Trump arrested: "Can't believe this is happening in America"
In the land of the free, it seems easy to get locked up. The United States has the highest number of prisoners, both in absolute and relative terms. They've cornered the market with 629 people per 100,000 behind bars. The runners-up, Rwanda, Turkmenistan, El Salvador, and Cuba, are certainly in an exclusive group.
My country, the Netherlands, is a poor performer in this category. According to the Council of Europe, we have 54 prisoners per 100,000, which is only a fraction of the impressive U.S. numbers. We're also in the top five but at the other end of the spectrum.
Given how much the legal perspective is valued in America, I was surprised it took so long for Donald Trump to get arrested. But Trump obviously didn't share my feelings; during the short ride from Trump Tower to the Manhattan Criminal Court, he took a moment to post on social media:
"Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can't believe this is happening in America. MAGA!"
I tuned into CNN for the live coverage and mainly enjoyed the CNN-live style of reporting that I hadn't followed for quite some time. For about 45 minutes, the cameras zoomed in on two closed doors, and reporters built up an anticipation that reminded me of my childhood excitement when waiting for Santa Claus. So I listened to the CNN chat about which of the two doors Trump would use, who was behind those doors and if he would walk to the left or to the right once he got through. Listen to this:
It seemed like ages ago when I watched CNN live in a similar setting. It was 1990, and for a long time, the world watched for a door to open, and then we needed even more time before Nelson Mandela got close enough to the gathered world press that we could finally see him. However, unlike Trump, we didn't know what to expect; nobody had seen a picture of him for decades.
Mandela made a long walk to freedom, unlike Trump's short walk today, which seems to go in the other direction. And we soon all knew Mandela's kind and reassuring face; he became a beloved figure worldwide for his commitment to peace and willingness to compromise, negotiate and reconcile.
I admit, this is a strange association, only explainable by that trademark CNN moment of creating excitement while looking at a closed door. But I would never consider putting Nelson Mandela in the same league as Donald Trump. They occupy different ends on the morality spectrum.
Trump, Mandela, and Jesus
But someone had no problem doing that today; listen to the insights of Marjorie Taylor Greene, interviewed in New York City today. She said:
"President Trump is joining some of the most incredible people in history being arrested today. Nelson Mandela was arrested [and] served time in prison. Jesus was arrested and murdered by the Roman government. There have been many people throughout history that have been arrested and persecuted by radical corrupt governments. It's beginning today in New York City. And I just can't believe it's happening, but I'll always support him. He's done nothing wrong."
Is she serious? Does she really think the government that arrested Trump for corruption is radical and corrupt? And is she really comparing him to two of the greatest figures in history?
Greene was set to highlight the Trump supporters' protest in New York. But the appearance of the conspiracy theorist was a failure. Partly that is due to an effective action of anti-trumpets that had infiltrated the Trump audience. But she was most effectively silenced by one remarkable Trump supporter who came up with the brilliant idea to distribute free whistles. This was one of the better tweets of today after he totally ruined what should have been Greene's moment of fame:
Nobody could hear a word she said, which I suppose was the best outcome for everyone. She gave up after three minutes and left while New York Democrat Representative Jamal Bowman shouted: "Take your ass back to Washington."
All this makes American politics undoubtedly more lively than in my country, where we seek consensus and compromise. How much more fun would it be if we created voting districts per province to ensure that we would have only two parties, drawn with arbitrary gerrymandered lines, and then allow companies to fund political parties?
The only other Republican representative I saw in New York today was George Santos, who refused to answer questions about how he was bringing legitimacy to the proceedings.
It was just another day in the land of the free.
Oh, and before you go, don't forget Twitter. With all its recently introduced flaws, following developments in New York was still a fun day. For example, if you search for #arrestmas, you will find tweets like this one:
And just one more to end today's post:
I write this newsletter because I believe we can do better on this beautiful but fragile planet if we work together.
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Notes:
https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6193339/aantal-gevangenen-in-nederland-in-tien-jaar-tijd-met-kwart-gedaald.html
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/incarceration-rates-by-country
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/04/trump-protests-reaction-new-york-court
This was a rather direct hit on the USA DOJ. You identified many problems, ie our massive number of detainees when compared to the more civilized and likely consistent Netherlands. We have many incarcerated individuals whose paths to lock up make no sense when drug policies in different states are so variable; the inconsistent legalization of marijuana has changed the landscape such that there are many individuals whose status need reassessment given changing laws and attitudes. So many in fact that justice in seeking the release of very minor offenders lags far behind the need to do so while prisoners wait out their lives behind bars. While no one can object to the indictment of Donald Trump on at least something, this case will linger in process for many months and is the least offensive of the crimes awaiting indictment. I’d be so much happier to see the “larger” crimes of election interference in GA and even more so INSURRECTION which is treason and would get him out of the running for reelection for president in 2024 which is my own preference. And there are those pesky classified documents from Mar-a-lago! Special prosecutor Jack Smith is working quietly and as quickly as he can to assure conviction on the more significant charges. I can only hope he gets to goal in time to defeat soundly Trump’s campaign for reelection as a potential win given our absurd “gerrymandered” electoral maps would end our fragile Democracy. The comparatively mild outpouring of sentiment of protestors on either side may reflect the diminishing importance of Trump the man but not necessarily the cult of MAGA Trumpism that has infected our nation. Of course the MSM I witnessed did not report on the very significant anti-gun rally in Nashville or the equally important election in Wisconsin that could turn the tide in the 2024 electoral map. The good news was the push back to Washington of MTG to do whatever work she was elected for, the MAGA compatriot of Speaker McCarthy, two that must be defeated quickly again in 2024. But it’s only Tuesday; the news cycles bring more chaos every day along with misinformation and absence of significant happenings in the USA and over the Globe. How are the citizens with less time or energy to read through the layers of “truth” supposed to be prepared to make important voting decisions as the days wear on our mangled psyches? My champagne will remain on ice as the significance of today’s events remains to be seen. Thank you for your reporting outside the box of our uniquely American political upheaval. ❤️🇺🇸🌎🕊️
It was a good day for democracy, but it is still embarrassing that the “maga-t” extremists are given any air time!