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Blog Post | American Horror Story


The American dream was shattered and replaced by a real American horror story when the Capitol Building was stormed.


blog | politics | opinion | US


photo depicting an american flag waving with people rioting

On 6th January 2021, a mob consisting of mostly white men stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC. Although it wasn't necessarily a surprising turn of events given the outgoing President's tantrum-throwing, violence-inciting love of all things white supremacist; it was still pretty shocking to witness.

As the police appeared to stand by, observing this historical moment unfold before their very eyes, the remaining sane members of society were left screaming at their screens in utter disbelief. In June, during the BLM protests, it looked like the entire US Armed Forces had been mobilised; even physically removing people from the streets of Portland. But now, as some "left behind" members of the white community literally smash the windows of the US Government building, no one in batting an eyelid.

The toddler in the orange man-suit was sat in the White House, covered in grease from the KFC Family Bucket he had just inhaled, about to have his "just" desserts of Big Mac and large fries; turning to Melania, he nods proudly at the TV and says, "I'm lovin' it!"

 

Make no mistake about it. This was an attempted coup. I can just imagine the excited butterflies dancing around in his chest as all of his hard work finally started to pay off. Chaos reigns. Democracy shifts a little bit further to the edge of the cliff. One more kick and it's gone.

 

The fragile ego of this pouty-lipped, small-handed, junk food-addicted dictator-in-waiting, has shown all other fragile white men that it is legitimate to hate equality. That it is legitimate to actively want to deny equality to women, people of colour, the LGBTQI+ community, people with disabilities, the list goes on... basically, that it is legitimate to deny anyone who is not a god-fearing, CIS white male, any rights whatsoever.

a photo of a man stealing the lecturn during the january 6th riots and the capoitol building
Photo Credit | azcentral

They love guns more than they love their children. The shocking fact that, in America, death by gun recently overtook death by car, only highlights this dangerous ideology of inequality, coupled with the increasing fetishization of violence and firearms. This is the epitome of white privilege and entitlement. 

 

Sponsored by the President, this insurrection pushes us further into the realm of authoritarianism. As the American political scientist, Frank Wilhoit once said:

 

"Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition... There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect."

 

The most tremendously prolific liar that the US, if not the world, has ever seen; Mr Trump of Trump Towers, denies facts; changes sides and loyalties more often than he changes his underwear, and has laid the groundwork for his faithful loyalists to take up their arsenal and attack as soon as he utters the codeword. 

secret service officers pont their guns through an open window in the capitol buidling during the riot
Photo Credit | Boston Globe

They scream about how they are not sheep. How they alone are privy to the truth. Yet, they obligingly follow and obey orders issued over Twitter from a man so dangerously incompetent at running a country, he voluntarily admits to finding his own daughter sexually attractive. He openly claims that he could stand on 5th Avenue shooting people without losing any votes. What's frightening about this, is that it is almost certainly true.

 

The events of 6th January only support this claim further, as does this quote from the soon-to-be-gone-but-never-forgotten man himself:

 

"[Kim Jong-Un] speaks and his people sit up at attention.

I want my people to do the same."

Now that he has a sizeable and horrifyingly obedient base of followers, what's next for this deranged despot?

 

The separate reality that they have managed to construct is now trying to undermine the legitimate government. Their shadow government consists of QAnon supporters, white supremacists and all other members of fringe groups who prey to their white Christian God that Jim Crow laws be re-introduced, putting black people to the back of the bus and women in the kitchen or on their knees - you know, where these people belong.

 

This is unfortunately, the most shocking, depressing and tragically unsurprising event to have happened. As Joe Biden said in his TV address to the nation, "The words of a President matter." The President's words and his actions matter. Not just to Americans, but to the entire global community. His nepotistic, narcissistic, hate-filled rhetoric reverberates around the world. 

 

Until his cult-leader status has been permanently destroyed, his followers will continue to drink the kool-aid (or bleach), in big, hungry gulps, before he finds a new supply of attention and deserts them the way he deserts everyone who no longer serve his purpose.

The myth of the American Dream has been well and truly shattered. Now we're left with an American Horror Story.



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Comments: 1
  • #1

    Celia MG (Thursday, 07 January 2021 23:23)

    Great post, Louise! ; ) And great idea your new blog. : )