The 2020 RNC: Obscene, Fictitious and Dangerous (Part 2)

The whole escapade was to Christian eyes a disgusting display. Few seem to have noticed the campaign has no real platform – as indeed Trump doesn't actually stand for anything. There are no real goals – it's just an endless hymn of praise for Trump and the whole thing culminated in his fascistic tirade.

He's the defender of the suburbs and of Western Civilisation and Joe Biden is a socialist that will destroy America. It's a ridiculous notion but it was promoted by employing fear, militarism and dog whistle appeals to the ugliest elements of the Right Wing. And yet, comically the would-be Mussolini has no clue in how to organise and exercise power. An authoritarian at heart with a growing fascistic following, the easily distracted and spoiled child cannot focus on goals, form strategies or look beyond the most petty of annoyances in order to actually consolidate his power. As mentioned in another piece any other figure with Trump's führer-like disposition would have capitalised on the Covid episode and used it to amass power and enact sweeping changes that would have buried state and congressional autonomy. Trump is too much like the brat in a big toy store. He wants it all but can't get beyond aisle 1 because someone looked wrong at one of his toys or pawed at it and so he drops everything and gets into a drawn out fight over a trinket – and utterly misses the big picture. We can be thankful in one sense and that he's surrounded by mere sycophants. It's hard to imagine how destructive he might have been had he known how to do it. And I'm afraid the bulk of the Evangelical populace would have followed him – even down the darkest of roads.

There was also a surreal element to the whole charade. As the Covid death toll nears 200,000, with a hurricane bearing down on the Gulf Coast and with California on fire, the Republicans are praising Trump and we're forced to endure the Star-Spangled Banner brought to us by the same voice made famous for singing 'Honky Tonk Badonkadonk' – a fitting conclusion to Mike Pence's equally absurd and morally bankrupt speech.

The stock market has regained much of its lost ground but the numbers only amplify the disparity between the economy of the investment class and the real economy on the street – compromised of alarming unemployment, nonviable wages, housing problems (which are about to get a lot worse), and a growing wave of retail collapse. It's hardly the 'V' or 'Super-V' economic recovery that Trump continues to tout. Certain sectors are booming but at the same time they point to other troublesome trends. Trump for his part is desperate to appear upbeat in the weeks before the election – an election he has already worked to spoil and undermine.

At this point a Trump victory will lead to protests and unrest as he has tampered with the postal system. At the same time he has cast doubt on the postal system and with the expected unprecedented number of mail-in ballots his followers (and Trump himself) will cry foul if he loses.

Once more we are reminded of one of the closing scenes in the Sarah Palin docu-drama 'Game Change'. She wanted to tamper with the concession process and was lectured by the Steve Schmidt character (played by Woody Harrelson) who rebuked her and was backed up by John McCain. Her ignorance of the democratic process (and history in general) facilitated her lack of understanding regarding just how important the concession is in the American democratic tradition. It's about trust and an endorsement of the system. Americans have taken this for granted because the social consensus in America has been fairly strong during the post-Civil War era – even during the tumult of the 1960's. That period is coming to an end. Palin laboured to undermine Obama, helped fuel the Tea Party and was one of the key figures that paved the way for the rise of Donald Trump.

In other countries there is often no consensus as tribalism trumps nationhood. When an election goes bad, people go home and get their guns and there's blood in the streets. Many Americans have with unwarranted pride looked down on these nations and their broken systems. Well, that legacy of peaceful democratic transition may be coming to an end.

The street violence in the 1960's and even the 1970's was far worse than what we're seeing now. There's really no comparison. And yet, the political consensus is now in a state of near collapse – something we did not see in the 1960's. The polarisation in the political class was not as pronounced in the 1960's and so with that reality today – the potential for street violence and discord is actually far greater. We just haven't seen it yet. We'll see what happens after November 2020.

The cultural climate has got a very bad feel to it. My wife and daughters were in the store the other day and some nut started yelling at them because they were wearing masks. We live in rural Trump country and around here mask compliance is inconsistent at best. There are many individuals and businesses acting in open defiance of the law and the talk one hears while standing in lines is increasingly disturbing.

I will provide just one lame and ignorant example. My son reported that a well-known local loudmouth was standing at the retail counter breaking down the current political situation for his audience of store employees and patrons. Since Kamala Harris lost during the primaries she can't be president. It's all a trick you see. Biden will resign and Nancy Pelosi will end up president. People nodded in agreement including one man who sits on a local government board.

Obviously this bloke flunked civics class and is unaware that in political history primary rivals are often selected for running mates – as recently as Joe Biden in 2008 and John Edwards in 2004 – not to mention George HW Bush in 1980.

They are disqualified from the presidency. The statement was typical of the kind of ignorance one hears on a daily basis. They most certainly are not.

But only days earlier this same chap – also known for his defrauding of the disability system and other dubious activities – assured his friends in line (this time it was me personally hearing him) that he had recently procured a large amount of ammunition and was prepared to do his part if the election was stolen from Trump in November.

Now, I am the first to admit that most of these people are full of hot air but more and more of them are getting worked up and agitated and it's not hard to imagine things reaching a tipping point in which they do begin to act. I won't be the only one holding my breath in November. It may be one that marks a turning point not just for politics but for the whole of society. I hope not but we'll see.

The tragic part to me is how many Christians I know will be among the first out there with their guns. They're not 'Christians' I'm going to assemble with or share in fellowship or communion with. I would be in sin to do so – to even eat with such people. These are also questions we need to be thinking about. As far as the Christians who were jeered at as they left the Rose Garden on the final night of the RNC – they weren't being persecuted as Christians. The opposition to them was political. It's their fault the two spheres have been heretically conflated. They've chosen to live by the sword but haven't counted the true cost. And those Christians who die by the sword are not Christian martyrs but dogs.

Reading comments related to this news story someone said – Well, what were they doing at Herod's palace? Indeed, for Trump is a Herod in the end. They think him a Cyrus and have even concocted a spurious theology surrounding Cyrus. But Trump is no ally of the Church. He's an imposter and an infiltrator and the horde of prostituted false teachers in attendance at his speech must bear the blame for this fiasco, this heresy called Trumpism. By being present they showed themselves to be no citizens or servants of the Kingdom but of the False Church. Their presence represented a theological endorsement of the man and his policies. If they suffer harm for it – they will receive no tears from this quarter.