Once in a while I read something that has the ring of incisive truth, and such was the case with the novel 2034. It is a clear and stark warning.

Americans are incapable of behaving patiently. They change their government and their policies as often as the seasons.Their dysfunctional civil discourse is unable to deliver an international strategy that endures for more than a handful of years.  They’re governed by their emotions, by their blithe morality and belief in their precious indispensibility. This is a fine disposition for a nation known for making movies but not for a nation to surivve as we have through the millennia…And where will American be after today? I believe in a thousand years it won’t even be remembered as a country. It will simply be remembered as a moment. A fleeting moment.     ~a Chinese government minister in the novel 2034: A Novel of the Next World Wary by Elliot Ackerman & Admiral James Stavridis

The brutal truth of this particular passage struck me hard.

We are a young country. We can’t look back over thousands of years as the Chinese can. But we can look at the here and now, and see how much like a bratty adolescent our government has been for a very long time.

This experiment in democracy allowed us to build our strength over the decades and a couple of centuries. But now, when the rubber meets the road, we don’t seem up to the challenge. These nations with longer views and single focus are eating our lunch. China is so incredibly powerful right now–in some ways more powerful than we are. And this novel certainly lays out a scenario that isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

I sat for a while and thought about how this grand experiment of ours called democracy could fail. It’s failing now, as repressive forces are trying to demolish it. They have been planning this for decades and they are focused. The majority of the populace isn’t concerned with anything but beating their chests and waving flags, pretending we are the best nation on earth. We can no longer claim that title. They’re following a cult leader who could very will take democracy to its end so much quicker than anyone imagined

We were ripe for it. Our people are immature and not that smart.. Their level of emotional maturity is low and so is their understanding of the world and its issues. As keyboard warriors they garner support and exhort their followers to take up arms against the government to force a petty despot into the big office.

You are seeing this play out now and it will be even more obvious after the election when the election deniers repressive forces have put in place will refuse to certify a true and legal election. We need to heed the warning.

If you are voting for this man on Nov. 5, you are a co-conspirator.

I hope you will join me in helping to preserve democracy. Vote blue up and down the ticket.