America and politics of infamy

There is a visible danger of USA turning politically unstable in the near term, with unprecedented politics of infamy at play. The political landscape since elections in November 2020 has transformed into a bitter ideological divide across the nation. For the first time since it is founded, USA is showcasing its worst politics and setting bad precedence for the entire world.

Americans for so long have been extremely proud of their democratic legacy, transparent electoral system, constitutionally protected personal-liberties and a functional federal republic. However, the ongoing politics seems to be beyond ideological differences and partisan overtures. It is moving towards rapid destabilisation of the great American core values.

All functional democracies are fundamentally rooted in differential ideologies of political parties at electoral play. Difference, dissent and deliberation are natural drivers of a healthy democracy. These three activities play-out between incumbent and opposition parties, within an established legal-framework and Constitution.

Unfortunately, politics of USA has wrong tracked since 2016 election. It is natural that a strong leader with massive national agenda to implement, even if it is in the interest of his nation, will be projected as one who is trampling the democratic process. Mostly, the reasons for this accusation are change in the political status-quo, quicker decision-making, faster policy implementation and very less bi-partisan appeasement. More so, when that leader is considered a political outsider and doesn't follow established 'politically correctness' like President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump fits this profile perfectly. However, an elected national leader in a hurry to finish-up his agenda for a nation in four short years of his term, cannot accomplish much, if he doesn't do what President Trump did. Radically break the status-quo on many fronts, make massive decisions and not indulge in any bi-partisan appeasement, unlike a career-politician. But one cannot take away from President Trump, the 'USA-First' development-agenda he delivered for USA, under his watch.

I will highlight four historic, infamous political mistakes both Democrats and Republicans have made in recent times, which will alter the fundamentals of American politics from here on.

Personalised political attacks normalised

It is President Donald Trump who has started the new culture of 'Personalised Political Attacks' in the mainstream American politics during his run for Presidency, since 2015. After his spectacular win in 2016, it was officially mainstreamed.

If I were to advice, I would have asked President Trump to quit that dimension of his communication right from the first day in office at White House. It would have saved him the fall from Presidential grace all through his term and would have certainly earned him a decisive re-election in 2020. I am not writing this in retrospect, it was on my mind throughout his term.

Democrats have walked into this un-American method of communication, as if it is necessary to win the next election. They have bought the new communication model of President Trump, and applied it against him all across the current term, almost giving it authenticity and bi-partisan acceptance. Republican Party has neither admonished nor repudiated President Trump's personal attack model, there by ended up endorsing it. The grand old parties of a great democracy have together accepted, endorsed and even promoted the pathetic fall of 'political-discourse' in USA.

Media too has propagated and normalised the new 'careless communication' model as socially acceptable. In fact, the media and journalist discourse in USA has fallen way below the political discourse, and today looks like it has regressed beyond repair.

There is no 'political correctness' left in the politics of USA as both parties have adopted this sensational communication method. There is no 'social correctness' left in communication of most regular Americans either, nor there is 'media-correctness' in the mainstream and social media.

Unfortunately, it took USA just over five years to reduce their world renowned and respected 'careful communication' model, shockingly into unimaginable 'Careless-communication' laced with impoliteness, brazenness and hate. As I see, this is where it all began.

Social media mainstreamed the 'Idiot Voice'

America until recently was considered a nation of intellect, innovation, enterprise and great social values. Social-media in the name of seamless expression for all, has exposed the dirty underbelly of USA, and in fact of the entire world. The underdogs, loud-mouths, social-amateurs, Identity-deprived, knowledge-less idiots have found a medium to voice, which they have successfully used, to drown all others. Especially the voice of those, who positively contribute to a nation, knowledgeable, meaningful and those who add real-time-value through their professions, have found themselves muted by massiveness of the 'Idiot-voice' being broadcasted both on mainstream-media and social media.

USA has inadvertently has led this regressive transformation not just within their nation but across the world, through innovative social media platforms like Face Book, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and You Tube. This historic shift of balance has wrecked not just the quality of social interaction and expression in general but has irreparably damaged the quality of political expression and dissent.

Moderate expression with 'careful-communication' finds no resonance in either main-stream-media or social-media, in comparison to rabid, brazen, uncouth and hate filled expression which is always 'viralled' and consumed across board. The new leaders and heroes of the world today are those who clamor for number of likes, shares and retweets through sensationalism, careless communication and anti-social (national) behavior on social-media.

The shallow posts, illiterate comments, un-informed statements, peripheral judgements leading to abusive and foul expression. Many with almost no fundamental understanding of issues, knowledge in the relevant area make superlative hate comments, and mostly even unrelated to their personal and professional lives. If these kind of individuals voice, opinions and positions shape of our future world, imagine where a nation or the world will be in a decade from now! Thoroughness and well-informed political discourse have died a billion deaths in the last five years in USA and the world.

Gross deterioration of legislative discourse

At least, the legislative discourse in the House and Senate should have been spared of the cheap expression and low value tactics prevailing in the virtual world. However, there seems to be neither introspection nor even a thought given to legislative the conduct of the House and Senate representatives.

It's evident by now, that everyone is trying to capture the fingers and eye-balls of the massive size of 'Idiots' on social media. Only hate-laced, derogatory, sensational or abusive statements can lead up to a 'great speech' even in legislative chambers with thousands of likes and shares. The proof of this communication pattern is in the unimaginable crass speeches being broadcasted from the House and Senate in session. The quality and depth of most speeches have touched rock bottom already.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is supposed to set an example and lead from the front, for exemplary conduct in the House. However, she chooses words like 'domestic terrorists' for protestors and claims the President of the United States poses 'clear and present danger to United States' – There can't be anything more beneath, than these kinds of speeches from the House of Representatives.

Unfounded, shallow, illiterate and cheaply dramatic street discourse is being spelt out on the House floor, by Speaker of the House of a celebrated democracy, exhibits the future stature of politics of USA. I am not even going into the House Speaker's crass conduct of tearing the speech papers of the nation's elected President, after his address to a joint session, while the entire nation viewed in shock and disbelief.

Sensationalism and crassism has peaked in the recent years, even in the most respectable legislative chambers of USA, which are supposed to be the apex avenues for a democratic republic.

Two party dominance in USA might end soon

An active pursuit of 25th amendment, which did not progress further with Vice President Mike Pence not taking the bait, and a hurried impeachment of President Trump for a second term, has certainly hurt and widened the 'people divide' in USA.

The visible plot of Democrats possibly with help from some key Republicans to disgrace President Trump to a point of no return is evident. The road ahead for Trump's conviction looks imminent. Democrats controlled Senate later this month might impeach and convict Donald Trump, to disqualify him from running for President in future. Both these acts look more like personal revenge against Donald Trump, than process-oriented constitutional action against President of United States.

With these antics, the 'Presidential Impeachment' has lost its sanctity, seriousness and dishonour it constituted earlier for a President. It now looks merely like a partisan political weapon, which can be used anytime against US President by those in control of House, Senate or both.

I foresee a huge possibility, that President Trump might float a new party disturbing the two-party equilibrium, which dominated the historic timeline of USA politics till now. The severity of hounding President Donald Trump in the next seven days and immediately after, will determine the strength of the new party Trump might initiate sooner than later.

Unfortunately for those like me, who admired the social and political construct of USA for decades, the steep fall from grace in social and political spheres is quite shocking. The torch bearer nation for a healthy, functional democracy in the world, is clearly sliding into a chaotic, anarchic, un-exemplary façade. There's still a little time to make course correction for USA, to not slip into an abyss of political instability and civil-disorder with current politics-of-infamy.

Disclaimer: This column in written in my professional capacity as an Organisational Strategist

(The author is the chief spokesperson of the BJP Telangana State, an organisational strategist & a leadership coach)