Recent polls that showed Donald Trump leading Joe Biden in battleground states has caused a panic among those committed to a Democratic victory in 2024. Rather than reflecting on why the public, particularly an increasing share of working-class black, Latino, and Asian Americans, are moving towards the Republican Party, they have doubled down on their usual strategy of demonizing the opposition.Â
Thus, we have seen a ramping up of claims that Trump is a threat to democracy, including the New York Times, which gave its editorial page to an article supporting attempts to keep Trump off the presidential ballot.These five policy goals, not some threat to democracy, are what progressives want to forestall.
These five policy goals, not some threat to democracy, are what progressives want to forestall.
This is the same tactic used with respect to race. What are their solutions to the persistent large black underclass highlighted by the poor scholastic performance of black 10 year-olds, particularly in urban schools, and the gun violence that is responsible for more than 10,000 black homicides annually, coupled with the growing lawlessness that victimizes many cities? Progressives propose lowering educational standards, decriminalizing antisocial behaviors, and offering free money: reparations and universal basic income. And as black Americans who are descended from U.S. slavery languish while other groups, including black immigrants, move forward, what is their response? Blacks are no longer the victims of only white privilege, but now are under the thumb of structural racism and white supremacy. This demonizing rhetoric is meant to forestall any exploration of how adverse personal behaviors are an important impediment to increased black success. (READ MORE from Anthony Esolen: Demands for Reparations Hide Liberal Failures)
This strategy of resorting to demonizing rhetoric when desired outcomes are threatened explains the recent dynamics surrounding Israel. Despite the efforts of progressives, the Trump Administration initiated the Abraham Accords. It became a remarkable success as one Arab country after another began relationships with Israel, increasing trade and contact to the advantage of all parties. The problem for progressives: this was going to leave the Palestinian national cause behind. This required ramping up the demonization of Israel.
Almost simultaneously in 2020, a number of human rights groups determined that Israel was practicing apartheid policies. This despite virtually no change in West Bank policies. In particular, since 2000 only three new Jewish West Bank settlements had been approved, reflecting less than 3 percent of the Jewish population in the territories; and Arab deaths from interactions with Israelis were down. Now the rhetoric has been ramped up to characterize the current Israeli offensive as genocidal despite clear evidence that Israel has tried to limit civilian deaths that are well less than one percent of the Gazan population. Thus, rather than looking at Palestinian unwillingness to accept a Jewish state, progressives have again resorted to demonizing language.
Returning to the claim that Trump is a threat to democracy, where is his Brown Shirt movement? Yes, somewhat over a thousand of his followers stormed the legislative chambers on January 6th, causing remarkably little damage there. However, this does not translate into a mass movement to terrorize the country. MAGA followers are overwhelmingly over 50 years old and live in rural areas. If somehow a few hundred would venture into urban areas to make demands, they would be overwhelmed by thousands of counter demonstrators. Indeed, the threat to democracy is from those opposed to Trump. Surely, if they can’t keep him off the ballot and he wins the 2024 elections, these progressives will be in the streets daily, causing mayhem and destruction as they did after George Floyd’s death and now after the Hamas atrocities. (READ MORE: Declining Black Voter Turnout: Apathy, Not Voter Suppression)
But what is Trump a threat to? Here are a few policy changes that he or any likely Republican president would initiate: (1) closing the southern border by limiting asylum claims; (2) withholding funds from the Palestinian refugee agency, UNHRA, until it desists from hiring Hamas members and using their desired hate-filled textbooks, as well as from the Palestinian Authority until it offers meaningful conditions for a two-state solution; (3) ending excessive environmental policies, particularly the subsidizing of electric passenger cars which has allowed the professional class to purchase them even though they don’t drive enough to overcome the upfront environmental battery production costs compared to a fuel efficient hybrid; (4) enacting Title IX regulations that give real due process to those accused of being sexual abusers and not enforcing  transgender rights with respect to sports participation; and (5) replacing race and gender policies with a return to merit-based criteria in the furtherance of equal opportunity rather than equity goals.
These five policy goals, not some threat to democracy, are what progressives want to forestall. But rather than having serious discussions, demonizing rhetoric is embraced, and now they seek ways to keep Trump seek off the ballot in the name of saving democracy. The progressives are the real threat to democratic processes. It is they who will not accept the results of a 2024 election if any Republican is elected president, not simply Trump. This is the outcome of the unwillingness of the Democratic Party to change to policies that serve working Americans.
via spectator