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| One of the rioters that broke into the Capital Building yesterday (Japan Times) |
Hundreds of rioters - many wearing red MAGA caps - broke windows and knocked down the near impenetrable doors to the inner sanctum of our democracy. That is a sight I will not soon forget. If ever. Just like the day JFK was shot and 9/11. It will be burned into my memory forever. To paraphrase FDR in his finest moment, Yesterday, January 6, 2021 is a day that will live in infamy. But unlike the event that precipitated FDR’s remark, we were not attacked by enemies from without. We were attacked by enemies from within. Our own people!
There is little doubt in my mind that the rioters most directly involved were the most extreme of right wing bigots and racists. The kind you find in home grown armed private militias. These are people that live on the fringes of society ready to violently take on federal authorities when it suits their purposes.
But they weren’t the only ones involved. Even though they very likely led the charge, most of the thousands of people that showed up yesterday were angry! They genuinely believe that their President is being removed from office illegitimately because of a fraudulent election. They were about as angry a mob as I have ever seen. Some of them may be racist and some not. But all believe the same lie that has been perpetuated by the President even before the election. Where he constantly said that the only way he would lose the election is if there was fraud.
And when he did lose, he doubled down on that. Time after time after disgusting time. Nothing else mattered to him. The country could have been attacked by North Korea or Iran and he probably would not have noticed or even much cared. He was obsessed with the claim that he really won and that his enemies conspired against him by conducting a fraudulent election.
Yesterday about an hour before that mob attacked the building that houses both chambers of congress, the President spoke to them and said the following: “You’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong.” And then urged them to march up to the capital building and express their dissent at what was going on in there.
Well, they dissented.
There is little difference between what the President did yesterday and what tin pot dictators do. He is an autocratic ruler that cares little about the constitution and has lost the little political credibility he ever had. But still has delusions of grandeur! The good news is that he’s only got 13 days left before we are rid of him.
Trump’s everlasting legacy will be what happened yesterday. It will not just be a footnote. It will define it. He will certainly go down as one of the most destructive Presidents in US history. By his word the very democracy upon which this country was built – was attacked. I cannot emphasize enough how terrible that is.
There is talk of another impeachment. With 13 days left, that would be a colossal waste of time. There is talk among some of his own cabinet members of invoking the 25th amendment. Which allows a majority of them to remove him from office as incapable of performing his duties- replacing him with the Vice President. I don’t think it has ever been used. I don’t think it will be this time either. !3 days is not that long from now. For what its worth, I don't see anything like this happening during that time. However that the 25th amendment is even being discussed by his own people makes a pretty loud statement. As did some of the resignations from the President’s staff in protest. And there may be more coming.
How is this playing overseas among our allies? Every world leader that I have seen commenting on it is as shocked and dismayed as I am. They all unequivocally condemned what happened yesterday, including the Prime Minster of Israel. In some cases hinting very strongly that it was the President’s own fault. Which it clearly was. If there is any saving grace coming out of this it is that some of them said they had always looked up to the US as the best example of what a democracy should be. It was nice to hear a positive statement about us from our European allies for a change. Too bad it took something like this to evoke it.
I think it is imperative for the all Jewish leadership across the entire spectrum of Orthodoxy to strongly condemn what happened yesterday. But more importantly to publicly recognize and acknowledge the President’s part in this. This should not be considered being disloyal to one’s country. Quite the opposite. It would show patriotism. It would show that we respect the rule of law and the foundational principles upon which this country was built. Principles that even a sitting President cannot undermine. No matter how much he tries.
It also does not contradict the many times they have expressed gratitude to the President for the many good things he has done for us. There is a time to praise and a time to condemn. This is the time for condemnation.
Saying nothing is not an option in my book. That would be tantamount to approval. And perhaps more importantly it would give the President’s enthusiastic supporters among us the green light to keep idolizing him. That must not be allowed to continue!
In my view the only thing that can stop that is a combined statement from across the entire spectrum of Orhtodx Jewry, from Satmar to Chabad to Lakewood to YU. All rabbis, Roshei Yeshiva and all Admorim (Chasidic Rebbes) must act in unison to once and for all put an end to the idolization of a man that is the antithesis of everything the Torah stands for. Nothing less will do. There can be no wiggle room. If we don’t stand up and do the right thing now, it will be difficult to ever claim the moral high ground in this country again. And that would be tragic.