Chaos in the capitol: Crisis, polarization and scenes of things to come

By Luis Meiners

The joint session of Congress to count Electoral College votes had to be interrupted when a mobilization of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. The scenes of chaos reflect the deep political crisis unfolding. After the defeat in November, Trump has insisted on ignoring the outcome despite the repeated failure of his attempts to reverse it. This has deepened the crisis of the Republican Party and the regime. In the meantime, in Georgia the victory of the Democratic Party seems to be confirmed in the second round of the elections for the Senate, a fact that would give this party control over the camera.

The so-called “March to save America” gathered thousands from the morning hours. Trump spoke before it around noon, repeating his accusations of electoral fraud and summoning the crowd not to concede and marching towards the capitol. Hours later, clashes occurred in the vicinity of the Capitol and a group entered the building, reaching the Senate compound. Members of Congress were evacuated, a curfew was declared and the mobilization of the National Guard was expected. Trump tweeted a message from the White House calling for protesters to return home.

The interrupted session is a formal proceeding on the way to Biden's inauguration on 20 from January. It is the final step for the certification of the Electoral College votes, after the results of the popular vote have been certified in each state and the members of the Electoral College have met to cast their votes. The legal procedure establishes that in said session observations can be made to the votes of the Electoral College.

The failure of the campaign against "fraud"

After a series of setbacks in his legal challenges, and following the failure of their efforts to pressure state legislators and Republican governors to curb recognition of the election results, Trump's fury and despair focused on today's session. His pressure on Vice President Pence, who chairs the session, and the bench of Republican deputies and senators was on the rise, getting a large group of MPs from the Republican Party to commit to expressing their observations on the electoral result, without this opening any legal possibility of reversing the results.

The campaign against the alleged fraud strained the internal situation of the Republican Party to the maximum, deepening their conflicts. Opinion notes from prominent conservative voices appeared in the media expressing the need for a new party. Republicans who hold office were divided between the desire to sustain the institutionality and pressure from Trump and a radicalized base on the right that today expressed itself in the streets.

This dispute was felt in the senatorial elections in Georgia. Trump has waged a particularly strong campaign against the Republican state authorities for having certified the result favorable to Biden. Few days ago, An audio of a telephone conversation between Trump and the Georgia Secretary of State was made public where he demanded that he order a recount and find the more than 11 a thousand votes needed to turn the result around. Added to this was the rejection of Republican senators for refusing to discuss an expansion of state assistance to 2 one thousand dollars. Although confirmation is still missing, all of this appears to have led to a defeat of the Republican candidates in Georgia. The chamber of Senators would thus be tied 50-50 between both parties, giving the runoff to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and the presidency of the chamber to the Democratic Party.

Perspectives

In recent months there has been a lot of talk about the possibility of a "coup" in the US.. It was one of the central arguments of the Democratic Party and its progressive wing to mobilize the vote for Biden. An important part of the left held the same argument and called to vote for the Democratic candidate. Nevertheless, we have seen the failure of attempts to reverse the electoral result. No relevant fraction of the ruling class or state apparatus supports these attempts.. The last confirmation of this was given a few days ago when the 10 ex-heads of the Pentagon who are alive signed an opinion note calling for respect for the development of the constitutional process.

Today's events are not a coup, but they are not a passing issue. The fact that they will not interrupt the inauguration of Biden does not mean that they are not a clear symptom of the dynamics of the political situation. The political polarization of the last decade has seen a radicalization to the left, but also the development of ultra-right currents, proto-fascists, who have demonstrated the ability to mobilize and have support among the ranks of the repressive apparatus.

Today's action is a preview of what may come. Before a Biden government that will seek to apply a restoration of neoliberal "normality", and a scene of deep economic and health crisis, the right will seek to take the initiative. Trumpism will be a permanent actor on the stage that will come.

In front of this scenario, Urge the answer from the left. It is necessary for the left to appear as an independent alternative on the national stage, as an alternative to the polarization between a neoliberal democratic government and the right. Not to launch into this task is to open the way for the development of fascist elements. For it, the socialist left needs to build its own party, a socialist party independent of the democrats. The DSA and the whole of the socialist left must organize the response of millions against the right, and build this political tool.