Watergate Revisioned

Hey, Dick! Can you believe these stupid fucking Americans?

 

"An undermining of democracy such as we have never seen by any president in American history."

Carl Bernstein, CNN, June 17, 2022

FUN FACT: Carl wasn't talking about Dick Nixon.

Put these facts into your pipe and smoke them. Election years past:

During the war of 1812, the United States had a peaceful transfer of power. In 1861, on the eve of a bloody civil war that would ultimately claim six-hundred thousand American lives, the United States had as peaceful transfer of power. In 1865, while that war between the states was still raging, America had a peaceful transfer of power. In 1933, during the height of the worst economic crisis in its history, America had a peaceful transfer of power. In 1969, amid the worst civil unrest in any living person's memory, America had a peaceful transfer of power. 

Consider this if you will:

In January of 2021, for the first time in our two-hundred and forty-five year history, America did not have a peaceful transfer of power. Ain't that somethin'? Fifty years ago today, burglars broke into the Democratic headquarters at the Watergate hotel and office complex in Washington DC. I'm tempted to say that in 1972 I was a normal and average American teenaged boy - but that would be misleading. I was never "normal". Not then. Not now. I never have quite fit in with "normal people" and I'm not about to start now. I'm drifting off subject; forgive me.

Although I was pretty much a news junkie - even at that early age - I didn't pay much attention to the "Watergate affair" in the summer of 1972. Nobody did. The only two reporters in the country who believed that the story had any merit were two young rookie hotshots from the Wahington Post named Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. It wasn't until the autumn when Walter Cronkite of CBS News picked up the story that the rest of the nation started paying any attention to it. It was only then that the raging train of Watergate became unstoppable. It came too late to effect Richard Nixon's reelection campaign, but the momentum led to his resignation in disgrace less than two years later.

When this scandal started to unfurl a year-and-a-half ago, I predicted that the real heroes involved would all be Republicans. In Watergate the heroic figures were Barry Goldwater, Howard Baker, and even (to an extent) John Dean. If you had told me than that the champions of democracy would turn out to be Mike Pense and Liz Cheney I would have said, "Have another sip". Liz risked her political career. Mike risked his life. God bless the both of them. I'll never again write another critical word against either of them. Their political careers are effectively over, so not criticizing either of them will be a fairly easy endeavor.

Take all of the political scandals of the last one-hundred years and wrap them up neatly in bunch with ribbons and bows:

Teapot Dome

Sherman Adams

Watergate

Iran Contra

Monica Lewinsky

Combined they are not half as devastating as what Donald Trump and his henchmen attempted on January 6, 2021. Compared to the Trump Mob, the Nixon Gang are starting to look like The Little Rascals. This is as bad as it's ever gotten and (Please Lord) is ever going to get. January 6, 2021 is the new standard by which all future political scandals will be measured. And just this week this scandal got bigger than anyone could believe it could get. Since the November 2020 election, Trump has been soliciting donations from his "base" (most of whom are of a moderate-to-low income) enticing them to donate what little money they have into a "fund" that will combat the "stolen" election. No such fund ever existed. All of the cash went to line the pockets of Donald Trump and his cronies - and his hotels. They ended up pocketing a quarter of a billion dollars. If you don't believe that this is the worst political scandal in American history then you might as well go back to sleep. This is bad, campers!

Donald Trump attempted to overthrow American democracy in 2021 and - if the Republicans are stupid enough to renominate him - he has every intention of doing it again in 2024. 

Be vigilant for our country.

Tom Degan

Goshen, NY

SUGGESTED VIEWING: 

Here is a link to watch Woodward and Bernstein's appearance on CNN this morning:

(1) Bernstein: Trump is ‘first seditious President of the United States’ - YouTube 

SUGGESTED READING:

All The President's Men

by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein