Even by recent standards, this Presidential election year is starting to take some really extreme and bizarre turns. The sudden shift from Biden to Harris has allowed Democrats to change course in an unprecedented manner, from desperation and despair to orgasmic delight. The Republicans, on the other hand, have gone from smug and sneering self-assurance to incontinent stuttering apoplexy; all in a matter of days. If events were to continue as they are unfolding now, a Democratic sweep in November would appear inevitable.

But of course, events will not continue unfolding as they are now. A military collapse of Ukraine in Europe, or Taiwan trouble in Asia, or full scale war in the Middle East could change everything. And of course, there are potential issues with the the economy, and climate, and a host of other things that could go wrong. The point is that the situation has become extremely unstable, and even a minor and insignificant crisis somewhere could unleash a cascade of catastrophic consequences.

As for our elections, we now have a Democratic party in the throes of a totally unjustified euphoria, and a Republican establishment fibrillating in panic, thrashing about spasmodically like a freshly hooked trout in the bilge of a canoe. The only scenario I have seen before that is even remotely comparable is the 2004 election, when the Democrats were delirious with the idea they might elect a black President, and the Republicans were shitting themselves in panic because for once, the Democrats might actually be right. But this is twenty years later, and the situation, although similar in kind, is certainly different in degree.

The Democratic campaign will probably succumb to their usual incompetence, complacency and indifference, but the Republicans have already responded with a series of uncoordinated non sequiturs and outright fabrications that are massive even by Trumpian standards. The polls suggest this may have cost them a few votes among the uncommitted and independents, but we already know the Deplorable base is little swayed by logic and shame. They’re too committed to back out now. The mainstream media has finally found its balls and is starting to challenge and refute Republican lies openly, but the trailer trash on the Right will just see this as further evidence of how the elitist press is only the servant of the Deep State.

What concerns me is the possibility of violence. If the situation is perceived by Conservatives as threatening to what they see as their just deserts, they are ready to do whatever it takes to bring about what God really wants. Although I don’t foresee the organized political right openly encouraging violence, (they’ll wait until they’re certain they can get away with it) they have certainly already set the stage and established the conditions for it. The Right is heavily armed, culturally united and mobilized by established religious, propaganda and financial mechanisms. All they need is a wink and a nudge to set them in motion.

It is less than three months before the election. A lot can happen in such a short time, the speed at which history propagates has certainly picked up in the recent past. Stand by for heavy rolls.

And of course, even if the Trump gang is swept away in an electoral tsunami, I don’t expect his knuckle-dragging followers to graciously step aside and let democracy take its course. They’ve already endured one black President. They’re not about to suffer another. We’ve seen what these people are willing to do to get what they want, and what they’re ready to do if they don’t.