written 10 July 2022
published 17 July 2022
Despite recent events, I am still an optimistic catastrophist. The caterpillar/butterfly transformation is one of my favorite metaphors. The caterpillar dissolves into formless goop, and in multiple spots throughout the goop, the butterfly begins to take shape. However, the still functioning caterpillar immune system attacks these growths as "enemy", which hastens the butterfly assembly. From one individualistic perspective, it looks like death and decay, from the other, it is birth and progress. From a unity perspective, it is life.
The recent authoritarian decisions by the Supreme Court are the dying immune system attacking, desperately holding onto the dissolving past. This may accelerate the emergence of the new form. Even Republican strategists are becoming concerned they may have given the Democrats exactly what is needed to gain a stronger Congressional majority, allowing for real progress on issues important to most Americans. Let's consider a post-fundamentalist country, inspired by solutions from other countries, with regard to voting rights, campaign financing, gun rights, woman's rights, and climate change.
In the 2020 US election, despite efforts to reduce turnout under the guise of "voter integrity", 67 percent of eligible voters voted, a record high number. However, Australia regularly sees 92 percent participation, because voting is mandatory, with only long-term prisoners excluded. Since everyone in America pays some kinds of taxes, independent of citizenship status, limiting anyone from voting is "taxation without representation". Rather than preventing voting, we could encourage everyone to vote, while insuring they only vote once. Even third world countries with illiterate populations have figured that one out.
The 2020 election cost $14B, the most expensive in history. While US politicians are for sale, other nations realize this kind of commerce is antithetical to democracy. England has strong criminal prohibitions on campaign contributions, allowing only modest individual donations, while providing state support to all candidates for advertising and air time. This means issues and popular support predominate over who is the best funded. A candidate has to have good ideas to get supporters to volunteer, knock on doors, and press the flesh, rather than just shoveling cash.
Australia, with 1/13th our population, has been described as "the US of the Commonwealth", valuing personal independence and a wild west flavor. In 1996, a mass shooter in Port Arthur killed 35 people and wounded another 23. Within two weeks the recently elected conservative president John Howard, close friend to George W. Bush, responded by pushing through strict gun control laws. The sale and importation of all automatic and semi- automatic rifles were banned, waiting periods for gun ownership were installed, and a massive mandatory buy-back program was created. Howard's response to complaints about violation of human rights was, "the greatest human right is to live a safe life without fear of random murder". Gun ownership was cut in half, gun violence dropped by 60 percent, and there have been just 37 mass shootings in 26 years. As of July 8th, the US has had 337 mass shootings in 2020 alone.
The US is the fourth country to make abortion illegal in three decades, joining El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Poland. Even though I am a man writing about this, I am appalled and ashamed of my country. I understand that many hold firm convictions that abortion is murder, but State intervention into such a personal aspect of a woman's life is undemocratic tyranny. If you oppose abortion, don't have one!
Several paths are open for change, including limiting what the Court can adjudicate, impeaching some of the Supreme Court members, and/or adding more members. Pass legislation affirming a right to an abortion in all states, with reasonable conditions, and make sure that abortion medication is legal, widely available, and affordable.
The growing climate crisis will overwhelm every other issue discussed here, as more communities are burned to the ground, blown away, or inundated with water. As fire insurance becomes more problematic, and crops losses rise, normal economic activity shrivels. This consequence of unrestrained corporate profit can only be matched by governmental regulations, to preserve and protect. America is a quarter of the global economy. If we don't do our part, everyone loses.
Of course, none of the above suggestions can happen without a larger Democratic majority in the House, and especially the Senate. A motivated electorate can make these changes come to pass. Time will tell if people care enough.
