Trump falls.

Byline: Dr Farid A Malik

Donald J Trump, the 45th President of the United States of America (USA) has fallen, the establishment has prevailed. The attack on Capitol Hill by his supporters on January 7, 2021 failed. The protesters were hoping for a revolution, after which they could proclaim that their leader would remain in the White House for another term. The Senators from Philadelphia and Arizona were expected to reject the electoral ballots from their respective states thereby resulting in a stalemate. Perhaps the intruders were idolising the French Revolution which started with the storming of the Bastille in July 1789. The insurgents did not succeed this time. The President had to concede, he has agreed to a peaceful transition of power by noon on January 20, 2021. Trump's presidency will be debated for times to come, he may even try to make a comeback in the elections to be held in 2024. He came from nowhere in the 2016 electoral contest, first to challenge the Republican Party and then the national establishment to beat the front runner Hillary Clinton.

The unprecedented rise of the USA as the sole super power of the world was a result of a balance between the forces of democracy and the powerful establishment. After emerging victorious after the second World War in 1945, the military dominated establishment started to assert itself. On the sudden death in office of three-term elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), his Vice President Harry S. Truman, took the oath of office in April 1945. After completing the unfinished term of FDR, Truman narrowly got elected in the 1949 elections. On completion of his own term in office he decided not to contest leaving the field open. The Republican Party very wisely decided to award the party nomination to a retired five star General and war hero Dwight D. Eisenhower. In response, the Democratic Party fielded a very weak candidate by the name of Adlai Stevenson thus ensuring an easy landslide victory for the General. Once in the White House and out of uniform, Eisenhower not only understood the challenge posed by the military/industry establishment but even warned against its domination over civilian authority. He served his two full terms and then went home gracefully after serving his nation with honesty and integrity. The constitution and rule of law was strengthened not weakened by the General.

A lot has been written about the assassinations of the two very popular Kennedy brothers...

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