I'm sad that the Klu Klux Klan held a victory rally for Trump in the state I was born in, but I'm also really disappointed with the protests of Trump- now hear me out as to why:
I wish everyone considering protesting the man would protest the specific conditions that brought him about instead. The most obvious of which is the electoral college. Seriously- the electoral college was established when only property holding white men could vote in order to make sure that EVEN THEY did not get an egalitarian democratic system- rather one controlled by the elite of property holding white men...just go read article two of the constitution in light of Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Papers. No one was hiding what the point of this was back then...Now people would be wise, in my humble opinion, to move past the 14th amendment and just fight to abolish this anachronistic mess altogether. And while they are fighting for democracy, they should get the FEC to fund a few more parties, and put them on the ticket in all states, to break the two party monopoly.
These struggles are infinitely winnable. At present it would take 5% of an election to get a third party on the ballot in the next election...or about 1 million signatures...what the heck are you people waiting for? Go round up the signatures and start filing the paperwork now...with the advent of the internet it could be done with a few dozen people in each state working together.
And people in the territories i.e. Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S.V.A, frankly, I'm not sure why you aren't in open revolt already... this whole PROMESA thing laid bare you are being made into subservient colonial subjects. The problem is the average mainlander doesn't know you exist. Really. I promise to wave your flag when you revolt.
I tend to disdain politics, but things have gotten so bad, I'm going to put forth a modest proposal of what we might do to save the world. Because we should be building the future better than the past.
Here are the five things Americans should do in order to democratize the country:
1. Get rid of the electoral college.
Plenty of ideas in the original constitution had to go in the move towards democracy. Like that whole more representation based on color thing. Thats where the whole infamous blacks as three fifths of a person thing came from. From the original constitution
Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 :
Keep the dream of democracy in the USA alive- ban the electoral college!
2. Start voting for all citizens of voting age regardless of geography!
Perhaps you weren't aware, but millions and millions of your fellow citizens can not vote because they are considered to be of "alien race" by virtue of living in a US territory. Puerto Ricans, Guamanians, U.S.Virgin Islanders, American Samoans...any of these people living in the US territories but not residing in a state can not vote in the national election... what is interesting is that these people tend to serve in the US military in disproportionally high numbers. On the other hand thousands of US citizens living abroad can and do vote. Perhaps because I live in Israel I kept getting messages reminding me to vote - because I could vote from "anywhere". Apparently while anywhere includes the outer reaches of the Golan heights, it does not include Puerto Rico, an hour plane ride away from Miami full of 3.5 millions of US citizens.
3. Let criminals vote!
Admit it, your government is run by criminals anyways...in many cases much worse than some of the people behind bars. I mean seriously, Hillary probably should be in jail. If I were getting millions from shady Saudis over arms deals, wouldn't I be in jail? Of course it sounds absurd...because poor black people like me tend to commit much less profitable crimes, then get slammed out of normal citizenship for them. Why should people lose their right to vote based on crimes like smoking weed, when Hillary walks free?
4. Overturn Citizens United!
Corporations are not people. Large stacks of money are not people. People are people....have you all gone mad?! You live in a country where the bottom half of people have approximately no money- or less than that because they are in debt- and a few families and wealthy individuals own nearly everything. Think I'm kidding? The Walton family has 149 billion. You- if your are like most Americans- have a credit card, and maybe an old computer. If money buys political speech your voices will not be heard.
5. Fight for third parties!
Most functional democracies have more than two parties. With the advent of the Clintonocrats you have less. Do you find it curious how Obamacare was Romneycare...or how welfare reforms slashing benefits came in under Bill Clinton? It's because nearly every politician is really a variation of the same right winger in US politics. Both major parties are for endless war in the middle east, militarism, and money. Big money. Wall street money. Time for a party that is more than window dressing for militarized corporate rule. Any day now...
Good luck with that from your American dissident in exile Dr. Moore.
