Wee the People

Professor Joe Goldblatt

The 2024 US national elections shall be remembered historically as helping to rapidly accelerate the challenge of democracy as it has been known and experienced for almost 250 years.

The election of a populist US President is not extraordinary. After all, from Andrew Jackson who was a populist candidate from Tennessee served as the seventh US President from 1829 to 1837 despite being accused of being racist and bragging about committing crimes. Is this beginning to sound familiar?

Previously, US President’s have resigned in disgrace (Nixon), been impeached (including the most recently elected President), however, none have been convicted felons prior to being elected to high office. Therefore, this election of a felon this time is one of the distinguishing characteristics of this new chapter in the great American experiment.

Some folk ask me “What is wrong with those people?” They are of course describing their opponents or those with differing views. I prefer to ask “What is wrong with us?”

One answer I profer is that due to capitalism as the main economic motivation for many US citizens, they never seem to be satisfied with what they have and seek to consume more and more. Therefore, when a strong rich man comes along promising them that he will help them become richer, it is simply an irresistible proposition or dream.

However, they are also perhaps unaware that the salesman soon to return to the oval office has cheated thousands of students at the former Trump University and hundreds of investors at his failed casinos.

I also know that with regards to consumption, although we are following the trends of our former colonies, one area remains sacrosanct and that is in the UK we do not currently endorse or condone spending billions of pounds on election campaigns. The US presidential campaigns recently spent over 5 billion dollars on advertising in Pennsylvania alone. When the final spending is announced all I will think of is how many schools, hospitals, and libraries could that have built with these funds?

Therefore, throughout the long and mostly proud history of the US, the people have used their democratic mandate to elect the individual whom they believe is best qualified to advance their financial position, insure their security, and finally, support their moral values. This election was simply a reflection and continuation of that long history of individual priviate choices being made at the polls based upon their confidence in the ability of the candidates to quickly (Americans, the inventors of fast food and quick service like things to be speedy) deliver the returns listed above.

So, where do we go from here? I believe that we must stop asking what is wrong with ‘them’ and instead seek opportunities for ‘us’ to work with ‘them’ to build a better world for our children and grandchildren. This may be done by avoiding the easy path of blame, cursing one another, and even threatening violence.

The best way forward is return to the values enshrined in the US Constitution where the opening lines of We the People are found. To once again become We the People we have to be morally and ethically bigger, stronger, and mightier than our opponents, by seeking opportunities for greater collaboration and cohesion.

If we fail to do this, one day, some future US President may ultimately move past the minor crimes and misdemeaners and even felonies of predecessors and then We the People shall sadly become Woe the People as we finally realise that endless consumption and immoral acts will undermine the sacred republic that our ancestors fought for and selflessly preserved for all of us.

This is now indeed an era of perseverence and polity where if we must find many small ways to agree to work together so the “me” generation may finally become the “we” generation just in the knick of time.

Professor Joe Goldblatt is Emeritus Professor of Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He lived and worked in the US for 55 years prior to moving to Scotland in 2007. His opinions are his own. To learn more about his opinions visit www.joegoldblatt.scot