Are you sure you want to do this?

(written 30th September, 2023)

“Lock her up, lock her up”

Remember 2016? Remember how thousands of the forgotten, thousands of souls who had their dreams torn apart and sent down the shitter by the neo liberal new world order, took out their frustrations on a single presidential candidate?

The deplorables.

The millions of Americans whose jobs had been sold overseas, or usurped by a computer, or bidded out for lower wages to the grey market marching across the southern border.

“Lock her up, lock her up”

Remember how this was the most egregious thing to ever happen? How the mere suggestion of attacking your political opponent was now the equivalent to the fall of the democratic order as we know it?

Strange how democracy never seemed to cater to those deplorable folk.

The ones who lost their jobs, whose towns became shells of their former selves, whose social order was ripped apart and replaced with a void. Their sons maimed in wars which should never have been fought. Their daughters addicted to drugs which should never have been prescribed. Whole communities, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters, sacrificed to the whims of the political elite.

“Lock her up, lock her up”

I don’t know whether these people really meant that. Maybe they did. Even so, it might surprise you to know, I actually don’t give a shit about the feelings of Hillary Clinton. We all know this woman (who once bemoaned of being “broke” shortly after her husband’s presidency) was never in any danger of having to answer a single uncomfortable question, nevermind spend a single second on the claustrophobic side of a prison cell.

Which brings me to Trump.

He’s currently facing more years in prison than he has left to live. And that’s serious. Not just because it is quite clearly political. Not just because it is quite clear they are scared of him. But because of what it means for the rest of us going forward.

No-one is safe.

If the former president cannot protect himself from a political persecution more suited to the ways of the DPRK than the USA, then what hope do the rest of us have.

There will be those who disagree with me on this. Fine. I have but one question:

Are you sure you want to do this?

Are you sure you want to try to imprison your political opponent, one who at worst a significant minority of the country is willing to die for? One who is in every poll the outright favourite to be your direct opponent in November 2024, and in some polls is returned to the White House in January of 2025. Are you sure you want to break that democratic norm you claim you are so fond of?

Are you sure you want to play this game?

“Lock her up, lock her up”

The reason I ask, is because I want you to think about it. And if your answer is “yes”, then don’t be surprised if the ghosts of 2016 come back to haunt you.

Albeit with different pronouns.

“Lock him up, lock him up, lock him up…”