In a recent article relayed by the popularization magazine Psychology Todaypsychologist and professor Tania Israel spoke about the fears and anxieties held by her fellow citizens.
She notes that 72% of her compatriots are worried about the potential violence from supporters of both camps. Half of Americans would like the military to intervene.
If she tries to be reassuring by affirming that this fear is essentially based on the prejudices held against the supporters of the opposing camp, she recognizes that she is also occasionally overcome by fear.
The elected officials are afraid
Voters are not the only ones talking about violence, Republican and Democratic elected officials are preparing for it. The assault of January 6, 2021, whether it was condemned or not, left a lasting impression.
Even if the secret services and the Capitol police claim to have increased staffing levels and security measures, many Republican and Democratic elected officials confided their concerns last Wednesday to the Axios site.
I'm not surprised that Republicans and Democrats are pointing fingers at each other, but I note that none of the elected officials identified by Axios are calling for calm. We give the impression of being resigned and expecting the worst.
It should be noted that elected officials have received more and more threats in recent years. For the year 2023, the Capitol Police launched 8,008 investigations related to threats, an increase of 500 cases compared to the previous year.
The number of cases remains very high since the 2020 election.
Violence on the left and right
Since January 6, 2021 and the convictions that followed, when it comes to partisan violence, we think of a certain right, certainly the extreme right.
After all, it was the leaders of this faction who were convicted of seditious conspiracy.
I recall in passing that since 1986, the FBI has had data which indicates that the extreme right is better organized and financed, and that it represents the highest risk of domestic terrorism. It is possible for them to infiltrate partisan demonstrations.
Does this mean that the left or the extreme left are not to be feared? Absolutely not. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 73% of demonstration-related attacks in 2021 were carried out by the far left.
Many people voted for Kamala Harris in the hope that we can finally end the Trump era. They are angry and out of patience.
I fervently hope for a peaceful conduct of Tuesday's vote as well as an uneventful transition in January 2025. The 2020 election has exposed the world to the internal divisions and instability of our main partner.
However, I am not naive. The longer the delays for counting votes, the more disputes before the courts will multiply, the more the risk of violent demonstrations will increase.
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