Opinion | AD Nachalo
Bourgeois political scientists speak of voter fatigue, a condition they consider develops from being asked to vote too often, on too many issues, or as the result of difficulties added to “suppress votes”, and this magic condition is what they attribute to the high abstention rate of eligible voters in the US. This is because the ruling class has no choice other than seeking out ideological rationalization for preserving the existence of the exploiting classes. In the case of the 2024 elections, such rationalization is mounting to previously unimaginable levels.
What is actually transpiring is a growing dissatisfaction with the meager options available under imperialist rule, with its political, economic, and social trends of reactionization. Even those who are ushered onto the benches of especially the Democratic Party are less than happy with their options. This has led the politicians on both sides, in desperation, to add the most vulgar and spectacular flourishes to their campaigns, which are reflected in different ways among all sections of society. For the abstaining eligible voter, the farce and corruption are so clear that they would rather do anything else but vote, and for the active voter, they do so with a lot of apprehension and surrender to the “lesser evil”, while for the true believers in the electoral farce, jingoists of both colors, they are forced to double down on their often hysterical rhetoric.
Election anxiety and discontent are prevalent among voters, with many growing sick of the pageantry involved. Al Jazeera reported that “A recent survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that about 70 percent of Americans feel anxious or frustrated regarding the election, with few expressing enthusiasm.”
The Department of Homeland Security makes a similar observation when warning of a rise in “extremism” related to the elections: “We are particularly concerned about a confluence of factors this year, including violent extremist responses to domestic sociopolitical developments—especially the 2024 election cycle—and international events that domestic and foreign violent extremists likely will use to justify or encourage attacks in the Homeland.” What they fail to mention is that mass unrest and discontent are related directly to the growing economic crisis.
The popular vote concludes in less than a week, and the farce surrounding it has already surpassed all the previous elections in terms of hysterics. Former US Marine General Mark Kelly, a reactionary in the service of US imperialism and Trump’s longest standing Chief of Staff, told the monopoly media that “Trump certainly falls into the general definition of a fascist,” hyperbolic and unqualified statements which the Harris campaign was quick to run with. Only months ago, after the attempted assassination against Trump, the Democrat camp were the loudest at calling for toning down the rhetoric. They had temporarily stopped talking about fascism and threats to democracy.
By presenting the stakes for average people as that of an existential threat, the ruling class applies serious pressure to goad the masses into the poling stations, even though the popular vote has no bearing on the selection of president. Both Parties have a penchant for this because they are unable to generate a clear victory—the personality contests between them draw out almost even numbers of a dwindling amount of voters. Each wants to prevent the inevitable claims of cheating once all the votes are counted, with desperate and reactionary dreams of a landslide victory which would legitimize their rule in the eyes of the people.
Trump, for his part, is an ultra-reactionary who really does look up to historic fascists on the basis of their strong-man persona, a false persona which was carefully cultivated—Trump is simply the type to fall for it. In terms of fascism, real fascism as a governmental form, he is not a fascist, and lacks concrete fascist objectives. The white terror of the fascists, their suppression of democratic rights, these of course appeal to Trump, but they are not absent from Harris either. What neither represent is the form of government, which, due to threats against its existence, is prepared to force monopolization; the reason for this lack is not deep conviction to democracy, but because the imperialists whom they represent are not so threatened that they would support such an undertaking. Instead, both candidates and their parties hold fast to the same decomposition found in the class they represent, which allows a non-legislated process of monopolization.
Harris will grasp at whatever hysterics she can to gain a few more votes over her rival, while Trump will beam back in all types of scandal, just hoping more people will champion his tough rhetoric, even if it means evoking fascists. The result is the same: suppression of democratic rights, the exact democratic rights the politicians are so desperate to have people believe they are preserving.
The chimera of fascism is useful for Harris to scare up votes—if Trump wins, American democracy is over. The conspiracy of stolen elections does the same for Trump—only he can save American democracy from the secret Marxists of the Democratic Party who, if not stopped with a landslide, will hijack and steal every election to come. Neither one understands fascism, or Marxism for that matter, but they understand that their audience often does not either so it does not matter.
This month (October 8 and 29) several ballot boxes were burned in Oregon and Washington, with under 500 ballots effected. The monopoly media has rushed to declare this a big attack on democratic rights, following the trend of hysterics, unable to confirm the motive behind the action. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey called it “a direct attack on democracy.” Adding: “Interfering with people’s vote is antiamerican”. The monopoly media is unsure of how to spin the fires. Some unnamed law enforcement officials allegedly told The New York Times that there were “free Gaza” and “free Palestine” messages attached to the incendiary devices used, yet, officially, the FBI, in charge of the investigation, has made no such statement, which has led to speculation of a false flag operation as well.
Both states Washington and Oregon use mail-in ballot systems, which the Republicans have been vigorously opposing as compromised, and the Democrats have been defending it in the name of accessibility. The police and election officials have vowed to increase security, some calling for around-the-clock monitoring of drop boxes. The Department of Homeland Security warns of “the most significant physical threat to government officials, voters, and elections-related personnel and infrastructure, including polling places, ballot drop box locations, voter registration sites, campaign events, political party offices, and vote counting sites.” A police spokesperson in Portland insinuated that the suspect of the action will strike again.
While the reactionary old-state seeks to preserve the façade of its decomposing elections and defend them from direct attack, the yellow unions in the service of the imperialist Democratic mafia rush to push voters into the polls. Chief among them, the AFL-CIO has deployed tens of thousands of canvassers in swing states and blown through unprecedented amounts of dues-payer “Political Action” money on shoring things up for the capitalist representatives seeking office.
November 5th will not definitively end the electoral farce of 2024; it will only enter a new and more disturbing stage amid the justified rebellion of the masses and their unmatched explosivity.
