Trump’s Dangerous Game

September 11, 2020

Published in Die Tageszeitung
(Germany) on 31 August 2020
by Bernd Pickert (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Zahra-Claire Bahrani-Peacock. Edited by Gillian Palmer.

The fact that people are dying during the confrontations shows that the situation has already escalated. President Trump is inciting violence and risking civil war.

One thing is perfectly clear: President Donald Trump and his advocates in the media are inciting the violence that has spread through the streets of many American cities since the death of George Floyd. Instead of providing the necessary intuition, conciliatory words and police reforms, Trump’s approach has been to call for the military or the National Guard, to deny all responsibility and to denounce and blame his political opponents.

Through his actions he is increasingly mobilizing the large number of far-right extremists and militia groups, all armed to the teeth, to take part in the confrontations. In Wisconsin, this led to the death of two protesters during the week beginning Aug 24. and even to the shooting of a Trump supporter more recently in Oregon. Fear abounds regarding what these people might do should Trump lose the election and blame his loss on “voter fraud,” as he has been suggesting he may do for several weeks.*

There is no need to warn of an escalating situation now — it already has escalated. The situation is in line with the impression Trump has left during his term in office. He is not interested in governing well; he is only interested in whatever will benefit him, even if this results in his people being at each other’s throats. Conflict and polarization are the air in which Trump flourishes and prospers.

Sadly, he is once again proving to be a success: The lead that Trump’s Democratic rival, Joe Biden, had over Trump in the polls has dwindled disturbingly. In some decisive swing states, it is now even smaller than that of Hillary Clinton at the same time during 2016.

Trump has repeatedly created crises in the past, either to solve them himself with much pomp or to pressure the Democrats into making concessions. His current course of action, however, goes beyond anything he has done before. Once the genie that Trump is summoning gets going, no one will be able to stop the storm that will follow from running its course. Trump is playing a dangerous game that could result in civil war.

*Editor's Note: This quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified.

Spiel mit dem Bürgerkrieg
Die Toten bei den Auseinandersetzungen zeigen: Die Eskalation ist längst da. US-Präsident Trump stachelt die Gewalt an und riskiert einen Bürgerkrieg.

Eines ist völlig klar: US-Präsident Donald Trump und seine Apologeten in den entsprechenden Medien schüren die Gewalt, die sich seit dem Tod des Schwarzen George Floyd auf den Straßen vieler US-amerikanischer Städte ausbreitet. Wo Fingerspitzengefühl, versöhnliche Worte und Polizeireformen notwendig wären, stehen bei Trump der Ruf nach Militär oder Nationalgarde, die Ablehnung jeglicher Verantwortung und die Denunziation und Schuldzuweisung an den politischen Gegner.

Damit mobilisiert Trump immer öfter die zahlreichen bis an die Zähne bewaffneten rechtsextremen und Militia-Gruppen, sich selbst in die Auseinandersetzungen einzumischen. In Wisconsin führte das in der vergangenen Woche zum Tod zweier Protestierender, jetzt wurde in Oregon ein Trump-Anhänger erschossen. Die Angst geht um, was von diesen Leuten ausgehen könnte, wenn Trump die Wahl verlieren und dieses Ergebnis einem „Wahlbetrug“ zuschreiben sollte, wie er es seit Wochen andeutet.

Da muss man nicht mehr vor Eskalation warnen – sie ist längst da. Die Lage passt zum Bild Trumps während seiner bisherigen Regierungszeit: Es interessiert ihn nicht, sein Land gut zu regieren, ihn interessiert nur, was ihm nützt – auch wenn sich die Bürger derweil gegenseitig an die Gurgel gehen. Konflikt und Polarisierung sind das Metier, in dem Trump blüht und gedeiht.

Leider scheint er dabei erneut recht erfolgreich zu sein: In den Umfragewerten schwindet der Vorsprung seines demokratischen Herausforderers Joe Biden auf bedenkliche Weise und liegt in manchen der wahlentscheidenden Swing States schon unter dem von Hillary Clinton zum gleichen Zeitpunkt 2016.

Trump hat immer wieder Krisen künstlich erzeugt, um sie dann mit viel Pomp zu lösen oder um den Demokraten damit Zugeständnisse abzupressen. Was er jetzt betreibt, geht darüber allerdings hinaus. Denn wenn der Geist erst richtig aus der Flasche ist, den Trump da gerade herbeiruft, bekommt ihn so schnell niemand mehr wieder hinein. Das ist ein Spiel mit dem Bürgerkrieg.

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