As American As Apple Pie

As American as Apple Pie

By Alfred R. Johnson, Jr.

The current presidential election has baffled many moderate and educated Americans. How can 40-44% of our citizens support Donald Trump?  How can they support a person who has insulted one of the largest immigrant groups in the country?  He is a person who has insulted a major religion of the world, Islam.  He has disrespected the family of soldier, a proud member of this religion, who died on the battlefield for the US.  He has repeatedly questioned the competency of our military on a basic level without any military or diplomatic experience.  He may have used money donated by others for charitable purposes for his personal and business gain.  He has never served in any government position elected, appointed or selected. Frequently, when Trump’s supporters are confronted with these and other facts, they acknowledge the possible truth of these allegations but say that they want change at any cost.  They say want Trump to shake it up and blow it up. Why? The answer is that Donald Trump appeals to primitive gut idea that has existed in America forever.  The desire to destroy this country’s government. This desire is as American as apple pie.
Before you put me in an asylum, drug test me and place me a straight-jacket, I briefly want to go over our government’s history.  We have our current constitution because in 1786, a year before its establishment, farmers and ex-revolutionary soldiers shut down courts and government in Massachusetts over enforcing debts, evictions and payment of their taxes.  This is known as Shay’s Rebellion.  They attempted to capture a federal armory by force.  This forced the founding fathers to create the Constitution.
A couple of years after the Constitution, in Western Pennsylvania, was another rebellion by farmers and others who did not want to pay taxes on whiskey.  The Whiskey Rebellion required George Washington to put on a uniform and march with 12,000 soldiers to the Pittsburgh area to use force to protect tax collectors and put down a rebellion of those who wanted to secede because of the tax.
These were just initial baby acts to destroy our government.  In 1832 and 1850, South Carolina attempted session from our country.  Then there was the Civil War.  During the Civil Rights struggles of 1950s and 1960s some white citizens refuse to comply with court orders and statutes to give Blacks and others equality.  Of course, we have whole middle and late 1960s violence and counter culture of that period that includes the assassination of JFK, RFK, MLK and Malcolm X.
In terms of gun violence, we are the most violent developed country on earth.   For a developed nation, we have more fringe, neo-Nazi, white supremacists’ groups than any other G-20 nation.  To many, we have seemed to lose our way.  In reality, what has occurred is a historical and sociological philosophy that is a cancer infecting, engulfing and overwhelming a significant portion of our society.  This is our society’s zombie apocalypse.
Our founding fathers knew of this disease because of Shay’s rebellion and their fear of demagogues.  They created a system of check and balances in our government and a complicated system for Presidential elections.  The Electoral College system is not the most efficient or democratic way to elect a President but it makes it harder for demagogue or destructive person to be one.  They also understood something that we have forgotten. You must have educated, engaged, empathic and equipped citizens who really want their government to work.  This citizenry must want government officials and employees who will govern well and who are prepared to do what is necessary for the government to benefit all.  Not individuals who want the government to change so radically and desperately that it will fail or chose leaders who only have a history of personal greed, selfishness and ego.

The eminent political scientist Theodore Lowi wrote a book called American Government: Incomplete Conquest.  After this election, I suggest Professor Lowi write a new book which he should entitled American Government: Vanquished and Killed by it Citizens.

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