“You can fool all people some of the time, and some people all the time. But you can’t fool all the people all the time.”
This line, often (falsely) attributed to Abraham Lincoln, nevertheless is the basic premise of democracy.
People make mistakes. Masses of people make mistakes. But most people, given time, correct their mistakes. That’s the difference between democracies and autocracies. We can change. They can’t.
Faith in this thesis is the bedrock of America. We screw up, but we correct. We elect Trump, but we correct.
What upsets me most about 2023 is that many people, not just those on the right, but liberals and even journalists, seem determined not to believe this.
Fascists think they can extend their control beyond their mandate, indoctrinate young people into believing what they tell them, and rule forever.
Liberals and pundits tell us they might be right. They’re not.
All of them ignore our history. For large stretches of it, young people were indoctrinated into lies. For many stretches of it, governments made bad policy. What happened in response, what always happened, is that citizens rose to defeat those governments, and change those policies.
What’s happening in Trumpistan right now is bad policy. Beyond the damage it does to people its horrible economic policy. Rejecting the immigration that has always renewed us. White slavery, which is what controlling women’s reproduction amounts to. Censorship, not just of books but of lifestyles. Favoring expensive oil over cheap renewables. Using the police power against innocent people and encouraging vigilantism against those who disagree.
These are all horrible policies in a society that runs on human creativity. If universally applied, they will take this country down with it. Creative people, and money, will flow to places where such policies are rejected.
The premise of democracy is people can figure this out and maintain the freedom to reject it. If we can’t keep that faith, nothing else matters.
Why are so many people, in all political camps, trying to do this? Why are so many people, in all political camps, telling people things are hopeless, that the fascists can win, that our system is doomed?
If they have lost faith, let’s find new leaders who have it. They’re everywhere.
One may be looking at you in the mirror tonight.
