The French phrase coup d’etat is literally translated as a
“blow to the state,” and that’s a good description of what
appears to be going on in both U.S. major party presidential
campaigns. The Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset,
whom I have cited often over the years had a different phrase,
la rebelion de las masas or “the revolt of the masses,” that
also might fit what’s happening. In any event, Donald Trump
and Bernie Sanders are not going away any time soon, and
it’s time for one of the hitherto more conventional candidates
to step up to the plate and drive in some runs before the ninth
inning, or two teams no one ever heard of before this year
will be going to the Presidential World Series in November.
As far as I know, no one saw this coming before it began,
although many of us noted certain glaring discrepancies and
disruptions within each of the major parties. I predicted
stalemate if Barak Obama won re-election in 2012.
Apparently, voters will tolerate only so much inaction,
economic stagnation, homeland insecurity, and deliberate
lack of transparency by politicians and bureaucrats before
taking matters into their own hands.
Lincoln said: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate
to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with
difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case
is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.”
It’s another occasion requiring us to renew and revise the
American political experiment. Every few generations, and
because of unanticipated circumstances, this is so, and it
is time to realize we are right now going to a new, and as yet,
undisclosed location.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 2016 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment