In recent years, the landscape of American politics has witnessed unprecedented shifts and challenges. Accusations of election meddling, divisive leadership, and the complex interplay of legal actions have left some observers to draw an analogy to the medical world.
And so, in this article, we explore the notion that the fight against “Trumpism” can be compared to a cancer analogy, where democracy becomes resilient by targeting the source of the issue while aiming for remission rather than a complete cure. So, let’s dive into this analogy: Trumpism as a stubborn and metastatic disease, democracy as the patient, and the legal medicines available that we can use for the treatment plan.
Trump: Not Poison, But a Cancer
It could be said that Russia’s Putin, the great poisoner, schemed to poison America, by meddling in the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections and tipping the scales to install Donald Trump. This is beyond debate and has been proven by many investigative efforts. But it wasn’t a fast acting fatal poison, it was something that matches his long game, to debilitate America and cripple us over time, and degrade our ability to support NATO, counter his long planned invasion of Ukraine, and to weaken our resolve to fight him, along with China and Brazil, in their long term effort to end dominance of the U.S. Dollar as the global reserve trading currency
Donald Trump’s presidency was the embodiment of divisive politics with incompetent management (at least of the pandemic response), and has proven Trumpism to be a cancer on American democracy. Yes, this analogy is metaphorical, but it provides an effective metaphor for its treatment.
Like a cancer that mutates to evade treatment, Trump has demonstrated a unique ability to confound the established systems and norms of American politics, to fuel his survival. His unapologetic approach to blatant falsehoods and his capacity to raise substantial sums of money, as evidenced by the $12 million collected since monetizing his mug shot, have showcased his ability to leverage the very system he challenges.
The DOJ as Chemotherapy
In the battle against cancer, chemotherapy plays a vital role in targeting and eliminating malignant cells. In the political arena, the Department of Justice (DOJ) serves a somewhat analogous purpose. The legal actions taken by the DOJ, including the prosecution and imprisonment of individuals involved in the January 6th insurrection that have resulted in substantial sentences, sends a clear message that there are consequences for actions that undermine democracy. Eighteen years for Stewart Rhodes and seventeen years for Joseph Biggs certainly sends a message.
Let’s be clear: each insurrectionist put behind bars can be seen as a dose of chemotherapy, an intervention to counter the spread of what many perceive as Trumpism’s malignant influence. The dosage was heavy, in order to make a statement that all citizens need to respect law and order. These actions aim to encourage a reversion to the “normal” state of politics. This has already worked to prevent additional events of insurrection.
However, chemotherapy isn’t enough. Trump is a metastatic cancer, and has the ability to adapt to treatment, because his unorthodox political methods will confound any traditional approach. This adaptability, and his willingness to misuse the respect that the office of President allows, enables him to maintain a significant following and fundraising capabilities, despite facing serious legal battles.
The Role of Indictments as Monoclonal Antibodies
In the medical world, antibodies are essential elements of the immune system, tasked with identifying and neutralizing threats to the body. In the political realm, the four indictments targeting Trump can be seen as the equivalent of monoclonal antibody therapy, carefully developed using gene therapy to address specific issues and challenges posed by his actions. Trump isn’t called the “Teflon Don” for nothing, he has been, up to now, immune to the consequences that would bring down any other politician. His ability to shrug off scandals is almost impressive. This will be the ultimate challenge to prove that the “rule of law” really applies to everyone, that no man is above the law. Every legal defense offered by the Trump legal team has been, essentially, “the defendent is special and is above the law.” For democracy to win, if Trump is found guilty, he needs to pay a stiff price to help prove to the world that the American experiment is still succeeding.
So why are there four indictments? This can be likened to a cocktail therapy in cancer treatment, where a mixture of protease inhibitors and other anti-retroviral medications targets the source of the issue. Certain viruses are extremely resilient, and can bounce back after being hit with treament. However, once you combine three or more drugs, it stumps the virus, and has proven highly effective in slowing the rate at which those viruses replicate. The same is true for Trump and Trumpism, the anti-bodies used by democracy have determined almost subconsciously that Trump will require a cocktail of indictments, and that the right number is 3 or more, just like Biktarvy or Dovato in the treatment of HIV.
Finally, in the world of medicine, there’s often a critical distinction between curing a disease and achieving remission. In the fight against “Trumpism,” it’s essential to recognize that complete eradication of its influence is an unattainable goal. Instead, the goal is to push it into remission, where the harmful effects are minimized, and the nation can recover its political health.
Democracy’s Remission: The Never-Ending Battle
The analogy of democracy’s battle against Trumpism as a fight against cancer serves as a thought-provoking lens through which we can view recent political developments. Thus, by employing legal actions as chemotherapy and harnessing the power of targeted indictments as retrovirals, democracy now has hope to achieve a period of remission and to recover from the divisive impact of Trumpism, particularly during presidential election cycles.
And so, the focus should not be on a complete cure but on maintaining the health and resilience of American democracy. By addressing the source of the issue with precision and determination, the nation can continue to move forward, learning from past challenges and striving for unity and progress. While the challenges overcoming Trumpism are substantial, and the resilience of Donald Trump as a cancer on the body politic is evident, there’s hope for America! Keep the faith!