I thought it would never happen here
Duringmymore than seven years serving in senior appointments in the White House and the Pentagon, my duties took me to some farflung places.
From the chaotic cities and rain forests of
West Africa to the towering heights of the Andes, theworld gavemea graduate level education in how different life was in the United States. Three places are seared in my memory — The Democratic Republic of Congo ( then Zaire) under Mobutu Sese Sekou, Liberia under Samuel Doe and Peru under Alberto Fujimori.
I look back nowand cringe atmy naivety and self- assured confidence that the pandemonium, violence, disorder and corruption suffered by the citizens of these nations could never be visited on theUnited States.
The common thread woven through all three of these nationswas jarringly similar: autocratic leaders focused on self- enrichment and power perpetuation, a disintegration of civil order, attacks on the press, coteries of sycophantic aides and impotent legislative branches of government. History has shown these to be habitual characteristics of failed states. Never, thought I, could these attributes be ascribed to the land I loved. Howwrong Iwas.
During the past four years we have all had abundant opportunity to observe seemingly countless examples of how our president gradually dismantled the institution of the presidency. President Donald Trumphas repeatedly and forcefully shown us who he is— a “leader” who has far more incommonwithMobutu, DoeandFujimori than with Lincoln, Eisenhower or Roosevelt. Much like a grief stricken relative, our nation has repeatedly reacted with collective denial: “it can’t happen here.”
The horror of Jan. 6 proved us all wrong. We witnessed the spectacle of a defeated, wannabe dictator, desperately clinging to power, brazenly inciting his amped up followers to desecrate a co- equal branch of government. This was nothing less than an attempted coup.
What happened on Jan. 6 can never happen again, and everyone having culpability— fromthe president on down— must be called to account. Notwithstanding the fact that a mere handful of days remain in theTrumpadministration, we can no longer ignore his criminality nor the direct threat he poses to our national security during every minute that he remains in office.
Thetrue catalyst for themayhemonJan. 6 is more discreet than Trump’s rantings. There again, however, the culpability is clear.
Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz had little trouble in convincing a small group of equally ethically challenged GOP senators in joining them in their futile efforts to oppose the certification of a legitimately conducted national election. More than 120 Republicans Members of Congress also happily entered the fray.
Although doomed to failure from the beginning, Trump and his enablers used this stunt to curry favor with the easily beguiled members ofTrump’s base. Every one of them should pay a heavy price at the ballot box.
As far as the thugs, low lifes, rioters and criminals who pillaged the Capitol, the responsibility is clear. Many of these nitwits have unwisely streamed video of themselves as they mindlessly perform their criminal acts. They must be prosecuted.
Finally, the breathtaking failure of security and lawenforcement must be addressed. The foreseeability that disorder and violence could migrate from the Trump rally site on the Ellipse was obvious and had been so for weeks. An extensive investigation must be commissioned immediately.
America justifiably wept on Jan. 6. We have been knocked down. Now it is time to get up, dust ourselves off and have our resilience serve as a model to theworld.
Robert Kelly is a retired attorney and Coast Guard Reserve captain who served in the White House for Presidents Reagan and Bush. He lives inAnnapolis.