Recent storming of the Capitol Hill, the citadel of US Senate and House of Representatives located in Washington DC led by hundreds of Trump supporters was America's ultimate shame and disgress. The images on live TV of the marauding, fanatical followers of the about to be one term President on rampage were disturbing and can't be condoned. Obviously Trump added fuel to the fire by his incendiary remarks and his stubborn disrespect towards the rule of law following his loss in the 2020 Presidential elections.
The scene reminded me of a picture from Chapra, Bihar in India not long ago where friends and relatives of students sitting in a College Examination center were seen climbing the windows of the building, some hanging from the rooftop and windows, supplying copies (a term used in Odisha for the act of cheating by providing answers to exam questions). What I saw happening in badlands of Bihar was enacted in the heartland of America 🇺🇸 . United States was looking like a first world Bihar.
An incident like this was waiting to happen. The atmosphere was already surcharged, akin to a room filled with inflammable gas. All needed was for someone to light a matchstick. Trump exactly did that through his incendiary speeches and tweets. An under equipped and overwhelmed Capitol police force spectacularly failed to prevent the vandalism from happening inside the centre of American legislature. Luckily only a few lives were lost, though it could have been far worse.
I was not surprised and saw this coming from a long time. Of course Trump is to be blamed. Yet Donald J Trump is not the cause, rather the symptom of a larger disease plaguing America for a long time. It's analogous to our body getting a fever. The disease is not the fever itself but rather the cause of the fever - which could be due to a viral, bacterial or some other infection infecting our immune system which responds with a fever, raising the temperature and giving us an unsettling feeling.
Similarly America has been plagued long time by various illnesses - economic, social, psychological and racism in the society. Rising inequality and Healthcare costs over the year has created a distinct class of have and have nots as middle class jobs are gradually vanishing due to automation and Corporate greed of preferring profit over people.
Ironically most of this has been created due to policies of successive Republican administrations whose base are the ones who are the most impacted. Republicans are very much the part of the current problem, though Democrats who once upon a time used to be the champions of the American middle class have also let them down (That's why the traditionally Democratic Rust belt states voted for Trump in 2016). Idle mind is Devil's workshop. Loss of jobs have led to multiple social issues like broken families, alcohol and drug abuse. All these are taking a toll on those folks, their rising frustration transforming into violence and thuggery. They feel alienated from the society and country, easily vulnerable to crazy rumors and conspiracy theories.
I love Capitalism, but not the kind of unbridled Capitalism without checks and balances which benefits only the top, creamy later at the cost of the middle class. On top of that in last two decade there was a two term President in Barack Obama, rise in the minority population asserting their rights, followed by a woman candidate running for President in 2016.
It made a sizable section of population unhappy who felt the America they grew up is fast changing and getting snatched away from them. They want their America to be great again, looking for a leadership to fill the void. Trump sitting on the wings to enter into politics read it very well and tapped into it (no wonder he came up with his MAGA - Make America Great Again slogan). He not only won the 2016 elections against all odds, but also almost won 2020 - thanks to COVID-19 pandemic followed by a recession put a spanner in his reelection. A person who branded Republicans John McCain, a war hero and Mitt Romney as losers, found himself on the losing side. He obviously couldn't take his loss on his stride and kept living in his make believe alternate universe. So also his followers.
This violence has led to Trump been banned by Twitter and Facebook, inviting censorship for enticing violence. Facebook or Twitter is not someone's father's property which one can misuse in the name of freedom of speech. I can disagree with someone on social media. But it doesn't give me rights to abuse or troll or threaten someone with personal attacks. Trump is not an ordinary person whose threatening act doesn't have much effect. Trump is still the President of United States - the richest country in the World and a Superpower. His irresponsible, pugnacious acts needed to be curbed. Both Facebook and Twitter have taken the right decision by banning him. Hope he stays same in till January 20 when Biden takes over the reigns.
