Mark Wignall | Trump’s global bombshell

Two Saturdays ago, America’s politics, democracy and its immediate electoral future fell into a pit of despair out of which it may have trouble in climbing. While speaking at one of his usual raucous rallies, this time in Pensylvania, Donald Trump was shot at and wounded.

As he recovered and straightened up himself, he raised a fist in seeming triumph and, for more than the moment, he captured a piece of history. But we need to re-examine what actually happened. Taking oneself up off the floor after an assassination attempt and raising a fist of defiance is not the same thing as coming up under a phalanx of security personnel sworn to take a bullet for you.

Once you’re shot at and are still on the ground, as long as the shooters are still firing at you, you dare not raise an inch of a whisker. It is only when the shots have died down that one can stand up and make any foolish claims to bravery.

Let us understand that that raised fist was not triumph. It was relief. It was the acknowledgement that he had lucked into the ultimate power in politics - the gift of campaign martyrdom to gain new waves of sociopolitical sympathy.

The would-be assassin was white, a registered Republican, a gun lover, a loner, and he seemed to be chasing immortality after his own death at the hands of the secret service.

Many of those in the American media have been trying to carve out for themselves the essence of what the moment means for America as a nation. For those who believed that Trump would find a moment of civility and a need to build a new unity, their hopes were dashed once again.

PUNCH HOLES

The choice for the Democrats is simple. Weaken and die on the vine or, invigorate themselves, up their organisation, and aggressively punch holes in the Trump list of destructive policies.

Certainly, the abolition matter is very much alive and Democrats must become even more aggressive on this subject. Democrats need newer and bolder strategy on the approach to border policies.

But America has an even bigger problem. In real time, the authenticity of the courts is being twisted into Trump’s bidding. Something which many political watchers believed would only happen in ‘banana republics’ and narco-controlled states, America’s courts are barefacedly siding with the most extreme policies. And it happens without shame, without heads bowed in penance.

Those who have invested in American democracy, as that which builds their own, say Jamaica needs America to be empowered by the political system it maintains. The less of democracy that America invests in, the more it will give up its fringe to the right and to a politics that thrives in anger, discord and anti-democratic government.

The Joe Biden of 2024 is not the same as the sprightly Joe Biden of 2012 who helped Obama to his second term. Biden’s voice is not just the voice of an old man, it sounds enfeebled, something quite bad for a politician who must spend much time at the podium echoing that enfeeblement. But, with all of that, Biden’s poll numbers still make him a viable candidate.

Trump knows that he does not have to appeal to a discerning audience. Hilary Clinton named them in 2016 and Trump has openly spoken about the love he has for those who know little. After the assassination attempt, Democrats would be quite foolish to panic again, as they did after Biden’s disaster of a debate with Trump. It’s not getting any better. Those in the Democrat leadership are in panic mode. People like Schumer and Schiff are being foolish.

At this time, the Democratic party needs more than ever to realise that its organisational ability is superior to the Republicans. But Biden’s party has to satisfy itself that Biden is the man, and they need to go all in on him. Not half and half. Crisis is the moment and it must be seized for the great opportunity that it presents.

BERYL AS OPPORTUNITY

The relationship Vonnie has with her man is not the best. Under normal circumstances, it involves facial wounds and contusions over various parts of her body. And his body too. And even her car recently suffered a wound, compliments of her man using a stone on the windshield.

Since the passage of Beryl (she was unaffected in a part of St Andrew) she has been travelling to rural parishes which were damaged. Twice per week, she packs her little car, drives down to places like Manchester and South St Elizabeth, takes what residents need while buying some agricultural produce for St. Andrew residents.

She does this without a business degree. “Last week mi haffi turn back at Manchester. Was going down to St Elizabeth but di place mash up bad. Next place mi a go a St Mary.” Her stall outside her shop sells roasted breadfruit, ackee, tomatoes, melons, pineapple, pumpkins, peppers and yam.

She whispers to me something about her man. ‘Sometimes a wish a could have three days a week of peace. “ I suspect there is no immediate solution to her problem. “By di way, mi have pigtail.” I order 2 pounds.

A young woman working in another shop complains to me that two of her three children should be enrolled in summer school. I stare at her over my specs. “No money,” she says.

Her friend who works at a gas station is in the shop and in a good mood. “Mi get $30,000 fi four days. When it comes to mi tip, mi earn more dan dat. Mi nah go mek nuh man hold mi back and all a put him han inna mi face. As mi get a money, mi buy block and cement and steel.”

Vonnie walks to her stall and comes back with a pineapple. “For you,” she says. The place is unbearably humid, no garbage has been collected for weeks and it is overrun by mosquitoes.

Mark Wignall is a political and public affairs analyst. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mawigsr@gmail.com.