Apparently, America is now a kingdom. How did it get here? I offer Americans an outsider view from those who’ve lived under kings. The honest kind that might hurt. And it’s all about the story you tell yourself.
How did we get here?
Even now that the dust has settled, to those who have actually read it, The Supreme Court immunity decision is still beyond shocking. Or is it? Many people across the world have recognized for some time now that America does not have true separation of powers. It’s much closer to an oligarchy, or plutocracy, always the first steps towards autocracy. The second step is now taken too, by placing the presidency above the law. And the road to this fresh hell? Paved by campaign donations.
A reminder to Americans: campaign donations mean big, mostly elitist, money streams go to politicians in the legislative and executive branches, who nominate and install the judicial branch. That is abundantly clearly not a separation of powers. The judges then judge –among other political practices – gerrymandering, the practice that one can redistrict areas to get an election advantage. Not much separation there either. Prosecutors, the supposed guardrails, are also elected, forcing them into politically colored donation-hunting. Again, no separation. The media is not separate either, earning from attack ads by dark money SuperPACs. The words ‘dark money’ alone – meaning ‘untraceable’ – obscure separation.
All right… cracking my knuckles here… let’s keep going.
Then, these SuperPACs have the effect of marrying together the very richest of Americans with politics, leaving the average ‘one vote’ Americans at an incalculable disadvantage for influence, since billions of SuperPAC dollars intertwine the politicians with what can only be described as the very textbook definition of plutocracy itself. The evidence of this is found in the fact that many billionaires at the time of writing – and ironically including the ‘democracy and diversity-loving’ Silicon Valley tech boys – support a man that has actually already attempted to overthrow democracy. How separate would you define such a ‘coming out’ in support of plutocracy exactly?
And on top of all of this, America’s highest court holds absolute power, granted for life. Meaning any corrupt decisions – for instance those that shield the plutocracy or those who wish to overthrow government or those that take away equal rights – cannot be fought effectively by another branch.
Separate, it is not.
Although most of my words here may drip with sarcasm (and yes, very sharp... I didn't even touch the popular presidential vote discussion!), I mean it as a sincere and heart-felt compliment to all the honest Americans that it took the USA this long to fall. Don’t get me wrong, where I’m from over here in Europe also have huge problems. Not in the least people now being thrown into jail for planning peaceful protests in supposedly ‘civilized’ places such as the United Kingdom. But at least in most European countries such as my own The Netherlands, there is still a true separation of powers left.
Starting with no campaign donations. No SuperPACs. No attack ads. Politicians don’t choose judges. Judges do. Prosecutors idem. We have no word for gerrymandering because it does not exist. And there’s no highest court with lifelong, absolute powers. To paraphrase Justice Sotomayor: Separate. Separate. Separate.
Ironically, we do have a king. Nice fella. Powerless and ceremonial.
The story of American Democracy?
And that brings me to the story that Americans tell themselves: that you are the greatest democracy on Earth. To our old, toothless kingdoms, that story is laughable. Sure, you were first. But were you the first with abolishing slavery? Ending their apartheid? Women’s voting rights? Marriage rights for any non-Christians or non-heterosexuals? The answer, if the irony escaped you here, is ‘no’. Plus, I’m pretty confident criminal immunity, political donations and absolute judicial power are against the very fabric of Montesquieu’s Trias Politica, in turn the very foundation for your Constitution, created by The Founding Fathers themselves to fight European autocrats.
Founders, now turning in their graves.
Throughout European history, starting in Rome, we’d call them ‘tributes’, a euphemism for bribes to King and vassal. You’ve re-phrased it to the pleasantly sounding ‘donations’, but the effect is the same: political and judicial influence. Non-separation. And now these money bags have led to immunity for your ruler, granted by those with absolute power, sparked by an actual attempt to overthrow democracy. Congrats. You’ve finally closed the loop.
All of you, conservative, independent and liberal alike, have known for ages that campaign donations – made into law by the elected themselves – legalize corruption. It is the one single thing that unites you. Yet, you do nothing. That’s the real shock. What happened to the free and the brave? Why aren’t a hundred million people – blue and red hand in hand – parked outside The Supreme Court, Congress, and The White House in protest?
Please don’t tell me you are so naïve to think voting ‘your side’ will save you. In Europe we know one thing. You don’t bow left or right.
You bow down.
The Current Story
In that sense, the response to the shooting – basically a non-response, with polls not even moving an inch – was predictable. ‘It wasn’t like someone fired at Mother Theresa…’ was the overwhelming response in Europe… honestly, for as far as there was any response here at all. We know kings. Lived under them. We have seen countless of hits on them through the ages. If an honest, true man had been shot? We’d have reacted. This guy? Meh…
Let it be 100% clear: I am fully against such violence under all circumstances. Yet let’s also be clear on one other historical fact: When a king is corrupt, these things tend to happen. Plus, criminals (which he is officially now) are shot at on a regular basis. And yes, in the context of this article the shot was aimed at a would-be king. In this case though, kin-ping may also be an accurate description. And that combination of kin ping and king is something we are all too familiar with over here in Europe.
What’s that? You want me to bash your ‘other side’ too? Sure, as you’ve probably felt by now, I’m in that kinda mood anyway, with today a sharpened pen dipped in sarcasm and irony; The Supreme Court decision clearly was meant to shield ‘their’ candidate from the law. It was done by the most corruptly partisan court in America’s existence (three judges lied under oath at their Senate confirmation hearing about Roe v Wade, two of them are under investigation for bribery). Yet in their folly, they may have created a kingdom coming from the left.
Even when you think the new candidates for the presidency (at the time of writing Joe Biden just stepped out of the election race) are absolute choir girls and boys, must I really remind you of lord Acton his famous quote? “Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Let’s just say your naivety would have to be universe-defying if you think that ‘your side’ would be able to responsibly handle immunity-powered power. No one, no single human being, would be immune from the corruption of that much power. And we, in Europe, have a millennia-spanning history proving that point.
So then… what now? If I may make a suggestion…
Changing the story is changing democracy
Forget Trump. Forget the forgetful Biden and who will replace him now. Forget the Clintons. Forget Nixon. Forget Gaetz his filthy sex with minors. Or Menendez his gold bullion. Forget the Senate’s hideous insider trading, with Pelosi at its very front. Or Justice Thomas his lavish vacations, or Alito his flag bearing. Forget this Supreme Court even. They are all just symptoms…
They didn’t start this. They just capitalized on it. In true American ‘winner takes all’ fashion. Fueled by tributes.
Why stop at booting out Biden? Locking Trump up? Or whoever the hell is the corrupt plutocrat who got himself caught this time around? Where is your American attitude? What happened to you? Maybe that’s why you’re so hesitant to act as Americans. You’re letting them win, because you know the cause is yourself allowing this bribery. Oops… sorry. ‘Campaign donations’.
Maybe you just need an outsider to first utter this word: revolution. Of course, I pray for, and promote a peaceful one. Just the way I see it, you have a once-in-history opportunity here. And I think you know in your hearts that some kind of a new revolution really is in the air. A revolution not against the British Monarchy. But a fresh kingdom of your own making.
The greatest democracy… is that really the tale you still tell yourself? It seems that story has blinded you so, it has now given you King America. I pray you will prove me wrong. If I’m not, the only thing left to decide come November, is whether you’d prefer your new throne a little more to the right, or a nudge to the left.
Before you kneel.
Love, as always.
Rogier
Rogier van Kralingen is a writer and musician from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. His latest book The Whole Story – The Ultimate Guide to Storytelling shows you through our history of storytelling how best to tell stories, especially on freedom.
