By Roger Armbrust

It’s intriguing, isn’t it, how far we’ve come and how little we’ve changed in America.

In 1782, Col. Louis Nicola wrote the Newburgh Letter to George Washington on behalf of the Revolutionary Army’s officers. It proposed Washington be king of a new constitutional monarchy. Washington said no.

In 2024, polls show at least 40 per cent of American voters think we should have an “authoritarian” leader, also known as a dictator. Donald Trump has said yes.

What do you think?

What do you think about the Republican Party becoming the American Fascist Party as it continues efforts to quell women’s rights, minority rights, voting rights, public education, urge book bannings, and press on with endless war and quest for entitled empire?

What do you think about the Democratic Party becoming more embedded as the American Corporate Party, forsaking many liberal ethics, and also continuing expansion of the military-industrial complex and the growing dangers of nuclear war?

What do you think about both major political parties’ and Big Media’s history of blocking any third parties from the democratic process of presidential debate? I still recall writing in 2012 about how -- while the major networks aired the Democratic and Republican presidential debate -- only the American TV program “Democracy Now” and RT, the Russian-controlled TV channel, carried the debate of the other, media-ostracized American parties including the Conservative, Green, Liberal, and Libertarian presidential candidates. And I recall writing about how orderly and sensible their debate was.

I also recall in 2020, after Biden’s lawful election, I told happy friends, “Congratulations, we’ve moved away from a dictatorship back to an oligarchy. Maybe one day we’ll have a true democracy, but I don’t see it in my lifetime.”

Four years earlier, a week after the 2016 election, I wrote a column entitled “Prepare to Fight Fascism, 2017 and Beyond”. 2017, of course, was when Trump would take office. As expected, he immediately went after the press, the courts, and the U.S. Constitution. He then added Congress to that assault, capping it on Jan.6, 2021 when he encouraged his followers to attack the U.S. Capitol. And they did. Remember?

Even before that, he spent a year denying the severity of the Covid pandemic to try to save his re-election. Remember when he later admitted to Bob Woodward that he knew Covid’s lethalness, but didn’t want the public to “panic”? So he hid the reality, leading to a million American deaths. Remember?

Biden came in to office having to respond to Trump’s efforts to overturn the election, and to a deadly virus in full swing worldwide, and a stifled economy and work force. Calling on the medical community who Trump opposed, Biden was able to oversee reasonable containment of the virus, and we saw the economy slowly begin to accelerate.

This shows in recent news headlines: “US economy grew solid 3.2% in fourth quarter,” AP wrote last week, along with another story, “Another Burst of Hiring Shows off the Resilience of the US Job Market”.

There are still problems with high rents and housing costs stirring inflation. And recent polls show Americans’ top worry remains the economy, particularly high food and housing prices.

Let’s add that Biden has been no hero when it comes to stopping wars or freeing the press. He’s accelerated weapons supplies with the Jekyll-Hyde syndrome of helping defend Ukraine but encouraging genocide in Gaza. And he clearly wants to punish Australian publisher Julian Assange for exposing U.S. war crimes.

Still, these sins might be considered endurable, if not acceptable, when you weigh a future president who will continue oligarchy or cement dictatorship. And that’s where we are.

It's early March, and the election campaigns are in full swing. Come November, you’ll choose America’s direction as your world continues to respond, or not, to climate change, endless war and possible nuclear war, and suppression of individual rights as authoritarian governments grow globally.

How will you vote?

Trump ‘dictator’ comment reignites criticism his camp has tried to curb - The Washington Post

Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy - BBC News

The People and Critics Putin Likely Had Assassinated, Killed (businessinsider.com)

Trump acknowledged seriousness of COVID-19 privately to Bob Woodward in early February | CBC News

Trump says he would 'encourage' Russia to attack Nato allies who do not pay their bills (bbc.com)

Attorneys Warn Biden's Support for Israeli Assault on Gaza Could Make Him Complicit in Genocide (commondreams.org)

Biden says 'Putin and his thugs' caused Navalny's death | Reuters

CIA Discussed Assange Assassination With Trump Officials: Report (businessinsider.com)

Trump and Biden both want to punish Julian Assange for exposing U.S. war crimes – Orange County Register (ocregister.com)

Newburgh letter - Wikipedia

Trump Is an Authoritarian. So Are Millions of Americans - POLITICO