By the time all the votes are counted, it will reveal that over 76 million Americans voted for Donald J. Trump, which constitutes almost 32 percent of eligible voters. With about 67 percent of eligible voters choosing to vote, Joe Biden’s margin will be about 5 million votes, the thin margins in many battleground states somewhat of a surprise.

That tells us that rather than see Joe Biden in the White House, 76 million people prefer a proven criminal over one of the most experienced and decent men in politics. In essence, they have chosen a grifter, con man, racist, misogynist, and would-be authoritarian leader who willingly defies the law, democracy, and decency.

Is that rational, considering that he supports policies that would sink many more of these voters into insolvency and perhaps ruin? We can only surmise that reason is not a principle element guiding their decision making.

Furthermore, in states Democrats thought they could flip for the Senate, like Iowa, Maine, Kentucky, even South Carolina, voters favored Senate Republican candidates who have consistency shown with their votes that they exclusively favor the wants and needs of the privileged over the common folk. Privileged contributors tell the Republicans they don’t like spending for health care, taxes, education, even pandemic relief which is vital to the livelihood of millions.

One notably successful candidate in Kentucky is Mitch McConnell, the current majority leader in the US Senate. Like Trump, he has made clear that he does not care about people in general, only rich people. He easily won re-election when mainstream media called his victory on election day, this over a competent and decent former Marine fighter pilot, Amy McGrath. The margin was almost 60 percent to 38 percent.

The McConnell victory is especially mind-numbing when you consider he is instrumental in rejecting a much-needed relief package — sitting on his desk for over 6 months — for suffering pandemic victims, first responders, small businesses, and state and local government bodies – all much in need. We might add that most Kentuckians probably suffer proportionately more from the pandemic.

This doesn’t even speak of the perils for perhaps hundreds of millions of Americans he could be responsible for if SCOTUS rejects the ACA, more likely with his “rammed-through” SCOTUS appointee. SCOTUS is voting in a few days. It would strip some 140 million Americans of vital health care coverage during a pandemic.

If that isn’t enough, his desk represents a log jam (over 395 bills) for numerous legislation measures covering voting rights, climate change, anti-gun-violence prevention measures, protection against Russian interference in the election, lowering drug prices, raising minimum wage – poll-wise, a large majority of Americans support these measures.

We could well ask, besides the 76 million nationwide, most of which seemed to vote against themselves, how does a large majority of Kentuckians choose someone who not only rejects their interests, but is also a questionable patriot?

Probably the most prominent force moving us toward the current predicament is corporate, beginning in the 1970s and with money, control, and power pushing us toward cultural division.

The result is a social and political division fostered by the ruthless forces of money and power. The old adage of divide and conquer is a narrative that has toppled empires and kingdoms throughout history. Corporate power sought control of the economic engine in the beginning but found that division helped their agenda in a democracy.

Their program: Set the whole thing up with a redistribution of wealth and income. In this case take it away from the poor and the middle class and filter it toward the rich.

The haves and the have-nots are then set up for division.

Then there is the blame game. Corporate chieftains stand in the background and their agents push propaganda pointing to sacrificial lambs. History always produces ready victims, Jews, non-whites, immigrants – the “other.”

In our modern times it is accomplished through media forces built on profit and greed not common good: on one side is the monolithic for-profit Murdoch Enterprise, then social media enters saddled with the corporate profit motive, foreign enemies follow, having easy access thru digital media, and join forces with corporations via the Republican Party. All cooperate in the propaganda game.

The mission for the power base: Build enough animosity against progressive forces which threaten the now established order, and in a democracy, anger, hatred and fear must overrule reason. Make sure democracy remains feeble (eschew reforms like easy voting, eliminating the electoral college, and representative government).

Eventually that democracy is so divided, nothing is accomplished, even repair of democracy’s flaws. To handle the resistant majority, corporate chieftains will accept a smart authoritarian leader, thinking they can control him. Their motivation is profit and maintaining control.

Sound familiar? We have everything but the smart authoritarian leader, but we could get there.

Current Inventory:

Blocking progress & sowing Division: Mitch McConnell & Republican Party, & the smart authoritarian leaders waiting in the wings somewhere.

Division Builders & Controllers: corporate power base

Barely vanquished: Donald J. Trump but still able to conduct spiteful scorched Earth policy.

Progressivism to break the corporate-financed division: Too afraid and wimpish so far.