Ashamed of America

 

I’ve never been proud to be an American, but at times, I’ve been proud of America.

It makes me proud whenever our country does something really humane. Several of these proud moments predate my birth. Lincoln’s “Emancipation Proclamation” is one of those moments. Another is the liberation of France from the Nazis. In my lifetime, two events stand out. The leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1963 protests against American racism that led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 is one. The other is more symbolic, when, in 1987, President Regan shouted, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Continue reading “Ashamed of America”

Mandates

 

If one turns on American news these days (after President Trump was inaugurated a second time), the word “mandate” comes up frequently. I doubt many Republicans or Democrats would quarrel with the current Wikipedia definition:

In representative democracies, a mandate is a perceived legitimacy to rule through popular support. Mandates are conveyed through elections, in which voters choose political parties and candidates based on their own policy preferences. The election results are then interpreted to determine which policies are popularly supported. A majority government provides a clear mandate, while plurality or coalition government suggests a lesser mandate, requiring greater compromise between parties. Parties with strong mandates are free to implement their preferred policies with the understanding that they are supported by the people.

In the 2024 US election, Harris received 48.33% of the popular vote, while Trump received 49.80%. Neither received more than 50% of the votes, so there was no winner-by-majority, only winner-by-plurality. The percentage by which Trump won was 1.5% of the American voters. Continue reading “Mandates”