“When a tiny variation in the present time makes a tangible difference in the state of a system, the condition of that system is therefore defined as being unstable and makes any prediction of future events impossible.” James clerk maxwell
While doing my little morning press review, Maxwell’s definition came to mind. The English physicist thus defined in 1873 what we call the theory of chaos. In January, I reminded the readers of this blog that Donald Trump has always said he likes chaos, that it would even be at the heart of his management model (read The art of the deal).
If I referred to it at the start of the year when the president eliminated General Qassem Soleimani and the impeachment procedure was mentioned, the pandemic had not yet hit the United States and the economic situation was much less worrying. If we already deplored the attitude of some of the representatives of the police forces towards the black community, we did not yet know that demonstrations would multiply throughout the summer.
As if the events which follow one another in a dramatic manner were not enough to sow doubt or destabilize a part of the population, the president continues to spread incomplete or false information with the complicity of several members of his administration.
Only during the day yesterday, Attorney General William Barr said that postal voting was like playing with fire, citing in passing the case of a Texan who would have voted 1,500 times. This is pure fiction. If there was an individual who requested 1200 ballots (he did not vote), the deception was quickly flushed out.
The president himself has left open the possibility of voting twice in North Carolina, once by mail and once by showing up at a polling station on November 3. Once again William Barr came to support him by asserting in the most serious way that he did not know if this practice was legal or not in this state.
Not only does Donald Trump enjoy chaos and constantly feed it, but he presents himself again and again as the only peacekeeper: “I am the only bulwark between the American dream and anarchy, madness and chaos”. One might wonder why after more than three years in power he has not succeeded in fulfilling this task, but we would then be accused of partisanship …
Several of the readers often remind me about my repeated criticisms of the work of the 45e president, mistakenly believing that I could side with any argument of what they describe as the extreme left.
I sometimes exchange with you at the bottom of my posts or on Facebook. You will notice a strong trend without my answers. I often repeat that I have no preference for the left or the right, that my pleasure lies in the comparison of ideas and platforms.
I often underline my fascination with the political system of our neighbors, its strengths as well as its weaknesses. Between what we had in mind when the country was created and the reality of the 21st century, it is important to note the many gray areas of the founding document, the constitution. It goes without saying that the Fathers of the Nation did not refer to a possible theory of chaos, but they hoped that the guidelines envisaged would be sufficient to protect and keep this nascent democracy alive.
At its worst in the polls recently, Donald Trump has chosen to rely on his favorite weapon: chaos. He is betting that after the vote on November 3, when the dust settles, he will still be standing. If there is one thing certain about chaos, it’s its unpredictability. How many analysts are currently venturing into forecasts?
While Donald Trump is waving around, asserting one thing and its opposite as events unfold, the American system is under intense pressure. That is why I so often comment on the actions of this president.
If I can list all the problems in this society, explain the President’s supporters’ legitimate criticisms of the political class, or point out the weaknesses of the Democratic response, more than ever I believe that if the cure for the ills that plague the United States is Donald Trump, then the cure is worse than the disease we claim to cure.
For the outside observer and the historian that I am, the choice for the 2020 presidential election is not between a Republican or a Democrat, but a choice between chaos or a possibility (however slim) of meeting the challenges of the 21st century.