Read on Twitter
@simonbarrow @Ekklesia_co_uk Some thoughts on Fintan's piece.
Can Joe Biden make America great again? https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jan/16/can-joe-biden-make-america-great-again?CMP=share_btn_tw
Can Joe Biden make America great again? https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jan/16/can-joe-biden-make-america-great-again?CMP=share_btn_tw
Since the day Trump was elected America as we thought we knew it was over, there was no way back, there would only be a way forward. This was not necessarily bad, bc the old imperial America did much harm in the world. 1/
The fissures O'Toole points to have always been there. White supremacy has structured our society far more than ppl realize bc it's been internalized as a communal assumption about who should wield political and eoconomic power. 2/
The task facing Biden is enormous, perhaps the most challenging any president has ever faced and O'Toole captures the complexity of someone who knows suffering being able to lead/offer us vision in this moment. I have consistently underestimated him . . .3/
but perhaps he is the bridge to what comes next. I think it is undeniable that we are now sliding toward open civil war, being held hostage to the guns we allowed to proliferate, but Biden, if he sees clearly, could help. Public facing rhetoric of healing is fine, 4/
if accompanied by legislation that address economic justice and voting rights being secured for all Americans. Since Republicans have given up on democracy I suspect some hard ball will be needed. 5/
It can go in so many directions now, things are so fragile. Easy to see separation into different nation/states, slow burn Bosnia, or even right wing becoming very minority party w/o political influence. Hard to see that last one at the moment. 6/
Regardless, the American empire is done, immolated by its own arrogance and hubris. We'll know much more by end of year. O'Toole is also right in this, Biden's first job is mitigating COVID. If by end of summer we've seen it abate significantly he has a chance 7/
I will finish with this--it'd be helpful if right wing Christianity were to die bc of their unfailing support for a political idol. In fact, the survival of America may depend on Trump Christianity dying.
