Commentary 4 - The Trump Aftermath

 THE TIME FOR RENEWAL AND REMOVAL IN THE TRUMP AFTERMATH

(Email exchange of 10 January 2021)

I am admiring the change in exchanges with my USA friends as the realisation emerges that this is a time for action and voice rather than withdrawal or genuflection.

The USA came very close to the point of no return and as the information emerges of the intentions and preparations of so many of the domestic terrorists, there is that realisation of what was intended and what was encouraged, and who was inciting.

My American Friends have educated me last year of the nature of America's social conservatism. But this I believe is a cultural change moment and the anger and intensity required now will, I believe, help the USA to move forward quickly. QAnon, Proud Boys, Religious Right have no place in the mainstream of USA politics. Trump, Ivanka, Junior, Rudi and the Clan will not become martyrs but will be the history measuring stones for the USA never to fall that low again.

The Republicans need to cleanse their membership of the Tea Party, Cruz, Howley, Palin and so many. They need to embrace the diversifications that Society accepted a decade ago and they need to find fundamental reasons to be respected again. 

When my own party, the ALP, split with its religious right in 1955, it took over 12 years to substantially reform and to embrace the social changes that had emerged in the early 60s. But we did it and out of that great leadership and great and lasting political legislation was possible emerged. The real optimism is not based on "she'll be right" but on the belief that the change and urgency of change is vital. 

Thomas Paine expressed all this in 1776. It is again the major time for renewal and removal.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Commentary 17 - Reflections on Growing Old and King Lear

Image
Commentary 17 - Reflections on Growing Old and King Lear (A thought email exchange with the Jackson Zoom Group - November 2023) Perhaps some thoughts if you are exploring what can be learnt from "King Lear" as you face Old Age in the Moment! The cutting through line is when Lear yells to the winds "  Nothing can come of nothing, speak again. Now Gods stand up for bastards! To have a thankless child. "  The Play can be seen on many levels - a simple tale of Father/Daughters relationship. Or as a provocation of Parent Control that even wants to extend through Legacy to continuing Control after Death. Or a dying power becoming irrelevant! Or the reality of life's ending when you have already forsaken a common morality of the next generation and an understanding of others' needs, and have unwittingly shaped the faults in your own children. Life finishes with some grasp of understanding by this " poor old man " but it is too late - " Speak what we ...
Read more

Poetry 7 - Studying the Clientele (1978)

Image
  STUDYING THE CLIENTELE (Written by Warren Maloney - March 1978)   The café is open; the first stragglers, tiredly blaze Walk in with an air: The sameness of this – our present schedule.   The weekend was fun – Yes, really a maze. It was fabulous – rather dull – or perhaps cool, Say some of the crowd.   Now, this is middle-week though: and what a bore, Swotting – some frantically, others stolidly – but more And more concentrating – for the end of the term, I must win – or go around the bend – Say some of the crowd.   An hour or two later – the earnest types pass by, Rather nice and polite – their minds far away, The girls rather sweet: the boys so, so hungry, Relaxation or meditation: one must keep things at bey – Say more of the crowd.   Some bustlers and hustlers mingle with the meek, The near natural girl, with the modern outlook – her hair neat and fashioned, And the really nice kid, with his hand in his ...
Read more

Eulogy 23 - John Patrick (Johnny) Hardwick (1947-2023)

Image
  Eulogy 23 - John Patrick (Johnny) Hardwick (1947-2023 (Written by Warren Maloney on 30th March 2023) Almost with each season now (because of our Age), we are saying goodbye to mates and family members. Of course, it doesn't get easier as we are also saying goodbye to part of ourselves. I first met Johnny in Grade 4 at SBC - almost 66 years ago. Our friendship times ebbed and flowed and we caught up again in Rotary and through Business and AFL teams  before the frequent chats in Retirement and during COVID. In my mind, he changed little and was a reminder of the constancy of values and lifestyle that we left behind in Essendon. But John had a special quality of making/keeping friends no matter what they did - priests to criminals, Catholic devotees to radical lefties, even Carlton or Collingwood supporters. Skin colour mattered nothing. Gender understanding became much better with the aging of his 4 daughters and learning from their views/experiences. He was a glass 3/4s...
Read more