What? Did I just compare 1960's Civil Rights radical Malcolm X to President Trump? Yes, and Americans, have never really understood either one.
Malcolm X had a cause that he believed in passionately and he believed in fighting for that cause passionately, even though he understood that the majority was against him, even within the African-American community. He regularly feuded with Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and had several pet nicknames for him, some of which cannot be repeated here because they just do not meet social correctness standards of the present century. Understand, Malcolm X was not about establishing rules of Democracy. He did not just say, "Gee, I've been outvoted! Well, golly, I'll pack up and go home now." No, realizing he was in the minority within a minority, he nevertheless solidiered on, fighting for his cause, by any means necessary.
Those words have a chilling effect on mainstream society and well they might. MIght they imply protests? Work stoppages? Boycotts? Political tampering? Some sort of paramilitary action? Maybe. If it is necessary to achieve the goal, yes.
Now, in my personal opinion, I felt that towards the end of his life Malcolm X, started to moderate his views somewhat, and was not interested in creating chaos for the sake of chaos. But his assassination curtailed that chapter in his life so we will never know how it might have turned out.
The liberal left has a great deal of difficulty understanding the appeal that the President had to African Americans in the last election, figuring that that the Biden-Harris ticket should have pocketed all those votes more or less automatically.
Malcolm X was frequently critical of white liberals, comparing them to foxes, while conservatives were more like scary wolves, and African Americans were compared to sheep. The foxes might seem cute and appealling, but somehow they are the ones that eat lamb chops every night. That line would get a big laugh at his speeches. White people may not find it so amusing.
Hence some African-Americans, especially those who favor self reliance and who are suspicious of over-dependence on white liberals, were willing to vote Republican in the last election, though the majority still sided with the Democrats. Some might even be considered to be on the radical left, but were more comfortable with the wolfish Trump rather than foxy Biden.
President Trump is like Malcolm X in the sense that he also has a cause that he is passionate about and will fight for. He too will fight to win by any means necessary and is not committed to the democratic process any more than Malcolm X was. If the election did not work, his only question is whether there are other alternatives through the legislature, the courts, the military or some other mechanism that might be used to stay in power. All that matters is, will it work?
Thus, it should not be shocking that the President is seeking to overturn the results of the election.The democratic process is not number one on his agenda.
It is not insane to support the President, just as it was not insane to support Malcolm X. Reasonable people can disagree about what is reasonable to support. Definitely the alternative to President Trump--Joe Biden as the lawfully elected representative of the American people--is a very poor candidate, the result of a party that has too much power and was able to successfully exclude younger capable candidates. However, supporting President Trump's ill-advised attempts to stay in office is incompatible with democracy as with we know it. Americans will have to choose between Trumpism and the will of the people, because they are simply not the same. Trump seeks to win by any means necessary, not by vote of the Electoral College.
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