LETTERS: Two related sets of events in American politics unfolded before our eyes in the American capital, Washington D.C on January 6, with ominous implications for democracy around the world.
First, with victory declared for Joe Biden in the Presidential Elections in November 2020, the outgoing President Donald Trump, began to agitate that the elections had been stolen from him amid massive frauds.
Second, seeing that he had failed in the above efforts, he started to plan allegedly with his followers to prevent the Certification of the Election results that was supposed to have taken place on January 6, 2021 in the Capitol Building, the country's legislative hub in Washington D.C (equivalent to our Parliament House).
On that day, presumably encouraged by Trump, his followers stormed the Capitol complex that resulted in chaos, violence, and deaths. The Certification Process was discontinued but was later resumed after the rioters had left the Building upon the purported appeals by Trump.
To the uninitiated, politics American-style and the various events taking place there these days, could be described as a sham. It is also very much a game, full of theatre.
To gain a better understanding of the situation, we move to reflect on the changing mental state of Americans after the events surrounding the Presidential Elections last year and that which had occurred on and after January 6.
Since the 9/11 events, Americans have become more security-conscious than ever. and have instilled inside them the feeling that the enemies of America are trying to whittle away the best of American and the whole Western civilization. For once America found itself vulnerable. The thought that it could be 'defeated' in its own backyard was too much to bear.
Today and especially, during the Trump Presidency, the idea of bringing in a 'NEW AMERICA' and out with the past labelled as the so-called American Dream years. What mattered was something had taken place in America and that Americans have had to lose their lives, this should warrant that Americans must "Make America Great Again". This was how Trump had been conducting his State Affairs while in Office.
For Americans, the reality surrounding them after Trump had assumed Office in 2017, was to consider themselves as innocent bystanders or mere participants in a 'game-show' they called 'reality'. This was how the American drama had begun to consume Americans, and to satisfy the transference of one's biological state of mind to an external entity like for example, the Presidential Debates, sports, shows and talks, and the cable news TVs etc.
These included the 'reality-shows' made famous by Trump in the popular "The Apprentice' TV Series even before he had become the country's 45th President, such that he has been able to cast a spell on his followers and to do all his bidding even to the extent of going ahead with the failed seizure attempt to storm Capitol Hill.
Americans can relate better to this 'reality' drama since it has been interpreted for them by others, and of course, Trump. This may also lead to a position that there is only one solution to this 'game': winners and losers. For Americans there must emerge winners in every human endeavours. What this means is that Americans will shun losers. Only winners will be rewarded.
In the same spirit towards the end of his Presidency, Trump managed to bring in the support of Republicans in the Senate and the House over to his side to continue to fight for his comeback into politics at some time in the future. In so doing in the exercise of Democrats to impeach Trump for 'high crimes and misdemeanours', that began on February 10, 2021 in the Senate, almost all Republicans have indicated their intentions to acquit Trump.
Whatever will be the final outcome of the Trump actions and attempts to try and get back the Presidency, "Politics American-style" as discussed above could have imperilled democracy had they succeeded and would have impacted the world as well.
Dr Azhari-Karim
Former Malaysian ambassador, Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times