So much for a subtle Sunday morning, as NBC historian Michael Beschloss and guest host Symone Sanders Townsend turned MSNBC’s The Weekend into a foreboding dystopian forecast. If Trump bags another presidential term? Well, folks, brace yourself for an America that bears more semblance to a dire post-apocalyptic movie than our beloved homeland, according to them.
Symone Sanders Townsend set the mad ball rolling with her vision of a Trump presidency. Apparently, in her version, the man would essentially be a law unto himself, shackled by no “guardrails” and free to execute his desires unchecked. Quite a remarkable claim considering the fact that Trump was just convicted of 34 felonies. As far as we’re aware, the judgment of the court still holds significance.
Beschloss then took the reins, proceeding to depict an American wasteland that apparently awaits us if Trump becomes president. Suddenly, we’re on the brink of dictatorship, our beloved democracy rendered extinct, perhaps for “the rest of our lifetimes.” On this disillusioned landscape, laws are discarded like yesterday’s news, opening the floodgates to “murder and arson.” Add a dash of crumbling foreign investments for good measure.
Helmeting his reckless rhetoric, Beschloss branded a potential Trump presidency as a blend of “dictatorship and anarchy,” a twin plague not yet witnessed in American history. Quite the melodramatic feat, Mr. Beschloss, perhaps a career switch to Hollywood script writing is in order?
NBC hails Beschloss as a “historian.” Yet the frenzy this man whips up with his words begs for a distinct title: “histerian.” Or so says our fellow newsman Jorge Bonilla – couldn’t have termed it better ourselves.
Sanders Townsend and Beschloss’s dramatics on MSNBC’s The Weekend makes one wonder – why such theatrical fearmongering? Pundits dance about dictatorships and anarchy, all while completely ignoring the strength and resilience of our democracy. We’ve faced numerous challenges over the centuries and have always emerged victorious, attributing this to our cherished legal system.
Discussion, disagreement, even dissatisfaction – these are the lifeblood of a democracy. By all means, voice your concerns, raise questions, draw attention to potential threats. But disguising unfounded conjecture as informed analysis reflects poorly on an esteemed historian.
Trump was convicted of felonies – this does indeed indicate that our legal system functions indeed. Awaiting trial is the January 6 case which is with the Supreme court. The verdict has yet to come. Attempting to foresee its outcome sounds more akin to prophecy than political analysis.
Beschloss’s attempt at stirring panic needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. A Trump presidency, like any other, would be bound by the checks and balances that our forefathers embedded into our constitution. Our resilient nation will stand strong, even as the high-decibel rhetoric reaches fever pitch on shows like MSNBC’s The Weekend. Don’t forget – fear is a powerful tool when wielded haphazardly. In truth, only time will tell the tale of America’s fate. Let’s hold onto our common sense until then.
