In the country formerly known as the United States, the events of 2024 were dominated by a right-wing coup to take over the government. The Supreme Court was loaded with far-right ideologues appointed by former President Trump between 2016 and 2020, giving the Court a 6-3 conservative advantage led by two older justices (Alito and Thomas) appointed by earlier Republican presidents. The two judges, who openly received lavish gifts from wealthy donors, made little effort to conceal their rampant corruption and ideological prejudices. The two were able to lead the other four conservatives on the bench into ever-more extreme decisions, upending and overturning decades of precedent. They even ruled that it wasn't illegal to pay off politicians, so long as the payment was made after a favorable decision and not before, in other words, a "gratuity" or tip and not an explicit bribe.
In a stunning power grab, the Court overturned the so-called "Chevron deference," which allowed federal agencies to interpret congressional laws and acts in order to execute the mandates they received from Congress. In the decision, Chief Justice Roberts said that only judges, not regulators, could interpret Congressional laws. They further ruled that Presidents had absolute immunity from the law for undefined "official acts," and even "implied immunity" for the "outer limit" of official acts as President.
The latter decision was especially shocking in light of the multiple criminal cases against former President Trump. Earlier in the year, Trump has been convicted on 34 counts of felony for campaign financial fraud in the 2016 election, stemming from a hush-money payment to a star of pornographic films. Trump was waiting on sentencing for the convictions at the time of the Court's immunity decision, although he was not in jail and out campaigning to be elected to President a second time.
Other cases for Trump's criminality were also tied up in the Courts. A federal judge in Florida dismissed a case against him for illegally possessing classified documents, some of which reportedly contained sensitive information of "the highest order," because she felt that the Justice Department's special prosecutor who brought the case to trial hasn't been appointed by Congress (the decision was appealed). A trial in the State of Georgia for conspiracy to interfere in the 2016 election was tied up and delayed due to allegations that the Fulton County District Attorney had a personal, romantic relationship with a member of her staff.
Meanwhile, the incumbent President, the 81-year-old Joe Biden, who trailed Trump in most polls and had a low approval rating, was showing symptoms of senility, although he studiously avoided unscripted public appearances and press conferences. But on June 27th, during a televised live debate with Donald Trump, Biden's remarks were frequently incoherent and he appeared to be confused, tired, and forgetful. Despite his shocking performance, he initially insisted that he was fine and fully capable of holding office for four more years. He gave several subsequent interviews and held a press conference, and while he appeared more alert than during the debate, his diction and delivery did not alleviate the concerns of his Democratic allies and donors. He ended his Presidential campaign on July 23, endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris.
Pop Quiz: Which of the following accurately describes the remaining history of 2024 and the following years?
(a) The American electorate found the youthful vigor of VP Harris invigorating and enthusiastically rallied to support her, eventually electing her the 47th President, the first woman elected to the office and only the second person of color. Although the election was close and the results of the vote were contested in court, Harris prevailed and served two terms, replacing several of the corrupt, conservative judges on the Supreme Court in the process and ushering in decades of American prosperity and civil liberty. Aggressive measures to combat climate change are widely regarded as having saved the planet, and the global threat of authoritarianism and nationalism were effectively countered through skillful diplomacy and international alliances.
(b) The 2024 election ended in a virtual tie and the conservative courts stepped in and awarded the Presidency to Donald Trump, who immediately started to avenge his political rivals and perceived enemies, suspending the rule of law in many cases. Following years of chaotic and confused ruling, Trump was killed by an angry mob in a coup attempt, but the right-wing party (formerly known as "Republican" but now called "MAGA") simply installed a new shadow president, suspended further elections, and imposed martial law. The country formerly known as the United States eventually fractured into competing kleptocracies ruled by warring corporations. Following several years of civil war and violence, a nuclear device was detonated during an uprising in the year 2032, triggering global thermo-nuclear annihilation and the end of humankind's domination of the planet.
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