My Take | America has always been at war with itself
- This year may see a farcical replay of the vicious presidential election of 1800, marking extreme partisanship and distrust of government that led to civil strife
Presidential candidates and their parties openly insult each other. The media spread lies and misinformation. People from one political party or some states despise and distrust those from the other party and other parts of the country. And yes, two old politicians run for a rematch for the presidency.
No, I am not talking about the presidential election later this year but the infamous one in 1800 between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Adams won over Jefferson in 1796, but Jefferson took revenge in 1800, after much controversy about political dirty tricks and manipulated electoral colleges. What else?
As Mark Twain supposedly said, history doesn’t repeat but it rhymes.
We may have one of those rhyming moments in history with the US election this year. And let’s not forget Karl Marx’s famous saying about history’s rhyming, the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.
Back in 1800, it was two towering constitutional framers squaring off a second time. This time? It will most likely be a second round between a senile octogenarian and a shameless woman-harassing liar. What can possibly go wrong?
But they are really symptoms of the disease, not the disease itself. Having better candidates will not resolve the underlying rot.
The worsening partisan and polarised politics is what makes Trump and Trumpism possible. But what American citizens and critics complain about regarding the state of US politics today is actually nothing new. It was all there already in 1800. Is it any wonder that a highly anticipated Hollywood blockbuster coming out in the next few months is titled Civil War?