Some worthy comments from an Australian:

[Martin Eden]

43. There will always be malevolent actors, but the guardrails, which have never been fully sufficient

Last edited Sat May 9, 2026, 01:49 PM - Edit history (1)

Are now being removed, section by section.

American democracy has always had some dysfunction, but now it is heading off the rails.

Who is to blame?

I don't believe in broad brush collective blame. Many fine Americans have devoted their lives, some with great sacrifice, to make America a more perfect union that lives up to its highest ideals. Tens of millions see the problems and turn out to vote for progress.

And yet, it is the American voter who has made this current nightmare possible. In 2024, more voted for it than against it. They may have been fooled by Fox News and talk radio and online influencers and their local pastor, but they are adults responsible for their own actions.

And outside our borders, others will blame the American people for allowing this to happen. The consequences will fall on all of us, in what is ostensibly the world's leading democracy.

Donald Trump is a symptom of a more systemic disease, for which there is no easy prescription. Ultimately, it is human nature. Greed, bigotry, willful ignorance, self indulgence, lack of empathy, the collective "we" have it.

Are we beset by inevitable fate, or can our plight be changed?