We republish below an unofficial translation of an article from A Nova Democracia originally found here.
This event is a reflection of a deep crisis of the imperialist system and that this crisis has once again reached the verge of the physical elimination of the contenders for the presidency, the likes of which have not been seen since the times of the “Cold War”.
by Jaílson de Souza
Donald Trump, the ultra-reactionary former president and current front-runner for the presidency of the United States, was shot by a gunman with a graze in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, at 6:13 p.m. on July 13. One spectator at the rally was killed, in addition to the gunman, and two other people were seriously injured.
So far, the information is being confirmed. What is already known is that the gunman, killed by the U.S. Secret Service in response to the shooting, was in a privileged position, having climbed onto a roof that does not exceed two stories in height, close to the stage and with clear sights of the former president and current candidate. In addition, in order to access the area in which he was, theoretically the shooter had to go through the search of the local police and the FBI, in addition to having remained there despite the ostensible sweep that should be carried out by the secret service. Witnesses at the scene indicate to the press monopoly that they saw the shooter and question how the U.S. Secret Service would not have seen him.
The press monopoly reports that the climate of bewilderment has gripped the public. Immediately, leaders of the ultra-reactionary “Democratic” party, such as the genocidal former president Barack Obama, came forward to condemn the action against Trump and avoid electoral attrition. So did the current president, Joe Biden, who said he was opposed to “sickening” political violence.
So far, the political impacts are still not measurable, but it is common ground, among all writers, reactionaries or progressives, that the political crisis in the imperialist superpower tends to reach new and higher levels. It is also a tendency for Trump to emerge strengthened from this incident: if he was already the favorite before, now he tends to consolidate this position. The ultra-reactionaries of the Democratic Party will later try to link this event to Trump’s own stance, accusing him of being the initiator of the “cycle of violence” in politics, on the other hand, there will also be a crisis among them, because the circumstances will require a more capable “Democratic” candidate, than Joe Biden has shown, to deal with the enormous political challenge that represents reversing the post-attack situation. In addition, there will inevitably be an intensification of the false ultra-reactionary polarization and an even more virulent electoral campaign, which goes hand in hand with trying to give legitimacy to the political system of bourgeois democracy in collapse in the campaign for “votes against the greater evil”. At the limit, the attack could generate new episodes in a spiral, which would further threaten the already unstable political situation in the United States. Finally, it cannot be ruled out, at this point, that it is a sham or set-up, since it is written in the history of the Yankee ruling classes the manipulation of public opinion for their ultra-reactionary ends through commotion.
Regardless of anything, there is no doubt that this event is a reflection of a deep crisis of the imperialist system, as the single hegemonic superpower of the United States is plunged, and that this crisis has once again reached the verge of physical elimination of the contenders for the presidency, as has not been seen since the times of the “Cold War”. It is further proof of the remarkable depth of the general crisis of decomposition, which penetrates from the stagnant and recessionary economy over several decades, to the deep division of its ideologues and politicians.
AND will be attentive to developments throughout Sunday (14) and Monday (15), bringing new updates. It will also address the topic in detail in the Editorial to be published on Tuesday (16) and on the YouTube channel on Monday (15).
