A few days ago, in my innocence, I used the figure of speech “the perfect storm,” not realizing that I was describing the current moment in history. We are in a vortex of conflicts that feels less like reality than it does the makings of a first-class suspense novel.
To wit—all of the following are happening in the same instant:
—In the midst of the worst pandemic in history and a financial collapse, Biden has just soundly defeated Trump in a national election.
—Trump declines to concede and threatens to refuse to leave the White House.
—Trump and his Republican supporters are actively working to thwart the peaceful transition to the new administration called for in the Constitution.
—The Democrats still control the House of Representatives but not by much.
—And tomorrow, the runoff election in Georgia will decide which party controls the Senate, thus determining the future of the nation.
I wish that I, as a fiction writer, could have come up with an equally gripping scenario. And it will all play out in a matter of days. The results will shape the future of our nation for years to come.
I’m confident that in the long term the U.S. will survive and repair the damage Trump and the Republicans have inflicted on our country. But it will take time and great effort on the part of all of us.
I envy historians who will tell this story, which will read more like a excellent novel than history. And I can’t think of a better title for this time than “The Perfect Storm.”
Tom Glenn, Writer 