2024- A Year on the Precipice

Are We Awake to the Danger?

Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash

A Day of Reflection

New Year’s Day 2024!  For many of us, the years just roll one into the other.  While for many, it is hard to believe another year has passed and passed by so quickly.  Yet, whether time passes seemingly slowly or quickly, it is easy to forget to take the opportunity to reflect.  Reflect on both the year past and perhaps more importantly, the year ahead.  So, let’s take a moment here on this New Year’s Day 2024 and reflect, but especially reflect on the year ahead.

Failing to See What was Right In Front of Me

For many years I spent so much time dealing with democracy at the local government level that I “didn’t see the forest for the trees”.  I would suspect that I’m not unlike a lot of you.  I failed to fully recognize the assault now underway, both from within and without, upon the integrity of our government’s democratic institutions.  I failed to fully appreciate the deep disappointment, withdrawal of trust, and resultant cynicism that Americans’ have developed regarding their court system, legislators, and presidency, as well as the special interests controlling our democracy. 

Further, I failed to appreciate the extent of Americans’ frustration from seeing their democracy not working for them, but instead working for a small elite, billionaire class cabal.  A billionaire class that has massively prospered financially while the American middle class has shrunk and watched its true earning ability decline.  A cabal that has been using their dark money to direct the workings of their government in a parallel political system for the sole benefit of a small, autocratic few. 

My failure continued as I did not fully recognize our democratic norms, values, ideals, and principles being dangerously eroded by leaders who have no appreciation or commitment to those values or to see government as a way to pursue the common good.  And, I failed to appreciate the threat posed by those that used Americans’ collective fears, frustrations, disappointment, and cynicism in their government to seize and hold power regardless of the will of the voters. 

I failed to clearly see the danger of demagogic populist leaders tapping into these fears and frustrations to manipulate the voters, as well as promote polarizing destructive political conflict rather than productive “across the aisle” collaboration by treating their political opponents as literal enemies to be destroyed. 

The Awakening

But, I did eventually awaken, and I so appreciate that you too have been awakened from this “democracy slumber” to recognize the danger our democracy is facing, its greatest assault since the Civil War.   That is how Democraticus- the Democratist was born.  I am grateful that you have joined this group of democratists.  

What is a “democratist”?  Simple- it is someone who is an advocate of democratic principles, a supporter of democracy itself and puts them first, above political party and their policy positions.  As a subscriber to this eNewsletter you are a democratist, one who is part of something much bigger than any of us individually- keeping and sustaining American democracy.

2024- The Year of the Dangerous Precipice

This brings us to reflect on a key question for all of us.  What does 2024 hold for us American democratists?  Do we see that our country, our government, and our democratic institutions stand on a dangerous precipice? 

Do we see that we now have a political party founded by Abraham Lincoln that has been taken over, radicalized, and is controlled entirely by autocrats espousing fascist ideology taken directly from Hitler and Mussolini’s own words?  Do we see that this political party wishes to impose a theocratic state upon us, removing freedoms from us we now enjoy, including the freedom to worship as we see fit? 

Are we seeing that there is a plan in place by this same party’s wealthy supporters to change our form of government without the consent of the American people?  Do we realize that our democracy could vanish this year?  It only takes one election to change everything, although the change that has led us to this point may seem slow and almost imperceptible.

Most importantly, are we asking ourselves what type of democracy are we leaving for our children and grandchildren?  What type of democracy are we leaving the generations of Americans that follow us?  Are we aware and savvy regarding the well documented threats to deconstruct and destroy American democracy and that it all depends on the results at the ballot box in 2024?

The Most Important Question…

There is one more question for us to reflect on as we enter 2024.  It is likely is the single most important question for all of us. Do we clearly understand that it is us, We the People, who are the only ones who can save American democracy in 2024?   That it is us, We the People, the American citizen, who holds in our hands the most important duty and right granted in a democracy.  It is our right to exercise, in an informed manner, our power as citizens to grant our elected officials the consent of governed.  Are we ready to set aside political preferences and ideologies and provide that consent of the governed by our vote in a manner that preserves American democracy and rejects authoritarianism in any form?

Or are we willing to surrender our right to provide our government with the consent of the governed, and fall from the precipice we are now on only to tumble down the slope and fall into authoritarianism?

The Time Is Now!

I don’t think we are, and I don’t believe you are willing, regardless of political preferences, to do that either.  We must not.  We cannot.  We must come to together NOW as democratists and stand for democracy in 2024.  There is nothing more important we can do for ourselves, our loved ones, our fellow Americans, and for the United States of America.  For this, there is no middle ground.  Recruit others now to join the ranks of the democratists, to be vigilant, and to preserve American democracy!  I am honored to have you as a fellow democratist along on this paramount journey.  Let us now come together as Americans, to unite to preserve democracy.