Yesterday the world watched on in shock as supporters of President Donald Trump invaded the United States (U.S) Congress during the session to formalise the electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden. It was not short of scary and evidence of a people enraged and goaded on by Mr. Trump’s deception that the presidential election was rigged, and he was being cheated out of office. He inflamed supporters’ passion on this deceit to visit Washington D.C and march down those streets to the Congress building, hold the country’s premier institution of government hostage, and harm lawmakers who were perceived to be denying him a second term.
U.S commentators, among whom were military veterans and lawmakers, said what happened on Wednesday 6th January was tantamount to an insurrection and a desecration of their sacred institution. According to them an incident of this nature was last seen in the 1812-1814 War between the U.S and its allies.
History recounts that on August 24, 1814 British troops invaded Washington D.C and set fire to several federal buildings. While there was no reported physical fire yesterday the destruction of buildings by the smashing of windows and doors; invasion of Congress and lawmakers’ private offices; the scaling of buildings/walls; removal of U.S flag which was replaced with a flag that had Trump’s name emblazoned and the challenging of the military/police, such acts were tantamount to an insurrection.
The chaos and violence were distressing to watch, coming from a nation that prides itself as the world’s premier democracy, and where the transfer of power is peaceful and cordial. This global broadcast of the lawlessness and disorder, and news of result death will no doubt adversely impact America’s image and be used as opportunities for others with similar tyrannical thinking to exploit.
President Trump cannot escape accountability for what he has done to America’s image. For while the society is not perfect, and its democracy at times raucous, those on the outside looking in often see a people, of diverse strains and subcultures, striving to live true to the American spirit and dreams. No doubt the institutions of democracy, though taking a beating, will survive because they are more wanting the best for America than are prepared to destroy it to achieve their end.
To its credit that is a society often engaged in self-introspection and determination driven by a dogged determination to be a “more perfect union.”
The U.S will weather yesterday’s storm. But the assault President Trump and his allies wrecked on that nation’s democracy, home and abroad, requires much work to repair. Mr. Trump has taken crassness, flagrant deceit and bullyism into America’s government and also sought to impose similar behaviors on other societies. Guyana has had its unfortunate encounters with U.S Ambassador Sarah Ann Lynch and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo during last year’s national and regional elections, and its most recent case of the Ambassador’s deceit on the issue of Minister Oneidge Walrond Allicock de-naturalisation as a U.S citizen.
Undoubtedly, decent law-abiding citizens in Guyana, the U.S, and around the world cannot wait to say good riddance to the irreverent President Trump and his team. The taint and stain that administration has left on the U.S and globally, the protection of democracy, its institutions, and civility will require a unified global approach to restore. Thankfully, a change is going to come when President-elect Joe Biden takes the oath of office on January 20th. This day cannot come soon enough.
