Americans mourn, protest, and pray but mass shootings continue.
“Armed Response,” the sign by the driveway read. I snapped a picture. And one more. And one more. I was 21 years old and visiting the US for the first time. Many years later, I moved here with my husband and children.
I have no sense of direction and often get lost. Street names and house numbers will never make sense to me. I drive up and down streets until I find the right house or call for help when picking up or dropping off kids.
This week two young people were shot because they accidentally drove up to the wrong address of a private homes. A 16-year-old African American boy from Kansas City was picking up his younger twin brothers from a playdate and was shot when he rang the doorbell. A white 20-year-old woman from upstate New York was visiting a friend and entered the wrong driveway. As she was turning her car around, she was shot. Both were lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood. The boy survived, while the woman paid with her life.
In effect, “Stand Your Ground” means that you can shoot at a person on your property and claim that you were “scared” – and not face any punishment. Since the law was introduced in 2005, it has spread to nearly 30 (primarily Republican) states. Not surprisingly, there has been an increase in the same states in fatal shootings by private citizens.
For a young Danish woman like me, it was crazy to see the signs in California. I remember thinking: Will you be shot at if you walk up the driveway? I swept it away – my Danish head could not fathom that it could be like that.
But that’s how it is. Here, it can cost you your life to sell girl scout cookies, deliver pizza, be a mailman, deliver Amazon packages, proselytize – and to be a young person accidentally knocking on the wrong house or drive up the wrong driveway.
Politikere i USA: »Flere våben i civile hænder er lig med større sikkerhed«
Amerikanerne sørger, protesterer og beder til deres Gud. Men intet hjælper på skyderierne.
The controversy is about so much more than an American mediocre canned beer – it’s about identity politics
The American musician Kid Rock has posted a video that has been viewed by more than ten million people. In the video, he wears a MAGA cap with a semi-automatic weapon and shoots down Bud Light beer cans. Afterwards, he looks into the camera and hurls f-bombs at the viewers.
What is he so angry about? And what has made others on social platforms post videos where they destroy America’s best-selling beer?
It is, yet again, identity politics that is at the center. Bud Light is primarily enjoyed by people who crack open a beer after a long day at work and college students – people for whom the price of a beer means something.
The controversy is about the trans activist Dylan Mulvaney, who received a specially designed Bud Light can with her portrait on it at her one-year transition day.
Dylan Mulvaney has an extensive platform with ten million subscribers and more than a billion clicks on her videos. She is an actor and comedian and has documented her transition on social platforms. Additionally, she went to the White House to visit Joe Biden and talk about the legislation that has been introduced in some Republican states to limit the rights of transgender people.
Hence, the controversy is about much more than a mediocre cheap canned beer. It is about the American soul – and there is a vast difference in how that should be defined, depending on which side of the political spectrum one belongs to.
In this column, I am not addressing whether kids should be able to transition or which bathroom they can use – I am addressing the fact that adults should be allowed to be who they are. And in some states, transgender people are the target of legislation designed to limit their rights. Laws have been introduced to limit the access to medical care for trans people, changes have been made to change the ability to perform drag shows, and a whole host of other blitheringly hateful measures have made their way into legislation.
In recent years, there has been a great deal of focus on minorities and particularly vulnerable people. There was and is a need to put one’s own privilege and ‘blindness’ under the microscope. That is healthy and good for everyone. But, as with so much else in this country, certain elements have taken what could be a healthy debate to extremes – on both sides of the political aisle. In some schools caucasian children are taught that because of their skin color they are racist, in other schools they are not allowed to learn about other sexualities than heterosexualism. It should not come as a surprise that our kids are confused when even the adults cannot deal constructively with important subjects like these. Recess fights does not only take place in the schoolyard.
So now beer has become part of the WOKE war. Right-wingers boycott Bud Light under the slogan “go woke, go broke”. In the LGBTQIA+-community, Bud Light has been popular for decades, primarily as a response to another beer brand’s discriminatory hiring practices.
But there is hope. Nothing could be better for Bud Light than the massive attention they get these days. It’s win-win: while Anheuser-Bush is laughing all the way to the bank, the LGBTQIA+-community has received worldwide attention all over the world.
Ølreklame får amerikanere op i det regnbuefarvede felt
Det handler om mere end middelmådig dåseøl – det handler om identitetspolitik
With “Justice for All” Trump makes populist stunt.
Trump released a new version of the US national anthem on Friday. Branding and self-promotion are his hallmarks, but the fact that the single contains an attack on democracy and the judiciary is a matter that is lost in the single’s roaring ending: »U-S-A!, U-S-A!, U-S-A !« writes Desiree Ohrbeck.
They are standing under a huge American flag, slightly overwhelmed by the situation, sharing a microphone. Three girls, about eight years old with small, high-pitched voices. Out of tune, they sing the American national anthem – I’ve never understood why the country chose lyrics and a tune so difficult to sing along to. Meanwhile, parents raise from their seats, remove caps and hats and place a hand over their hearts.
I associate the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”, with sporting events. At my children’s neighborhood swim team, the youngest swimmers take turns at home meet to sing before the competition. For me, the most beautiful version is Whitney Houston’s interpretation at the Super Bowl in 1991.
“Trump has repeatedly expressed support for the convicted rioters and has promised to overturn their convictions if he is elected the next president of the United States.
Much different is the disturbing emotions I am left with when listening to the single Trump released on Friday. If you click on the single, the video consists of a dark, still image of the American flag. Deep male voices roar-sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The choir is made up of prisoners, convicted after the attempted coup on January 6, 2020, and the profits goes to the prisoners’ families.
A few seconds into the single, Donald Trump’s characteristic voice is heard reciting “The Pledge of Allegiance.” All students, from Kindergarten through High School recite The Pledge of Allegiance every morning with one hand over their heart as they pledge allegiance to the American flag and America.
It is an honor to be invited to the school superintendent’s office to recite “The Pledge” for the whole school. The ritual represents a loyalty oath and an expression of pride in living in the United States.
Mixing the American National Anthem with the patriotic “Pledge of Allegiance” is a genius move. You have to hand it to him, Trump, that he knows how to play his cards to maximum effect. If one has aspirations towards populist national conservatism of the patriotic, not fact-based kind, it strikes a chord with those who think that convicted “freedom fighters” have not been treated with fairness in the justice system. Branding and self-promotion are Trump’s hallmarks. That there is an underlying, decidedly dangerous attack on democracy and the judiciary is a matter that is lost in the single’s roaring ending: “U-S-A!, U-S-A!, U-S-A!”
The single is called “Justice for All,” and is performed by the J6 Prison choir Choir. Trump has repeatedly expressed support for the convicted rioters and has promised to overturn their convictions if he is elected the next president of the United States.
In collaboration with the ultra-right and conspiracy theorists, Trump is the banner-bearer of a trend that views the convictions of the January 6, 2020 attempted coup on Congress as politically motivated and as an orchestrated persecution and an attack by the state on constitutional supporters.
Two minutes and twenty seconds. That’s how long the single is. After this, what does it feel like for parents and sports fans at thousands of sporting events across the country when the national anthem is sung by ordinary democratic-minded Americans who love their country? Will they see themselves as chess pieces in a game they have no desire to play in? I wonder if this summer, as I stand cheering on the side of the pool, ready with my camera, as my kids compete against a neighborhood swim team, I will be able to not let it affect me that yet another unifying American icon has fallen into the hands of those who would rather divide the country than unite it?
Trump udgiver single i samarbejde med fængslede kupmagere
Med singlen “Justice for All” har Trump lavet endnu et populistisk stunt.
Is Biden looking out for the American population or is the country headed for an escalating crisis with China?
“SHOOT THE BALLOON DOWN” Trump wrote in his usual shouting capitals on Friday on his new social media platform Truth Social. By that time, days before, Joe Biden had already given orders to the US Air Force to shoot down the balloon when there was no danger of destruction or loss of life.
“By ordering the spy balloon shot down, Biden appeared strong—the opposite of weak and indecisive. To the individual American, it is important to have a sense of living in a country where the president has his or her safety at heart.
It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it is apparently not uncommon for both the US and China to spy in each other’s airspace with giant balloons – they have been doing that since the Cold War. As a side note, another spy balloon is hovering over South America right now.
The spy balloon is the size of three school buses and can be seen with the naked eye. People in the United States are following the development and the news are updating us on the latest developments live with input from various professionals. China is furious. Maybe they thought they could talk their way out of having their balloon shot down and keep their military secrets. But when that didn’t work out, the rhetoric became frighteningly hostile.
On Fox News they talk about a declaration of war and a threat from China, on CNN the tone is turned down a few decimals. However, all news media have cleared the surface in trying to understand what is unfolding before our eyes. It is not often that the population is united on the same topic.
In many ways, the shooting is a gift to the Democratic President of the United States, Joe Biden. The Democrats are usually accused by Republicans for not prioritizing the defense of the United States, for being too “weak” to use one of Donald Trump’s preferred words. Contrary to this sentiment, Biden showed an ability to analyze the situation from various angels before making a decision, that he can keep the cards close to his chest, and with a calm hand on the stearin wheel look protect the Americans – in contrast to Trump, who as usual screams his impulses into the airwaves without consideration for human life or the country’s security.
By ordering the spy balloon shot down, Biden appeared strong—the opposite of weak and indecisive. To the individual American, it is important to have a sense of living in a country where their president has his or her safety at heart.
This crisis highlights two competing ideologies. The American identity rests on an idea that they stand for democratic values and the freedom of the individual, that they enjoy international security and capitalist freedom due to a strong military and an economy based on a free market – they see themselves in direct opposition to anti-democratic, Communist China, which repeatedly violates human rights.
This is a fast-moving story. Right now, the navy and the coast guard are collecting wreckage from the sea. Afterwards, the parts will be shipped to an FBI lab so that they can learn as much as possible about the Chinese’s spy skills and equipment.
The American population is worried. China has a huge population from which they can draw from when sending their men and women to war, they have huge amounts of military equipment, and they have imperialist dreams – just look at their incursions into Africa, the fake islands they are building, and their position on Taiwan. Maybe this play into their provocative behavior towards America. Maybe they ‘just’ made a massive mistake. Or perhaps, the balloon’s presence above a strategically important military base was carefully timed to coincide with Antony Blinken´s scheduled trip to China.
The United States had no other choice than to shoot down the spy balloon – to send a signal domestically to the American population and internationally to – China and others who might want to enter American airspace without permission.
The idea of an escalated crisis between the US and China is nerve wracking. Personally, I hope the whole ordeal will turn out to just be hot air…
Spionballon er en gave til Biden
Passer Biden på amerikanerne eller er landet på vej ud i en eskalerende krise med Kina?
Zelenskyy is rhetorically strong – but is the US willing to donate more funds?
“Your money is not charity, it is an investment in global security,” said the President of Ukraine in his speech to the US Congress.
Judging by the breaking news live streaming on CNN, journalists coverage, politicians’ buzzing anticipation in Congress, as well as President Joe Biden they are all fully aware of the important crossroads the Western world is facing.
In general, there has been support across the political isle in the United States. But some sent a clear message through their absence. Some Republicans chose to stay away, and that is not necessarily good for Ukraine’s resistance nor for Europe’s security. Even if we don’t want to think about it, we may be facing World War III and a battle for Western ideals of freedom.
“The Ukrainian president painted a picture of roaring bombings every day for months, blood, freezing temperatures, death, and destruction. But he also painted a picture of a population that is strong and fights for its freedom with the same perseverance Americans showed when they fought Nazism in Europe.
America is Ukraine’s most important ally. Of course, President Zelenskyy is well aware of that. He is also aware that some resistance have begun to show on the Republican side of the political spectrum when it comes to allocating military funding and aid to Ukraine.
The American population is regularly impressed by Zelenskyy´s quoting of former presidents such as Kennedy and Washington in his speeches. Yesterday, was no exception, when he quoted Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Ukrainian president painted a picture of roaring bombing every day for months, blood, freezing temperatures, death and destruction. But he also painted a picture of a population that is strong and fights for freedom with the same perseerance Americans had when they fought Nazism in Europe.
It may have been the most important speech he has ever given—perhaps even the most important speech he will ever give. He balanced between being grateful to the American people while asking for more guns, ammunition, planes, and tanks. The US has given 1.8 trillion dollars so far. That’s 12 zeros, but that’s not enough.
Zelenskyy made it clear that he is not asking for American soldiers on the ground. Ukrainian soldiers will fight against its attackers itself – but they need more military material.
For me, the strongest message was that we must stand together and fight for freedom, for democracy, for the freedom of the mind – against terrorism and put in what is required in the fight for freedom. PUT-IN, as Zelenskyy said. He definetely did not sound like a man who is ready to sit down at the negotiating table – he is anything but a shadow president, as the MAGA-republicans call him.
The world will be a better place if Ukraine wins – now and in the future. Ukraine’s fight inspires the whole world, and standing together, globally we must fight to protect freedom and international laws, was the message. This war determines and defines the world that future generations will live in. The countries of the world are too interconnected and dependent on each other for a war like this – he stated as the applause resounded.
Standing up for freedom, investing in democracy by helping Ukraine should be on every freedom-loving, democratic country´s Christmas list.
Slava Ukraine!
Zelenskyj holdt sit livs vigtigste tale i USA: Vi ønsker os én ting til jul – sejr
Zelenskyj er en stærk retoriker – men er USA villig til at donere flere midler?
Not even Trump seems to believe in his own victory in the upcoming presidential election
It was expected – in my case, feared. But there was not fanfare, escalators, white dress suits, and roaring shouts of jubilation, like we saw it last time. Even Trump was a toned-down version of himself when he from his Mar-a-Lago golf resort announced his candidacy for the next US presidential election.
And so, the circus begins. We are still waiting for the result to find out if it will be the Democrats or the Republicans who will have the majority in the House of Representatives, but the presidential election has apparently started, too, all though the election is not until two years from now.
A while back, we talked to the kids about our future here in the US. We told them that if the Americans elect Trump again, then our time in the USA is over – we simply cannot go through the drama and the high blood pressure again. Maybe I will be moving, but I doubt it.
Perhaps Trump’s relatively calm behavior was strategic, perhaps he meant to appear as dialed down as possible as a reaction to his shrill MAGA candidates that were massively rejected by voters. Maybe that’s why he didn´t spew his hatred and false accusations at us. Maybe he’s depressed that his candidates in the US midterm elections were rejected. Maybe deep down he doesn’t want to announce his candidacy but does it hoping the multiple lawsuits, facing him for his financial blunders, will disappear.
When Trump announced his candidacy, he followed his script, which is unusual for him. He spoke in a low and slow tone and read his speech from cover to cover. It was a bizarre experience, since we are used to seeing his wild gestures, angry outbursts and tirades of nonsense blabber.
One thing, however, was as it usually is – his falsehoods and his conspiracy theories – about the mid-term election results, oil prices, and about the environment.
The news ankers were puzzled. Who is the Donald Trump we saw on our screens tonight? Why did he appear so different?
How will the Republican leadership respond? During the last week, several prominent members of the party have aired thoughts that it is time for a new direction for the party, a direction away from Trump and his political followers. This sentiment echoes the voters in the midterm elections.
Tonight, I am looking forward. I am exhilarated about the midterm elections – Americans showed the world they value their democracy and that what they want are politicians who work together and implement legislation for the benefit of the people.
So, I look forward to the future. Because with the Trump I saw tonight and the election results last week – I don’t think I’ll have to start packing any moving boxes. Maybe we don’t need to fear that Americans will re-elect Trump. But you never know – you should never underestimate neither Donald Trump nor the American people.
____
Så kører Trump-toget igen – men slet ikke med samme damp som sidst…
Ikke engang Trump ser ud til at tro på sin egen sejr ved det kommende præsidentvalg
Shocking developments in the votes in the US midterm elections. American women have had enough!
“What are you most worried about? – inflation?” I asked my American friend on the phone last night.
»I don’t give a shit about inflation, if they take away my God damn rights as a human being!,« she replied, finishing her sentence by saying that she had done her part by voting, but that her mental health could not handle watching the midterm election results on live tv.
My friend is not the only one who has had enough. One state after another proved that last night. The news anchors watching the numbers come in couldn´t believe their eyes.
Traditionally, the party that has a president in the White House loses seats in Congress in the midterm elections. In addition, Biden has lower voter approval than many of his Democratic presidential predecessors. All the odds were against the Democratic Party – yet the votes show a clear trend: Americans, especially American women, do not want crazy Trump supporters representing them, they do not want to be deprived of democratic rights, and they do not want the right to choose over their own bodies taken away. Do never underestimate the power of women.
“Maybe America’s future isn’t as bleak, as I feared?
But the Republican party, that strategically and in historically large numbers put African-Americans and women on the ballot, to bring voters to think that the party does not exclusively consists of white men, did – underestimate women in America.
Also, Republicans thought they had a winning hand in Donald Trump, who has been touring and spewing his hate speech in important swing states. It turns out, though, voters don’t want more insane, boastful Trumpers in Congress – they want sensible politicians, they want cooperation – and they want democracy. I wonder if Trump will run for president after this?
Perhaps the Americans have also had enough of intimidation and violence. If there is one thing one should never do, it is telling an American what to do. Americans value their individual rights, and gun carrying, militia-clad men at the polls and violence against elected politicians’ family members may have proven too much for those who normally do not vote during the midterm elections.
It will take some time before we have a final election result. And during that period, conspiracy theories will start to simmer because Republicans will repeatedly cry out their never ending nonsense about voter fraud. Each state has carefully planned how to deal with a situation of potential riots in the streets.
Yesterday, I asked my 85-year-old neighbor Pat what she thought about the midterm elections. Whether she was nervous, even worried about democracy? “I have a different perspective, I’ve seen and experienced a lot, I’m not nervous,” she said.
And sweet Pat seems to be right. Maybe America’s future isn’t as bleak as I feared?
___
Midtvejsvalg i USA: Tak til kvinderne, der stemte for demokrati og for retten til abort
Chokerende udvikling i stemmerne ved det amerikanske midtvejsvalg. Måske har mange amerikanere alligevel fået nok?
Democracy is difficult. The Danish election two days ago shows us that the US could learn from Denmark. Meanwhile we are waiting for the American mid-term elections.
There they were, all eleven heads of the Danish political parties, representing the spectrum in Danish politics. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the very night of the parliamentary election. Traditionally, on election night, after all votes have been tallied, all party leaders participate in a joint session on the Danish public service tv channel DR to answer questions from the media. The atmosphere was civil, no one accusing anyone of cheating. I was completely stunned and quite moved. I must have forgotten how a well-functioning democratic process works.
My daughter and I were watching the live broadcast from Seattle. I explained the Danish political system, which she was somewhat confused about. Denmark has a multi-party system and eleven parties are a lot, even for a Dane, but not least for her, being used to the election being between the Democrats and the Republicans.
So, I explained, which is not as easy as one might think, because the Danish parties are close in their set of values and often overlap each other in their positions on individual topics.
“The red parties in Denmark are on the side of the blue bloc in the USA. But even the most conservative parties in Denmark, which is represented by a blue color, have some areas that are more socialist than the blue parties here in the US. The blue parties in Denmark are often more ´red´ than the blue party color of the American Democratic Party.”
My daughter asked questions about ideology and what it takes to get a mandate. “It’s a very complicated system,” she said, until it dawned on her that every vote cast counts—unlike presidential elections here.
When I heard the head of The Green Left (SF), Pia Olsen Dyhr, say that despite the differences in opinions, the representatives from other parties in Parliament (Folketing) are colleagues she likes and respects, I almost wanted to move back to my beautiful, democracy-loving, safe country of origin, Denmark.
“This is too exciting! I am amazed how quickly they count the votes,’ she said, while we watched the DR hosts try to fill out airtime while waiting for the final votes.
“Far fewer people live in Denmark. And the Danes are good at creating efficient systems and believing in the democratic process,” I replied.
The atmosphere I felt when I watched politicians from The Red/Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) bike ride through the streets of Copenhagen, the warmth I felt, when the cameras panned through various rooms in Parliament covered in confetti, showing Danish flags being waved, and nervous, excited looks glued to the latest election numbers on tv screens. I saw smiles, hugs, and groups of people spontaneously breaking out in song. That atmosphere, the USA could learn from.
Democracy is something to be celebrated. When I heard the head of The Green Left (SF) Pia Olsen Dyhr, say that despite the differences in opinions, the representatives from other parties in Parliament (Folketing) are colleagues she likes and respects, I almost wanted to move back to my beautiful, democracy-loving, safe country of origin, Denmark, where the rhetoric, even during an election campaign, is at a level where the politicians do not fear for their lives.
In that context, the political mood in America is starkly different. Many politicians talk to each other in such a disrespectful way you hardly want your kids to hear it. Many refuse to meet each other for debates. On the political arena and among the population, the atmosphere is so toxic that some fear a civil war.
Last week, a man broke into Speaker of the United States House of Representatives house, Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi was not at home. But her 82-year-old husband ended up with a fractured skull and injuries to his body. He is still recovering in the ER. The perpetrator has since stated that he wanted to smash Nancy Pelosi’s kneecaps so that other politicians would see what was in store for them.
More than 70 per cent of Republicans in the United States believe that the last presidential election was “stolen” from them – a falsehood that has been refuted again and again by various recounts and by countless court verdicts.
In the US, we don’t get the election results as quickly as other countries do. We must wait and wait and wait because one party in particular, the Republican, want the ballots recounted over and over and because they bring the decision to the courts and drag out the results by appealing even when the margin is significant. By law, they have the right to do so. But when the tally is clear, one must ask whether there is a strategy behind what the republicans are doing.
By dragging out the final election results, citizens lose interest and trust in the system. And that is most likely exactly what the republicans want. In its extreme consequence, that is an eerie thought: if you can destroy faith in democracy and make people believe their vote holds no power, that democracy is too difficult, what then is the alternative? – indifference and acceptance of a totalitarian system brought in through the backdoor.
Democracy is hard. But that does not mean that citizens should turn away from voting and participating – because if we do, we can wave goodbye to the democracy America prides itself of on the global world stage. Maybe America should look to Denmark for showing the world how to respect democracy?
___
Tænk, hvis USA var lige så civiliseret, når det kommer til at afholde valg
Demokrati er svært, og USA kunne lære meget af Danmark. Det viste det danske valg, mens vi venter på det amerikanske midtvejsvalg.
Looking into Søren Pape´s behavior is relevant – he might be the next Danish Prime Minister
I am not comparing Søren Pape to Donald Trump one to one; their behavior cannot be compared and Pape´s potential misconduct does not match that of Donald Trump´s. But, the principle of the press investigating the worthiness and suitability of the person who has ambitions to lead the country is the same – and that process is important.
I live in the United States and every day the news bring stories revealing Trump’s abuse of power while he was president – and reveal stories about what he has been willing to do for his dictatorial ambitions. Furthermore, Trump put the country’s security and the citizens´ lives at risk after he was out of office.
And that is the part of the story about the leader of the Danish Conservative People´s Party Søren Pape that is interesting. The public needs to know if he has violated any laws or committed actions within the country´s borders and internationally inconsistent with how one behaves as a publicly elected person. If it turns out he has, it needs to be addressed and dealt with – immediately. If we don´t, all one has to do is look to America to see how bad things can go. The Danish population needs to know who they are potentially voting to be the next leader of Denmark before an election.
“when the press smells blood, you have to be able to provide more than a muffled answer to survive in the highest circles of political life – as the saying goes: when you are a public figure, the press will attend both the wedding and the divorce.
It’s a good thing the press is not intimidated but do the research which leads to providing the public with the information they find. Some findings are irrelevant in relation to Pape’s dreams of becoming the next Danish Prime Minister, others may reveal serious incidents. That’s the process. It’s not pretty, but it’s necessary.
It is crucial that the population has a right to know what kind of candidate they are potentially voting into the Prime Minister’s Office – especially if illegal activities have damaged Denmark’s reputation and put the country´s security at risk.
That Pape is so ill-prepared and handles the shitstorm he’s in so completely unmannerly is another matter. He clearly needs his spin doctor to help him prepare his public responses better. But when spin and emotionally distress intertwine, it is clearly difficult for him to utter anything meaningful to the public. A public person like Pape should know that once the press smells blood, you have to be able to give more than a muffled answer to survive in the highest circles of political life – as the saying goes: the press will attend both the wedding and the divorce.
As we have seen countless times with Trump here in the United States, it creates a ground for conspiracy theories and allows the press to gain the upper hand and run the stories in the direction they want when a politician does not want to answer strait to questions from the press.
Søren Pape’s inability to handle the situation is shameful, because his unwillingness to elaborate and answer questions creates uncertainty in relation to his competences as Denmark’s future leader. Hopefully, time will show that he didn´t compromise Denmark’s interests. Time will tell, the press turn every stone and unearth whatever lies below the surface – for the benefit of Denmark and democracy.
__
Det er ikke kønt, men det er nødvendigt at gå Pape efter i sømmene – se bare på USA, hvor galt det kan gå
Det er relevant, hvad Søren Pape har foretaget sig – han kan stå på tærsklen til at få overdraget nøglerne til Statsministeriet.
Do you want to keep democracy?, Joe Biden asked in his address to the nation.
Sleepy Joe has finally woken up, and that´s in a way that felt like a slap in the face to me and Americans. In his address to the nation yesterday, he said: “We have to be honest. There is too much in the United States that, because of Donald Trump, threatens the foundations of our democracy.”
If that doesn´t snap you out of your haze, I don´t know what will. I myself, reacted by sitting up straight on my couch. And then I got nervous. The speech was, in all its simplicity, about how we must ensure that democracy survives under the pressure of the political violence of extreme national MAGA groupings.
Our time is not the first where the United States has been divided. Historically, when things have been so bad that an American president has addressed the nation, division within the population has led to war and a national identity crisis.
I am obviously not the only one who occasionally loose sleep over the situation in America. Today, the country’s president found it necessary to say that if we are not careful, we risk that our children will not grow up in a democracy with the same freedoms as we have today. “Equality and democracy are under attack. Don’t take our democracy for granted, stand up for it, fight for it,” Joe Biden said.
“As Biden talked about the United States being at a crossroads, I get more nervous. This was not just another political speech from a political leader. This was serious.
It is very rare that Biden mentions Trump by name. But today, he did just that several times. Without sugarcoating his words, he warned that Trump and his MAGA supporters are actively using violence and threats as a tool and that they are willing to use any means to get the results they want. But “you can’t only love the United States when you win,” Biden shouted. “Blind loyalty to one person is fatal for a democracy.”
Several times since the attempted coup on January 6 last year, I have come across ordinary Americans who have expressed a fear that the political mood and Trump’s influence are now so inflamed that it could lead to a civil war.
Biden argued that “that’s not how we are”.
But maybe that is the way Americans are? Maybe they’ve always been that way? Maybe we just haven’t seen it until now, because the hatred has been directed against populations abroad or against African Americans within the country’s borders – and not against ordinary white Americans, whose only “flaws” in the eyes of Trump and his supporters are, that they are democrats?
Biden and Trump are the personification of the choice America faces. Democracy versus autocracy, a dynamic society versus conservative stagnation, inclusion versus exclusion, international orientation versus isolationism.
Joe Biden is a seasoned politician to the core. He believes in the Constitution, the democratic process and has been part of the game in Congress and the White House for decades. He is known for seeking consensus across political party lines, inviting everyone to negotiations and believing in the process. Trump, on the other hand, is a completely different beast with no political experience and with an attitude that he wants things his way – at any cost and by any means. The diplomat against the tyrant, the negotiator against the aggressor.
As Biden talked about the United States being at a crossroads, I got more nervous. This was not just another political speech from a political leader. This was serious. Quiet, whispering Joe stood there under the whir of historic wings and said that we must fight for what we believe in—and that if we don’t, we’ll lose our democracy.
“We are not powerless, we must not stand by. We stand for honesty, decency, democracy,’ he said rather dictatingly. He also said that together we can do anything. Still, I had a knot in my stomach, thinking about how we are going to stop national extremists from intimidating and threatening their way into an agenda and a society far from what I associate with a free democracy, and how democracy might feel after the next election.
Frygter Joe Biden en amerikansk borgerkrig?
Skal vi have demokratiske rettigheder eller ufrihed? spurgte Joe Biden i sin tale til nationen.
Danish-American Eyes on Society 