American “democracy” is neither dead nor defeated; it is simply decaying day by day. This reality is the reflection of an exhausted and worn out capitalist system on a global scale. Facts surrounding the 2020 Presidential Election in the U.S. are the best evidence of this realism. Both elite political parties have already clearly shown that they are not interested in counting the actual “votes” of the election; they would rather project their presumption of what the majority wants.
In 2000, during the controversial Presidential election, the U.S. Supreme Court intervened on behalf of the Republican candidate George W. Bush to be the next president. The ladies and gentlemen of the Supreme Court in the black robes were able to restore peace then. This time around, the armed men and women in uniform will restore “law and order” after the election. In short, the antagonistic factions of the 1% will rely on the “bullet” rather than “ballot” to resolve their unsolvable feud. President Trump has already made it known on many occasions that “The only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged”. On the other side, Mrs. Clinton on behalf of the Democratic Party has resolutely stated that: “Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances”.
The political situation in the United States is forcing the powerful elite and wealthy minority to move toward some sort of totalitarian governance. Mr. Trump (amid the Covid-19 crisis, mass unemployment, and gross injustice and poverty) has boldly declared himself as the “law and order” president for the “Great America”. At the same time, Mr. Biden as a “compassionate” and “pro-worker” candidate supports the same idea in the name of “peace” against “violence”. Both candidates rely on elements in the Justice Department, the Police and mainly the Military for a successful transition of power.
After the November 3rd election, despite the duration of the political purge and violence among the hostile factions of the 1% and regardless of which candidate will be the next occupant in the White House, the one thing that will definitively intensify is POLITICAL OPPRESSION against the working people and dissents. Both parties are in agreement that the growing working people’s resistance is a major threat to the interest of the elite as a whole. Workers, teachers, students, women, youth, immigrants and oppressed minorities have already demonstrated their will and power for meaningful changes. Naturally, the majority of people who are losing their homes, jobs and hopes for a better future for their children due to the policies of indifferent politicians -who are constantly fighting among themselves- will fight back and seek alternative solutions outside the useless Congress and its incompetent representatives.
However, working people don’t have a solid, conscious organization or party of their own. In the struggle against an authoritarian president or a repressive government that is reshaping itself today, the working people in the U.S. must reject the middle-class liberal leadership. Historically, all “progressive” leaders or so-called “socialists” distract the working people or they capitulate to the interest of the 1%. Political characters like Mr. Sanders or the union bosses have shown many times that they are NOT trustworthy.
Working people and democratic-minded people must stay out of the 1% faction fights. While on this difficult path of emancipation; the fascistic-minded president Trump is an obvious obstacle, the Democratic Party is more like a quagmire that tends to slowly swallow the young and enthusiastic activists. In the final analysis, Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden have to compete with other capitalist countries for the world market and suppress their people to maintain their power in the government. That means pursuing a major war against China or Russia and at the same time conducting an unprecedented repressive war domestically against working people.
The fight against the authoritarian regime
Working people in the U.S. must independently organize and demand their basic democratic rights and win the support of the middle class who for the first time find themselves among the impoverished people. The concept of “revolution” for many is only understood in its historical sense. The American Revolution is explained by historian and political pundits who represent the interest of the 1%, as a historical period that had happened in the past and is inconceivable for another revolution to occur today in the U.S.! This is a false argument. On the contrary, the revolting elements in the U.S. not only are gaining in numbers; they are also maturing politically to separate friends from foes as their struggle intensifies.
It is not surprising that suddenly in the 2020 Presidential election the nation is bombarded with the “threat of socialism”, or the “danger of fascism”. Both words rarely were mentioned in the previous elections. So, what has happened since the 2016 election whereby the concepts of “socialism” and “fascism” have become a critical factor? The answer to this question is vital for working people and especially young activists.
What is socialism? What is fascism?
The radicalization of the working people in the United States which had been interrupted for decades after WWII; is now on the rise! Today, two words – Socialism and Fascism- are the talk of the day for the functionary pundits of the corporate media.
However, for the “Political Strategists”, these two words are not quite defined and simply are used as labels to defame and crush their opponents. So basically, if someone is concerned about the environment or is a parent and has some opinion about the question of schooling children during the Covid-19 crisis, they are immediately labeled as “socialist”. For example, FOX NEWS channels constantly propagate the idea that the root of all problems in the U.S. is those “socialists” who are in charge of the Blue States! By that, they mean Mayors, Governors and Chief of Police who are Democrats! This of course has nothing to do with the idea of socialism.
At the same time, the word fascism is constantly used as a cuss word against the Trump administration and their followers. The fact is that not every heinous act that is committed by some authority or a fascistic-minded President like Mr. Trump against innocent people means those victims are living under fascism. For any society to progress to socialism or descend into the abyss of fascism, certain political conditions are necessary. Socialism or Fascism is not a decree that would be possible by a kind “socialist” leader or a wicked “fascist” ruler.
Only the working class can open the gate of social equality and economic prosperity for all by abolishing private property in the means of production and through nationalization of all major industries, corporations and banks. These entities would operate the same as before but now as the public property – the workers’ government- and not for the private profit.
Also, in the U.S. the only way that a “savior” with an iron fist would be able to establish fascism is when the working class has been defeated and demoralized in their long and hard struggle. Today, the working class is on the rise and determined more than ever; which is far from the political and social conditions that brought Hitler to power in Germany.
Today, the working people who are the producers of life and prosperity are standing up without a united leadership and at the same time, the 1% is seeking an authoritarian system of government to hold on to the power. This period of uncertainty gradually creates a revolutionary condition before the working people as a result of the capitalist deepening crisis. In this historical class struggle, both sides are fighting very hard to protect their political gains and stand their ground. Today the resistance from the 1% and 99% is reaching the undeniable stage of “do or die”. A period in American history that everyone –one way or another- is ready and willing to change the status quo.
A genuine discussion among activists in their workplaces and communities is needed to reject the political influences of both Democratic and Republican parties. In the struggle against the dictatorial presidency, working people must focus on creating their independent organizations in unity at the local, national and global scale and exercise their awesome power of the general strike and mass demonstration.
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Massoud Nayeri is a graphic designer and an independent peace activist based in the United States. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research.
