt-Right who are willing to have civil discussions with people who want to reason with them. I do not know any members of the Control-Left willing to do the same. If you will not talk to your enemies, they will remain so forever.
America is hurtling towards an inflection point. A Trump Presidency, in the best case, would reign in the power of the oligarchs and restore some semblance of sanity to the West. In the worst case, it will mark the late empire stage of America's decline.
Political violence has come to America, and democracies cannot long survive it. The extremists are pushing for war. It's a war the Control-Left thinks it will win and the Alt-Right is preparing to win. Now, more than ever, people need to start talking to each other and heal the rifts between people. Now is the time to reject those who would refuse dialogue and censor speech and thought. Now is the time for a new era in politics.
If history is anything to go by, when the talking stops, the shooting starts.
Photo credits:
(1) : Reuters
(2): Dark Triad Man
(3): Stella's Place
(4): Associated Press