Editor,
Firstly, I believe the term “United States” is a complete oxymoron. The states are not at all “united” and haven’t been since the original 13 colonies, which didn’t see eye-to-eye either. They most certainly haven’t been united since the Civil War…and I don’t mean just politically, I mean economically, socially, intellectually and morally.
The GOP is more ‘far right’ than ever, but the Dems are right of centre also. The only socialists in the last Democratic leadership campaign that were legitimate contenders, were Sanders and Warren, and they had no chance.
The country is not at all a democracy, because any state can enact anti-democratic legislation and an obscenely biased Supreme Court will let them. See below. Any state can enact voting rules to suit itself.
When it comes to representation by population, it does not exist. States like Alaska and Wyoming get the same number of senators as California and New York. (Canada’s Senate seat apportionment is badly skewed but our Senate has far less power.) Gerrymandering, which is strictly a GOP practice, ensures that a disproportionate number of house seats always go to the Republicans.
Recent state initiatives to make voting more difficult and attempts to overturn votes easier, are the marks of totalitarian regimes….nervous ones.
The American form of legislative government, both federal and state, heavily favours white Christian conservatives, and has always done so. We won’t be around, but this will change within in a few decades, due to a much lower birthrate among white Christians.
The current version of the US Supreme Court is the epitome of judicial malfeasance. There are two previously appointed judges who have shown to be corrupt. Due to the three appointees chosen by the previous president, the now heavily biased “court” is ruined for quite possibly decades to come, and has already shown a complete disregard for citizens’ Constitutional rights, while protecting former presidents from criminal prosecution.
A country founded on the principles of anti-colonialism established itself as a colonial occupier long ago ie: the annexations of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Samoa, etc., etc. The Philippines was a colony of the US from 1898-1946.
A country founded on “freedom and equality” practised genocide against the First Nations after cheating them out of their lands.
A country torn apart by the abhorrent practice of slavery has managed to repress, abuse, kill, maim, and vilify Africans, and then African-Americans, for 405 consecutive years, and is still doing it. Lincoln didn’t free the slaves, he merely took them off the plantations and left their fates to a racist white majority that immediately imposed Jim Crow laws to perpetuate the discrimination.
The country could implode, and it’s possible there will be civil war again, maybe abetted by another country.
Mike Robertson, Meaford
