(…on the eve of the Civil War, in the 19-th century, America was painfully divided, it is said that a single senator, alone with his skillfull diplomacy, by negotiating compromises had managed to avoid the war for almost 40 years. However, when a “pretext” is needed, it is always easy to be found, eg. World War I had begun after an assassination, it was just a single assassin… and the whole world would be disturbed…)
By S. Guraziu – Ars Poetica, Oct 2018 (Comment – Few words about the tragedy in Pittsburgh… and a bit of American “history”)
Two days ago, in an article published in Huffingtonpost, I read that musician Pharrell Williams sent a letter to President Trump denouncing the use of his song “Happy”, at a political event, just hours after the tragedy in Pittsburgh’s Synagogue.
“If a tragedy occurs, then America isn’t happy “- he wrote to the President. With the article was also his letter attached, Pharrell said he “didn’t allow it, and would not allow Trump to publicly use any of his music”.
Author of the article, Sarah Ruiz-Grossman also explained that Pharrell was not the first one to stop President Trump from using the songs. In 2016, the British band “Queen” prohibited the use of their song “We Are the Champions”. Also Steven Tyler of “Aerosmith” wrote a letter asking Trump not to use the group’s songs at political rallies – Sarah wrote.
Mass murder in Pittsburgh has been described as an Anti-Semitic act, the media say it was a hate crime, it has to do with anti-humanism and so on. However, for sure it was a crime against Life, in a synagogue called “Tree of Life”.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, “incidents against Jews over the past year in the United States increased by about 60%, with 1,986 cases of bullying, vandalism or physical assault against Jewish persons and institutions”. ADL said that the “synagogue attack is believed to be the greatest against the Jewish community in US history”.
Recalling other similar murders and tragedies (in the not-so-distant past of America), as if I was thinking about the “whole” American history. In “sorrow” for the innocent people who lost their lives, as if I was linking my thoughts with the irony of Pharrell’s words about America’s “unhappiness”.
Back in the 19-th century, on the eve of the Civil War, America was painfully divided, it is said that a single senator, alone with his skillfull diplomacy, by negotiating compromises had managed to avoid the war for almost 40 years. However, some other senators with fiery arguments that white slave owners were supposedly oppressed minority, actually helped the Civil War eventually to happen.
When a “pretext” is needed almost always will be found one, the World War I had begun after an assassination, it was just a single assassin… and the whole world would be disturbed, perhaps in the name of “Ares”!
Means criminals and terrorists act also in peace, even just as an act of despair when a war is over. For example. Abraham Lincoln was killed only 4-5 days after the end of the Civil War. But also before the war, during the year 1860, at their secessionist meetings “Southerners” proposed his abduction.
Piktura: John Gast (1842-1896) – Progresi (ose Përparimi) Amerikan, 1872
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The first US President, as we know, was elected G. Washington, “politically” he was neither a Republican nor a Democrat. He was certainly not a “neutral”, perhaps Washington was a pre-federalist (I don’t know how to call him now, as it is understood, the “federalists” came after him 🙂 However, the first Republican who had won the presidential race was Abraham Lincoln. While the “last” Republican… of course, just a few years ago, was Donald Trump.
The second oldest political party in the United States is the Republican Party. It is said that party values reflect economic conservatism, “classical” conservatism (ie. modern conservatism). Trump’s “economical” conservatism is compliant (though sometimes his jargon dives into the extreme of “supremacy arrogance”) as if Trump was + plus some more things “too”. However, during his election, it became clear that America was “halved” so badly. It’s painful for a democracy when 100 million… or even 150 million citizens, don’t “like” their own president!
The US Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the world. Ironically, once the “slaveowners party”, but also the party that made possible for Obama to become the first black president in US history. This basic contradiction of the Democratic Party, which party stood and stands for egalitarianism or equality, as if it makes the second “level” of irony. When it was formed, party politics was against the interests of the elite and businessmen, the Democrats stood for the small, poor “American” (the only condition – that little “American” had to be white, not black).
Shooting and mass murder in a Pittsburgh have nothing to do with “racism”, but somehow I was directed to remember the American past.
A year ago, the “Independent” had used a big title “Obama’s election as the first black president, does not absolve America of racist history” author Felix Garcia cited Obama’s words: “…racial relationships are better than those 30 years ago, the hurdles of racism still have yet to be cleared. After my election there was talk of a Post-racial America, such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. Race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society.”
“It would have been naïve to think that one president could dismantle centuries of American white supremacy in only eight years. That’s simply not how history works” – wrote Feliks Garcia.
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Since the times of G. Washington, on the American political scene were oppositing two main factions. The first division in Congress had been exactly among the supporters (Right) and opponents (Left) of the Washington’s Administration. The “pro-Washington administration” stream (or faction) favored rehabilitated relations with the UK, a sound national fiscal policy, called for business, supported the conservatives favoring the banks, opposed the French Revolution. It was the “pro-Washington” faction that formed the Federalist Party.
The anti-Washington faction favored the rights of states and farmers, opposed what was seen as a “tendency towards elitism and monarchism.” The “anti-administrative” faction formed the Republican-Democratic Party, thus to oppose centralization policies of the Federalist Party. The party had begun beautifully, as a single faction in Congress, members called themselves “Republicans”, based on their ideology (Republicanism), and had no confidence in federalists’ engagement.
Then came the 18th Congress, which would be totally chaotic, America’s policy would be deeply divided for many years to come. After the schism in Republican-Democratic Party, came the formation of the Democratic Party. With a large base of members among the poor Southern farmers, as if Democrats literally became America’s “slaveowners party”.
At the beginning of the 19-th century American politics would be predominantly dominated by the slave issue. Slavery would be sought by poor South farmers and will be opposed by intellectuals and wealthy businessmen in the North. These were supporters of business and development, of markets, economic modernization, and social reforms, “politically” they were weakened a bit over the issue of slavery, but ultimately they would get back on the track and create the Republican Party.
South and North began to feel the gap “expanding” in all aspects, in economic and cultural terms, slavery was the “key theme” of divide. In terms of slavery, South politics focused on the right of states, according to them without slaves the support of the South agricultural economy would be impossible. Agricultural states needed the labor force and of course the farmers were the owners of many slaves, they gradually began to support the idea of secession as a solution. But the “secessionist” threat also brought the idea of war, secesionism and war as if both were inevitable.
In 1861 Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated President. After his election, a group of 11 states already separated from the United States (or self-proclaimed “separated”) would fight for legitimacy. Secessionist states called themselve the Confederate States of America, though that confederation was never recognized by anyone. Just a month after Lincoln was inaugurated President, the American Civil War would begin. The South states Confederation would be suppressed and will cease to exist. In 1864 Abraham Lincoln would win the election again. Just 1 year later, in 1865, and only 4-5 days after the end of the Civil War, he would be assassinated by a fanatical Confederate… now already capitulated, defeated by Unionist forces!