Political scientist Aleksander Vedrussov believes that the FBI search of Trump's home instead of resolving the issue amicably marks the beginning of a cold civil war in which MAGA supporters can face persecution with Biden's approval. America's institutions have kept the country together but at a time that America was an ascending power. Now that the US is an ailing empire it is uncertain whether they can redeem the situation.
Vedrussov's analysis follows below:[1]
FBI search of Trump's residence (Source: Eadaily.com)
"Being the US president is a priori a risky [proposition]. In a country where a bullet ends the career of one in ten White House proprietors, any head of state (be it the incumbent or the former one) is constantly in the crosshairs. And the cost of a political mistake can be extremely high.
"In this context, the FBI’s 'masks show'[any forceful operation by security service officers] at the residence of the previous and possibly the next US President Donald Trump is both unprecedented and fully expected. Just the thought of his return to the White House plunges the American "deep state" into shock and awe, so it is operating proactively.
"It’s a no-brainer that with his disastrously low ratings, Biden is definitely un-reelectable. Other potential Democratic Party candidates also do not inspire voter confidence but rather consternation. Trump, who was preparing to announce his candidacy for the 2024 election this autumn, may well prove electorally impregnable to his opponents from both parties. Provided that will be the case, the trouble-maker for the American establishment should not be allowed to run for president.
"'If I were Trump's lawyer right now ... I would advise my client to tell his family that I'm facing an actual prison sentence and that we should make plans accordingly,' said the legal analyst for MSNBC (a channel close to the Democrat Party) with barely concealed delight. A possible criminal prosecution of the ex-US president potentially removes a major problem from the Democrats' agenda of 2024 or, as a last resort, makes it palatable for Republicans to return to the White House The recent escapades on part of Dick Cheney, ex Vice-President and de facto White House head under George W. Bush, evidence that not only Democrats, but also many Republicans will be happy to get rid of the 'upstart' Trump once and for all.
"The problem is that the 74,216,154 Americans who supported the 45th US president in the 2020 election can hardly silently swallow the public massacre of Trump by the 'Washington swamp.'More than half of Republicans believe the country is heading for another civil war in the near future.
"That said, Americans of all political views are now truly united by only one shared opinion: the US is on the wrong track. In such a polarized and electrified atmosphere, a 'purging'of the electoral field by prosecuting the presumed favorite of the presidential race is fraught with unpredictable destructive consequences.
"'We find ourselves in a state of political and ideological warfare' former chief-strategist and senior Trump adviser, Steve Bannon, who has publicly compared the US FBI to the Nazi Gestapo, is convinced. Trump’s supporters rightfully resent the double standards and selectivity of US justice. While the Biden and Clinton political clans get away with literally any wrongdoing or even a crime, the entire security apparatus of the state is relentlessly pursuing Trump and his entourage.
"It’s obvious to the impartial observer that various corrupt practices can be found in the president’s actions, and certainly procedural irregularities. In a normal political environment, any complaints about the paperwork that might have served as a formal basis for the searches in the Trump’s estate would have been resolved, as the saying goes, amicably [through a settlement].
"However, 'normalcy' in American politics is becoming increasingly rare and irreconcilability is ever increasing. About one in five Americans is ready to applaud even the physical execution of a politician who they personally dislike. Such sentiments create an unhealthy atmosphere in society and engender a political system that, under the pretext of defending democracy, essentially dismantles its institutions.
"The curious thing is that, ideally, Americans don’t want to see either Biden or Trump as president office in 2024.Yet, they cannot say certainly, who in their view would be a more suitable head of state.
"So far, the political picture is as follows: Democrats will grudgingly vote for Biden, (as long as Trump doesn't win); Republicans will blink their eyes but overwhelmingly support Trump (as long as Biden doesn't get re-elected). Whoever wins, a fair half of America will believe that it has lost, and will behave accordingly. Thus, the January 6, 2020 'seizure' of the Capitol will seem like a childish prank.
"Perhaps, we shouldn’t underestimate the resilience of American institutions, that in one way or another have ensured the continuity of state power over several centuries. True, they have demonstrated their relative effectiveness on an upward trajectory. In an ailing empire, however, centrifugal forces inexorably gain the upper hand. And the Biden administration's persecution of a major electoral adversary, certainly, doesn’t add to the system's sustainability.
"Immediately after taking power in 2016, Trump made stressed that his promise to put his opponent, Hillary Clinton in jail (the famous 'Lock her up! 'call) was just a campaign slogan. But Biden seems to be more intransigent. He has already named Trump’s supporters, 'the most radical political organization in American history, ' meaning that the basis for persecuting those, who still freely chant, 'Make America Great Again,' has been proclaimed at the highest level.
"What does this event mean if not the beginning of a cold civil war? Which, at the most unexpected and inopportune moment, could well transform into a hot one..."
Aleksander Vedrussov (Source: Media.az)
[1] Iz.ru, August 10, 2022.
