We now have an almost mirror image of the Brexit battle that just took place in the UK, across the pond. But is that being cognized and re-cognized?
To put it simply: privileged, wealthy menfolk, following their star of personal ambition for power, positon and fame, incense a populace already distrusting of government and the 'establishment' that ignores the needs of 'ordinary people'. Fuel this with the cry of "Take Our Country Back" and "Being Great Again." Toss in a lethal overdose of fear of the 'other', with plans for building walls and filling moats, instant ill-thought out cures for economic revival, and vague notions of policies for the future. Then see and read the results: Boris and Farage, ashen-faced after their unexpected victory, jump ship due to the fact, some say, that they never planned to get this far in the first place, to win and to deliver on their false promises. Nigel Farage has resigned from UKIP, not prepared to die in a bunker built from his own falsifications over immigration and the NHS. "I want my life back", he said, having done his best to take away ours, a national life built on hope for harmony, internationalism, unity in diversity.
Some say The Donald also began his campaign with no intention to get this far, to actually become the new leader of the free world. It's no longer a laughing matter to consider what team of anti-Experts (as per Gove) he can possibly assemble in the Oval Office. And of course, there's momentum, which no true political ego can then turn its back on, letting the worst kind of genie out of the bottle, one which will never go back.
If the UK has seen a 525% rise in hate crimes since the referendum result, it does not bear thinking what can happen in the land of the free and the home of the brave when it is angry, armed and dangerous.
So stop and think. As happened here in the UK, whilst the parties fought amongst themselves, there was a worse demon slipping in the back door, stealing both the baby and the bathwater. Every minute the U.S. does not unite behind one candidate, is a minute towards more momentum for a Trump presidency. Every vote not cast for a Democratic candidate is a vote for Trump. It can't happen there? It happened, here. And it can happen to you, too.
Can Hillary win? If so, every distracting media report of 'mistrust' and 'dislike' of her candidacy, more talk about those emails, her obvious carelessness, with, note, "no criminal intent", is diverting a vote to Trump. Can Bernie win? Then he and his supporters need to realize that in order to "transform America" and "fight for the working class", he needs first to save America from the worst force of fear and division it faces now. The Democrats need to unite.
It was already too late when the #AnyoneButBoris hashtag hit the airwaves. #AnyoneButTrump should be trending now. There is no time for mealy-mouthed platitudes from anyone, including Paul Ryan and his Republicans. If they are true patriots, they would also be hitting that hashtag, #AnyoneButTrump. The media, seeking their scoops and giving their free air time to the voice of division, should support it too, aware that extreme nationalist and isolationist parties are sweeping the world. The monster? He's now at your front door.
Polls show that more than 1 million Brexiteer voters, an amount well over the winning margin, now regret their vote. The eyes of the world were on Brexit, and the people of the United Kingdom awoke to a nation-wide headache. Now, the eyes are turned on America. May it stay free; free of hate, and brave.