If there is one undeniable truth America has been made to swallow in the last four (4) tortuous years of Donald Trump’s shambolic presidency, it is that AMERICAN DEMOCRACY/SOCIETY IS NOT PERFECT!
And the truth is that there is no perfect system anywhere in the world!
The single greatest lesson to be learnt from these four (4) disastrous years is that whenever and wherever the electorate allow sentiments to sway them into voting obviously idiotic, bigoted, deranged, petty and unworthy fellows into political office, the effect is usually the same: chaos, disaster, division, retrogression, pains, regrets and shame.
However, three (3) things differentiate most of the Western world from most of the Third World: DEEP-ROOTED INSTITUTIONS, CONSEQUENCES for crossing the line and the READINESS TO LEARN FROM, and use the pitfalls that come their way to improve the systems they already have.
DEEP-ROOTED INSTITUTIONS
The only living Republican ex-president, George W. Bush repudiated Trump; many evangelicals who had hitherto endorsed him, disowned him; electoral officials did not kowtow to him; the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) refused to do his bidding; State Governors, including Republican ones, refused to be bullied by him into committing unconstitutional acts; Cabinet members resigned in protest against his shenanigans.
CONSEQUENCES
In the aftermath of the shocking and condemnable siege on the Capitol Hill by Trump-instigated insurrectionaries on Wednesday, January 6, 2021,
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- Several of the insurrectionaries have been fired by their employers.
- The Capitol Police Chief is resigning.
3.Several arrests have been made. - Recall process for state level legislators identified as being part of the insurrection has commenced.
- Paul Davis, a Texas-based lawyer who was one of the insurrectionaries at the Capitol Hill, has been sacked by his employers, Goosehead Insurance.
- Rick Saccone, a former Republican state lawmaker and Congressional candidate who was a lecturer at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania for 22 years has resigned his appointment after a video showed him among the crowd gathered outside the Capitol Hill on January 6.
- Twitter has PERMANENTLY BANNED Trump for “Risk of further incitement of violence”, while Facebook and Instagram have INDEFINITELY BANNED him because “We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great”.
- Social media bans have been placed on identified inciters.
- Some members of Trump’s cabinet have resigned.
- Democrats and Republicans alike have been unequivocal in their condemnation of Trump and his divisive tendencies.
- Impeachment proceedings that will make Trump the only American president to be impeached twice are about to commence.
READINESS TO LEARN FROM PITFALLS
Before the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre, the belief was that America’s security was impenetrable.
The audacious and atrocious attack made America sit up and put in place mechanisms that will prevent a recrudescence of 9/11.
One of such measures was the creation of the Office of Homeland Security to coordinate counterterrorism efforts by federal, state, and local agencies; and the Homeland Security Council, to advise the president on homeland security matters, though both were later superceded by the Department of Homeland Security which was created in January 2003.
CONCLUSION
Restoration of sanity and creation of deterrence, through dire consequences, is how sane societies retain their dignity and sanity to make progress.
These are lessons Nigeria in particular, and the Third World in general can learn from.
And after all is said and done, the shame of what has happened in America in the last 4 years is not on American politics, NO!
The shame is on Donald J. Trump and his cortetie of blind, demented and brainwashed followers.
This is because, just like America bounced back STRONGER from 9/11, she will bounce back BETTER from this latest setnack.
As for Donald J. Trump, it’s curtains!
D. D. OWOEYE, ESQ.
KUNLE KALEJAYE, SAN & CO.
LAJOOGAN HOUSE,
Idi-Ape Junction,
Beside Chicken Republic,
Ibadan,
Oyo State
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