What we witnessed on Wednesday January 6th 2021 was truly shocking to say the least. Hoards of people stormed the US Capitol, breaking in with relative ease and causing damage and destruction in their wake. The obvious point to make here is that this is completely unacceptable; violence can never and should never be used to advance any agenda. To the extent that it is used, it will only serve to create additional problems rather than solutions.
Ironically, from the view of the protesters this has also been wholly ineffective in achieving their goals. If the goal was to deny the outcome of the election, then they have failed because not only was the election certified as anticipated but also because the riot resulted in Trump himself begrudgingly conceding to “an orderly transition on January 20th.” If the goal was to showcase support for Trump then that too has backfired. Prior to the riot Trump stated to his supporters “we love you, you’re very special” yet after the riot supporters are told “you do not represent our country...you will pay.” Trump’s approval rating has naturally declined since the incident, as those who felt supportive of Trump in the past now feel that his actions have gone too far. If the goal is for people to feel that they are a part of a community, then much to their dismay their community will now face greater setbacks. As a direct result of this event Twitter has permanently suspended Trump’s account, while Facebook and Instagram have banned Trump for a minimum of two weeks. With so much unrest unfolding in the span of less than a year one can only wonder, what happened? How did we get here? It goes without saying that Trump’s actions are inexcusable, but this incident highlights so much more than that. America has become a powder keg, and Trump’s role has been to light the match. Let’s peel back the layers, because this tragedy is in fact indicative of failures on multiple levels.
Donald Trump
The apparent fact here is that this particular event occurred at the behest of Trump himself. By insisting that the election result was a landslide victory in his favor rather than a loss and explicitly calling on his supporters to assemble for what “will be wild” he is certainly deserving of blame. His direct role in this riot only bolsters the argument that he is fomenting dissent. But keep in mind that Trump is just the superficial layer here. While it can sometimes be easier to believe that Trump is literally Hitler or the devil incarnate this only prevents us from seeing the full picture, the multitude of horrors that are lurking in Trump’s shadow. Instead we need to continue peeling the layers to actually get to the root of the problems which manifested themselves at the Capitol.
Law Enforcement
The next noteworthy failure is the failure from law enforcement. The US Capitol Police has more than 2,300 officers and employees and an annual budget of approximately $460 million. Yet where was that presence on January 6th? Through Trump’s tweets there was plenty of advance notice. Surely an organization such as this one had the resources to anticipate and prevent such a disaster; that is, if they felt an incentive to do so. The police presence during the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020 was excessive, while the presence here was paltry at best. Why the discrepancy? Neither is acceptable, and we must grapple with this reality as we seek to ameliorate it.
COVID-19 and the Response
We must acknowledge the reality of what COVID-19 has done to exacerbate the material conditions of average Americans. Millions of Americans are unemployed, and due to a system of having health insurance tied to employment this leaves millions more uninsured during a global pandemic. The United States is the richest country in the world and yet is also the only industrialized nation to have a category for medical bankruptcy. Only in the US are people experiencing bankruptcy as a result of being unable to pay for medical bills and treatments, at least some of which occurs to people through no fault of their own. Roughly 21% of American families are unable to pay their rent and/or utilities and as a result are racking up debts of over $5,000 on average with no means to pay off this money. The federal eviction moratorium has been extended until the end of January but renters are expected to pay the accumulated debt whenever the moratorium expires and the very real threat of eventual eviction still looms ahead of them.
Americans who are lucky have had to remain largely indoors, quarantining and distancing themselves physically and socially from others. Those who are less fortunate have had to expose themselves to the elements, risking their lives at every turn to provide food and shelter for their loved ones. Drug addiction and overdoses have increased significantly during the pandemic. COVID-19 has also taken a toll on people’s mental health. It is worth noting that all of these problems were massive enough prior to the pandemic, but the pandemic itself and the inadequate response from local, state, and federal institutions have only served to worsen conditions. It should come as no surprise that people are on edge. To be clear, this does not justify rash behavior. What should be noted is that Trump as well as other politicians seek to harness the rage of everyday Americans for political or personal gain, but ultimately end up playing with fire.
Congress
We would certainly be remiss if we did not acknowledge the catastrophic failures of Congress and how that has served to only escalate tensions in this country. Millions of Americans are unemployed, without health insurance, at risk of being evicted, and even food insecure. With so many people’s lives hanging in the balance Congress passed the CARES Act in March of 2020. Large corporations received trillions of dollars while the average American received a mere single payment of $1,200 which was expected to keep them afloat despite the payment being doled out 10 months ago. As talk of another round of stimulus checks to Americans grew leading up to the 2020 presidential election both sides of Congress sought to utilize the moment to enact their own political agendas. Trump encouraged stimulus checks, hoping to gain enough support from Americans to win in November. Pelosi aimed to do just the opposite, opposing the stimulus checks to avoid positive press that could help Trump win. Ultimately it was the American people who truly lost in this struggle.
Upon being questioned by Wolf Blitzer on CNN about her refusal to pass a stimulus bill before the November 2020 election House Speaker Nancy Pelosi only doubled down on her position while also commenting “we feed them,” referring to the fact that Congress could provide the means to help people but in this case brazenly chose not to do so. If Nancy Pelosi is to admit that Congress feeds the people then perhaps she must also bear the burden that over 50 million people - 1 in 6 Americans and 1 in 4 children likely experienced food insecurity last year, nearly 50% more than the previous year.
On the other side of the aisle resides Senator Mitch McConnell, who is eager to oppose the Biden presidency beginning with the current offer of passing $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans. In typical deficit hawk fashion McConnell has expressed his opposition to the stimulus checks, claiming that many Americans are “totally financially comfortable” and that the checks provide “socialism for rich people.” Ironically socialism for the rich already occurred through the CARES Act and other relief bills that provided no stimulus for Americans but billions for well off industries. McConnell has shown what appears to be either a blind spot (if we are being generous) or a complete and utter disregard for Americans who are living in poverty and do not have the means to survive. McConnell proceeded to do what so many in Congress are adept at, piling on additional measures to a bill to prevent the vote from addressing a standalone issue. This is a classic tactic taken by members on both sides of the aisle to essentially muddy the waters, to provide talking points to both sides when they choose to vote for or against a bill. The vote is no longer simply to affirm stimulus checks, but to also affirm an election fraud prevention committee and a repeal of Section 230 protecting tech giants from liability for any user content on their platforms. McConnell thus ensured that the stimulus checks will not come to pass, once again depriving struggling Americans in their time of need.
The Media
Tracking the evolution of media over time also sheds light on this incident and the role that it has played. Media networks were not always a profitable venture. These companies did not generate high profits or even garner much of a viewership. This changed with the inception of CBS’s “60 Minutes.” This news show rose to popularity, entering the Nielsen top 10 in the 1977-1978 TV season and attracting an average of 13.4 million homes by the 1998-1999 season. Upon discovering the opportunity to profit off of their content, companies started investing more in news outlets as they explored methods of driving up their profit margins. Media companies profit from viewership, and they stand to benefit when large swaths of people feel compelled to tune in and watch. Thus these channels began to sensationalize content, to report on the most breaking bombshell news they could find, creating clickbait for their viewers with a median age of 60 or older. Media companies raked in billions of dollars in profit since Trump ascended to the presidency, finding content to share which viewers simply couldn’t resist. Networks also developed their own ecosystems, catering to Republican-leaning or Democratic-leaning viewers. This led to outlets pitting viewers against each other, highlighting the most extreme positions of others to further stoke the flames of discontent and sow division among the population. Cable news channels have spent the past four years repeatedly telling their viewers that the 2016 election was influenced by Russia or other unsavory factors. Is it really a surprise that by the time 2020 rolled around more people wished to believe in external influences again, particularly when they are on the losing team?
So...what now?
In a twisted Rube Goldberg machine of corruption we find ourselves faced with a myriad of issues that may not be resolved anytime soon. So what do we do now? Here are a few of my thoughts:
Stay engaged in politics
Believe it or not, politics existed before Trump’s presidency, and will continue to exist after Trump’s presidency. We all benefit from keeping ourselves informed and educated. Politics does play a role in our lives and it is important to understand that impact and what we can do to take part. The Democratic wins from the Georgia runoff elections enabled the Democratic party to clinch a majority in the Senate with Kamala Harris as a tie-breaking vote. They have the capability to pass impactful legislation, and The American Prospect has identified several policies and executive orders that are well within the realm of possibility We must continue to pay attention to what they choose to pass and what they choose not to pass.
Beware of the Shock Doctrine
Naomi Klein warns us about the “Shock Doctrine,” a tactic in which controversial and potentially dangerous maneuvers are enacted following any crisis, taking advantage of the ongoing chaos. When events such as this unfold we must not become paralyzed in shock but rather make our best attempt to remain vigilant.
Listen to different perspectives
This is something which I feel strongly about and wish I could see more of in today’s climate. While we certainly enjoy having our own thoughts and ideas reinforced by those around us we run the risk of surrounding ourselves with a singular perspective. We end up creating an echo chamber which does not leave much room for understanding those who differ in any way. Instead we must embrace the sometimes uncomfortable feeling of listening to those who may think and feel differently than us with an open mind. Issues are multifaceted, and it is advantageous to hear the perspectives of multiple journalists, multiple outlets, and multiple individuals to provide a more holistic view.
What I have listed are by no means trivial in nature, but I really believe our efforts in these regards can have lasting impact. With each problem comes an opportunity, and we all have the opportunity to make positive change as we move forward.
Artwork and writeup by Dhanya.
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