A friend from Toronto recently shared an editorial from that city’s newspaper, the Globe and Mail. entitled, “The American Polity is Cracked and Might Collapse.” The piece said Canadians must “prepare.” After reading the piece, I must agree.
The author, Thomas Homer-Dixon, is a left-leaning Canadian academic. Before reading the piece, I was ready for another spirited condemnation of Donald Trump. That’s not what the editorial is about. Trumpism is referenced but is described as more a symptom than cause of underlying, deeper problems. Worsening income inequality, a more vulnerable economy, and a host of other challenges are leading many Americans to question democracy. The writer also notes that changing demographics are fueling a fear that “traditional U.S. culture is being erased” as “whites are replaced.”
The writer assumes that effective government could respond to the challenges and contribute to renewed support for democracy. That isn’t happening. Homer-Dixon suggests that the wealthy and powerful in the U.S. are starving government of the resources it needs to address our economic, educational, and racial problems. This, in turn, leads to more people giving up on democracy because an “under-resourced government” cannot solve problems. Why bother to vote if government “doesn’t work?”
Homer-Dixon’s assessment, dour as it is, is relevant to the consideration of voting rights legislation in the U.S. Senate this week. Unfortunately, despite renewed efforts by President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Schumer, approval remains uncertain. To date, Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) are unwilling to modify the filibuster rule that enables a minority to block passage by requiring 60 votes.
It remains to be seen whether a compromise of some sort will be reached. It is telling that some see passage of the legislation as critical. Because the bill would effectively federalize election integrity, it is seen as a response to well-documented Republican efforts to make voting more difficult. The bill would also outlaw gerrymandering and make election day a holiday.
I am not fully convinced enactment of election reform will end the threat to democracy represented by the January 6 insurrection and continuing efforts to promote political division and dysfunction. Free, fair, and full elections will not by themselves cure racial, social, and economic injustice. Enactment of the legislation would, however, make it more likely that action could be taken on some U.S. societal trends that are ripping the country apart—things such as income inequality and inadequate investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Is the U.S. about to disintegrate as Homer-Dixon suggests? I hope not, but I do see dangerous signs of American decline. Our role as a world leader is now questioned. European and Asian allies are no longer sure they can depend on us. We also are no longer seen as a leader in addressing climate change. And, unfortunately, since Trump left office, despite Biden rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, passage of meaningful measures to address climate change has proven impossible.
Then there are the threats from Russia and China. Both seem ready to test American military resolve. Some interpret recent threats to Ukraine and Taiwan as prompted by a perception of Joe Biden as a weak president. That is naïve. The real problem is that both Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi may be convinced that public support for military action in response to an invasion in either place is lacking. Unfortunately, that may be true, especially after the long-overdue end to the Afghanistan war.
So where does this leave us? The answer is “vulnerable but not yet dead.” If Americans wake up to the fact that we are in a crisis, action will become more likely. Democracy and political stability are in jeopardy. Congress must do all it can to buttress democracy and restore the public’s faith in it. And if Congress passes the legislation, further action is needed to excise the dysfunction out of Congress.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, birds, and other subjects.
Rick Skinner says
Having lived a spell in Canada (the left-leaning Pacific Coast province of British Columbia), I can attest to the concern our neighbors to the north have for the current American state-of-affairs. That concern dates back as far as the Vietnam War but intensified with the American invasion of Iraq and the “war against terrorism.” Mr. Dean is correct that Trump and the events and developments since the 2016 election are not viewed so much as causes of what is widely perceived to be the decline of America’s role and stature in the world and the deterioration of democracy within the United States. Recent and present circumstances are symptoms of much-diminished American influence in the world and the political deadlock and acrimony that are apparent to anyone who pays even scant attention to current affairs.
Canadians’ concerns are well-founded: the United State is Canada’s largest trade partner and the economic, commercial, and social ties are substantial. Accordingly, the direction America goes has very real and immediate implications for Canada. In my time there and in my on-going communications with Canadians there is less anti-Americanism (though there is some) than genuine confusion and concern for America.
In one sense, Canadians’ worries about the U.S. are much the same as citizens of other countries: a government that struggles with basic functions; rancorous politics more akin to blood sports with audience participation than the productive conflict of persons with different views on means but a shared belief in ends; an economy in which less than 500 persons control well over half of all the wealth in the richest country on earth; the persistent inability to deal honestly with a history of slavery and racism; an infrastructure neglected for decades; an educational system that may have worked for (indeed, is still organized around) an agrarian society but struggles with the learning demands of a knowledge-based workplace; and a system of justice that places more people in prison than any other country in the world and does little to rehabilitate inmates.
But Canada (along with Mexico) is America’s neighbor, so the state-of-affairs in the U.S. has immediate impact. Living next to a superpower in decline makes for restless sleep and worry.
John Dean says
Thank you for a substantive addition to the conversation–as you might guess, I am in full agreement.
Deirdre LaMotte says
I am in total agreement. We have a house in Canada
and the citizens there are perplexed at the disfunction in the US. Travel abroad and it’s the same head scratching. People are laughing at the raw ignorance and addiction to the lies of Fox, and others. Now we understand that hosts of Fox were videoed into cabinet meeting in the last “presidency”. Of course they were.
This is the new GOP, no ideas but keeping whites worried, spewing lies daily, raping our environment for corporate profit and reaping mega dollars from cultist who really believe the cr*ap. And don’t forget the rural
voter who embraces the Confederacy. The GOP has that covered.
God help us.
Stephen Schaare says
“The Confederacy”? What? Really?
Stephen Schaare says
Mr. Dean, I can touch on just a few points. Firstly, I have no interest in what a liberal Canadian has to say about our country. I read the childish musings of lefties every day.
Our Democracy will be fine. You cited the usual racism, economic inequality, education so forth and so on, and of course Trump.
Our school districts are awash in cash. They have hundreds of millions they do not know how to spend. Funding does not translate into achievement and better test scores. Behavior by students and teacher’s unions are key.
You mentioned infrastructure. We just passed a massive bill for that(bi-partisan). Not a whole lot goes to roads and bridges, but it sounds nice.
Did you know that the proposed “voting rights bill” does away with the signature requirement? No photo ID will be required in any of the 50 states(even liberal Canada requires photo ID to vote). I repeat, no qualified voter in this country is being kept from voting. If this were true, the lawsuits alone would be in the billions.
With global issues, yes, Biden is perceived to be weak because he IS weak.
May want to add to the social challenges our open southern border. We cannot afford to take in the world. Period.
Oh, by the way, you left out the horrid increase in violent crime, which directly erodes our quality of life. Are you willing to address the black on black genocide in our cites? No one else will.
Just wanted to touch upon a few things. Surely you see the irony of the most horrible Trump living in your head rent-free. Thank you, be well-Steve
Henry Herr says
A couple things…. the “black on black genocide” is a racist dog whistle that has been addressed many many times:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/black-black-crime-loaded-controversial-phrase-heard-amid/story?id=72051613
Do you have statistics that illegal immigration is a determent to the country?
Do you know how much is going to roads and bridges in the infrastructure bill? It’s certainly more than the Republicans nonexistent bill.
Do you have any factual evidence that there was any voter fraud in the United States in the 2020 election? (Beside the few Republicans that have been convicted for voters fraud, for a total of maybe 5 votes)
You certainly echo a lot of Trump and Fox talking points for someone who thinks Trump is irrelevant. Who in the Republican Party holds more weight than him? Who in the Republican Party would you like to see run in 2024?
I personally appreciate the fresh perspective from our neighbors to the north, and the commentary from Mr. Dean on it.
Stephen Schaare says
Henry, you are very confusing to me. Are you denying the bloodletting of black on black crime, or are you objecting to that phrase? Ask the people on the southside of Chicago if they are more damaged by words or the bullets that rip through their flesh.mAre you familiar with the murder rates of, say Baltimore , Detroit , East St. Louis? All myth? Made up by Republicans?
I have never once questioned the results of 2020.
My choice for Repub nominee in ’24 is Ron Desantis of Florida.
Surely, your choice would be the cackling VP Harris.
You call the northern perspective refreshing? Same old America hating I hear and read every day. Keep in mind, it is the good old U.S. of A. That will save their souls should they ever be attacked.
The “voting rights act” is garbage, a red herring.
You go ask the mayors and residents of the border towns in Texas how their towns have been destroyed. They do not have the capacity to deal with the hordes of “new arrivals” that appear daily.Many with Covid.
Henry Herr says
Just a few points that I believe are prudent to respond to.
Are you denying the bloodletting of black on black crime, or are you objecting to that phrase? Are you willing to address the black on black genocide in our cites? No one else will.
This is a false statement. I object to the phrase and the premise that nothing is being done to address the violence across the United States. You may object to the solutions that Democrats have to the problem, but to say that no one is addressing it is false. Many democrats believe stricter gun control and a redistribution of police funding to social welfare programs is the way to solve the violence in cities. You may disagree with this, but democrat leaders are very much addressing violence with solutions they believe in.
Did you know that the proposed “voting rights bill” does away with the signature requirement? No photo ID will be required in any of the 50 states(even liberal Canada requires photo ID to vote). I repeat, no qualified voter in this country is being kept from voting. If this were true, the lawsuits alone would be in the billions. I have never once questioned the results of 2020.
Why be against a bill that allows people to more easily vote, if voter fraud is not a problem?
My choice for Repub nominee in ’24 is Ron Desantis of Florida. Surely, your choice would be the cackling VP Harris.
I currently do not know who I will be voting for in 2024. I currently support the Democratic agenda, but it is too early for me to confidently say who I wish to be president in 2024. You have accused Mr. Dean of constantly bringing up Trump when no one “on the right” does. You must realize that your candidate for 2024 brought up Trump’s ideas and thoughts in his most recent press conference. It is certainly not just those in the media talking about Trump. Seemingly presidential hopefuls still quote and speak of his policies frequently.
You go ask the mayors and residents of the border towns in Texas how their towns have been destroyed. They do not have the capacity to deal with the hordes of “new arrivals” that appear daily.Many with Covid.
“Most apprehended immigrants are expelled quickly under a public health law, Title 42. The Trump administration began using the law in March 2020 to expel people at the border to prevent the spread of COVID-19. President Joe Biden has continued its use — controversially — and is fighting in the courts to keep using the law. During the Trump administration, from March 2020 to January 2021 — over 11 months — there were more than 444,000 Title 42 expulsions on the Southwest border. Over the next seven months — February through August — there have been more than 690,000 on Biden’s watch.” – https://www.factcheck.org/2021/10/scicheck-migrants-not-responsible-for-latest-covid-19-surge/
That certainly does not seem like an open border to me, if Biden is currently expelling more people from the country than Trump. I’m currently not happy with how the Biden administration has handled the border lately, but to say that it is an open border is false.
This is not the first time you have brought up talking points that are not based in facts or reality. If you want to debate the solutions to violence in cities, immigration policy and voting rights, I think that is very important. The problem is, the arguments made by you, and much of the media on the right, argue fiction.
I think this is what the article is alluding to. If you want to debate and try to find solutions to the problems the country faces, that is admirable. If one side is not coming to the table in reality with facts, how can any solutions work? Thorough debate and input from all parties is important. To ignore facts to create talking points based in fiction is damaging to everyone.
Stephen Schaare says
Henry, Many, many people have guns. Most of them would never shoot down children at a bus stop. The difference is personal behavior. Remember, ” guns don’t kill people,people kill people”
You keep living in dreamland. Steve
Henry Herr says
As I said Steve, you may debate the solution to the problem, but it isn’t plausible to deny that people aren’t addressing the problem.
Not sure how I’m living in dreamland. Again denying facts gets everyone nowhere. I hope we prove the world wrong and enough people show healthy debate of facts will win the day. Not what the current political climate is.
John Dean says
Steve: As always, you raise a number of points in your response. I will not respond to all of them but note that the piece was largely a summary of the Toronto editorial. I would also note that the writer suggested Trump was more of a symptom than a cause of the decline in support for democracy.
I appreciate your reading my pieces. I am hopeful that you will reflect on the events of January 6 and conclude that American democracy is in jeopardy.
Stephen Schaare says
Thank you Mr. Dean for your reply. “U.S. societal trends that are ripping the country apart” is what caught my eye and I hoped to mention some that I view as especially destructive, and will never be addressed by the left.
Completely forgot to mention the strangulation of historic inflation.
I do not blame a former President for these ills, for it is simply not the truth.
Thank you again-Steve
J. Wilson Dean says
I am in complete agreement with the Canadian author’s concerns and the theme that democracy in the U.S. is in severe danger. Rather than responding in the MAGA-style mode that we don’t care what people in other countries think, it seems better to take the time to evaluate the criticisms expressed in the article, particularly when appear to be both genuine and constructive. We are indeed Americans who do govern our own country, but why be so fearful of what others in the global community have to say?
If extremely strong voting rights are not legislated in the next month or so, I find it difficult to find a pathway ahead that does not involve a substantial and irreversible erosion of our democracy. Others in this stream as well as the Canadian author have made the point that Trump was a symptom rather than the root cause of our problems; nonetheless, he must be given “credit” due to his role as President for legitimizing the racism, xenophobia, lack of civility, and disregard for facts that are now hallmarks of the Republican party.