It saddens me to see America at war with itself, which is a strong indication of some degree of decline. It is true America still has strong military strength and is still considered a world power. However, when a government becomes incapable of fighting its security threats, both at home and abroad, we see the “chinks in the armor.” There is a tremendous erosion of public trust in our governmental institutions, and as we see what is happening today, the fallout of the 2020 election is serious threat to our democracy.

The two America’s seen in the 2020 election comes at a bad time for our country’s position in the world. If any constitutional crisis is allowed to continue, it will be the greatest gift to China, Russia and other authoritarians, who have long argued a liberal democracy has fatal flaws. Thus, we will need strong leadership to meet these treats in our future. If we do not see a change, our allies will start planning for a world without reliable US leadership.

There must be a beginning in public trust, including in the political establishment, the media and the governmental institutions. The key is to restore trust is in the problem-solving capacity of our democratic institutions. Biden must address the concerns of the middle class that sees itself in decline, especially in this time of Covid. In the future, it will be interesting to see how America responds to the “deep-state conspiracy” and a far-right terroristic movement.

As a people of this once great nation, we must make painful decisions to achieve a lasting renewal. We must forget about our pride; humble ourselves and get to work. We desperately need smart and dedicated people in positions of authority who have the vision and skills to turn this mess around.

Bonefish