American democracy is dead
For decades, people across the world have had a negative view of America. We, however, are taught that America is the leader of the free world and is a beacon of democracy in a world where tyranny is everywhere. While this may have been true for a little while, the American principles of democracy and freedom have long been dead. With Trump being elected for a second time, we can see that American “democracy” is no better than the tyrannical regimes in history.
Trump’s crackdown on immigration has been nothing short of a failure. The tactics that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses are parallel to those of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany. ICE waits for people at immigration courts and detains them, violating their right to due process. They claim to be preventing crime, but on multiple occasions have arrested innocent people, including children. In August, ICE deported a four-year-old boy with stage four cancer, even though he was a U.S. citizen.
In authoritarian regimes, there is never really a “one-party” system. Instead, there have always been a couple of opposition parties that are nothing but puppets. They claim to be against the agenda of the sitting president/prime minister, but do nothing about it. The democrats appear to be turning into this party. Instead of making a notable stand for the people of this country, they wear different colors than republicans. They post on social media opposing policies, then submit and vote for republican bills because they include “10 quadrillion dollars” to Israel. Democrats search for compromise in something that would shock most Americans if they actually read into policies instead of blindly following whatever their leader says. As the saying goes, “scratch a liberal, and a fascist bleeds.”
Republicans are also wrong by calling democrats “Marxists” and “radical left communists.” This is the opposite of the truth. In most European countries, the democrats would equate to conservative and center-right-wing parties, while republicans would be considered far-right extremists. There is no left-wing in America because the Red Scare brainwashed an entire nation into believing that free healthcare, free school lunches, and aid for the homeless are equal to a dictatorship, when it is the opposite. This is not to say that all communist nations are good, but that most of them were following authoritarian ideas instead of real communism. It’s not communist to care for the less fortunate; it’s the bare minimum.
A message to government elites: the people want change, no pivots, and no compromises. The modern laws of America are finally being challenged by the people and some politicians, most of whom are socialists. It is becoming clear that the American justice system is being weaponized against the people. Workers, migrants, and even us students. Every decision the government makes may have the ability to jeopardize our future. We cannot let the issues of today ruin our tomorrow.
But how can tyranny be stopped?
The current methods of posting online and wearing colored buttons with slogans on them don’t work. Symbolic gestures mean nothing to the government. Mass protests are the only peaceful way to resist government oppression.
Instead of posting about civil rights on your Instagram story, attend a protest. Putting pressure on elected officials spreads the message. Don’t just call your representatives, show up to their offices and demand something be done. However, it is essential to remain peaceful while protesting; otherwise, the protests will be weaponized against the protesters. Some gatherings may be illegal, and maybe even the police will show up. But remember, not even the government follows its own laws.