Is COVID-19 Democracy’s Friend?

After a debate that left the whole world dumbfounded, now look, Donald Trump catches COVID-19. A joke is circulating now on social media: the former Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, must have successfully pleaded her first case before God …

Nevertheless, Trump’s doctors are among the best in the world. Trump ought to get better. He will boast about it. We already hear him saying that his doctors have never seen someone recover as well as he has. Narcissism is harder to cure than COVID-19.

As usual, COVID-19 mercilessly exposes the weakness of the States. In the U.S., COVID-19 has just highlighted that the keys to power are in the hands of a gerontocracy.

Voting intentions in the United States seem to be stuck in concrete. If Trump survives COVID-19 without any great consequences, his supporters will claim that he is strong and in good health. Trump is far from being done in.

Scorn

Trump, and with him a large part of the American political class, suffers from another illness that is even more serious: The scorn that he creates. Is American democracy only able to produce dangerous or second-rate leaders? Why has neither large party been able to elect a strong candidate who is respected by democracy?

With the Democrats, it is because the dowagers Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi weigh heavily on the choice of candidates. With the Republicans, it’s because senior leadership are prostitutes who are ready to sell themselves to any group, from the Tea Party to the Evangelists, as long as these groups bring them enough votes to stay in power.

Social Changes

American society is profoundly changing. Minorities are becoming the majority. Despite everything, these social changes are shaping the Democratic Party, as evidenced by someone like Kamala Harris being Joe Biden’s running mate. The Republicans refuse to accept this social change. This denial pushes them down the path of authoritarianism.

This is one of the reasons why Trump can make dictatorial remarks so openly.

Doctors often say that pneumonia is a friend of old people. Will COVID-19 be a friend of democracy?