TimminsToday received the following letter to the editor from reader Ben Lefebvre, who expresses concerns with recent events in the United States:
They say there is nothing more dangerous than a cornered wild animal, especially if it is injured.
In the case of U.S. President Trump, his bruised ego has turned him into a madman, lashing out at anyone who dares to contradict his spurious lies that led to the violent attack on the Capitol building by thousands of deranged terrorists. He has viciously attacked his most loyal sycophants for daring to challenge him.
Jan. 6 is a day that will go down in American history as one of that county’s darkest days and will forever be a stain on Trump’s legacy.
Words have power and consequences, especially when coming from the mouth of one who many consider to be the leader of the so called “free world.”
Trump’s words certainly helped create the mess the United States now finds itself in but he is only the symptom of a sick society where millions of desperate people have become frustrated with a political and economic system that has never actually been focused on its peoples’ needs.
Many of the tens of millions of unemployed and underemployed have been convinced that immigrants and people of colour are to blame for their lot which has resulted in rampant xenophobia and racism.
So why is all this important to Canadians? Because we are not immune to what happens in the U.S. Too many Canadians are subject to the same brainwashing that has occurred there.
The really big lie that has been repeated is that everyone can achieve the “American Dream” if they only work hard enough. There are always wonderful success stories that support such an assertion but they are few and far between.
The idea that Americans are somehow God’s chosen people and that they have the right to rule the globe has been exposed as a complete lie by the actions of one person, Donald J. Trump. The would-be emperor has no clothes and American exceptionalism has finally been exposed for what it really is, the country’s excuse for their own brand of colonialism.
Exposing that is a good thing. As the world seeks to fill the leadership vacuum that has been left behind there is a chance that really substantive change can occur following these recent crises. There will be more to come if the world’s leaders fail to immediately address their root causes.
Crisis often leads to positive change but things can also go the other way. Might is not always right. Extreme ideologies have no place in a multipolar world.
The time for empire building is over. The global community has an opportunity that needs to be seized and acted upon. Maybe it is finally time to allow the United Nations to guide our recovery.
Humanity finds itself at a crossroad once again. Following the same path will only lead to disaster, whether due to climate change or due to war over the planet’s diminishing resources. Living in an alternate reality will not change the fact that our very existence as a species is in peril.
A better world is still possible but we all have a lot of work to do to make it a reality.
Ben Lefebvre
Iroquois Falls, Ontario
