To the surprise of many, the July 27 debate became a cause for concern, shame, and open, undisguised panic. Yet, in truth, nothing extraordinary happened there. Yes, President Biden got confused several times, forgot what he was talking about, couldn't answer questions, and lost his train of thought. Given his performance over the past two years, why didn't everyone anticipate such or worse results? Perhaps Dr. Jill Biden believes in her husband’s strength, or the president himself feels uniquely capable of saving the country from perceived threats. These beliefs are plausible, but did all the enthusiastic supporters, campaign financiers, and intellectual backers truly share this conviction? It is troublesome to consider. While fair questions exist, any attempt to alter the primary results would undermine democracy.

We are likely facing four more years of unbridled aggression, populism, racism, sexism, and homophobia. The resulting problems will stem from widespread irresponsibility, yet American democracy, like its economy, is "too big to fail." We must avoid further mistakes and begin minimizing the consequences of the self-inflicted harm incurred since last April.

The Necessity of Facing Reality

There are many questions about why and how this happened. In my opinion, questions need to be asked, but they should be done in conjunction with other processes. First of all, some things have to be accepted as reality.

Biden’s Likely Defeat: Biden is likely to be defeated, and an aggressive populist will lead the country for the next four years. This term will see a rise in homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia. However, it is crucial not to dramatize this inevitability but to prepare for it pragmatically.

Resilience of Democracy: A single individual, no matter how influential, cannot irreparably damage American democracy. Our robust democratic system can withstand challenges, including those posed by Trump. However, extreme polarization and personal vendettas among political opponents threaten to weaken this resilience.

Strategic Response: Personal attacks on populist leaders play into their hands and are futile. President Biden’s focus on defeating Trump, as expressed in his July 8 letter to fellow Democrats, showcases his misplaced aggression. The only effective strategy against Trump is a well-organized positive agenda, despite the irony in the term given today's political climate. Biden’s failure to offer anything beyond defeating Trump is a significant oversight.

The Perils of Constructed Reality

Everyone makes mistakes; the main thing is to learn from them. During the presidential campaign, three attempts to construct reality were particularly evident. Firstly, no one thanked Mr. Biden for his service and suggested it was time for him to rest. Instead, the construction of CR began, portraying him as completely healthy, full of strength, and the only viable candidate. Secondly, another CR emerged, suggesting it was possible to remove Trump from the race on charges of rebellion. Lastly, there was a CR where Biden was the only one capable of handling Trump. All these constructed realities have collapsed, and today, yet another CR is being constructed, proposing that disaster can be averted by removing Biden from the race.

This brings us to the New York Times editorial board’s letter, which argues for new leadership within the Democratic Party, citing Biden’s recent performance issues and the risks of continuing with him as the nominee. While their concern is valid, it also represents yet another constructed reality. The editorial suggests that simply replacing Biden will avert disaster, but this ignores the deeper systemic issues at play. It is clear how fascinating and involving the activity of constructing reality can be. However, recent events highlight the dangers of excessive fanaticism in this pursuit. While mistakes are inevitable, it is time to learn from them and stop creating new CRs to satisfy personal ambitions. As the events of June 27 demonstrated, this activity is fraught with consequences.

Moving Forward:

Addressing those opposed to xenophobia, aggression, and isolationism, it is crucial to recognize that this phase of the battle is over, and we have lost. Now is the time to cut our losses. The focus should no longer be on the mistakes made since April 2023 or the 2024 election campaign. Instead, it is the duty of every rational individual to prepare for 2028, working to neutralize the damage from this election cycle.

One of the most challenging issues to address will be the acceptance of Constructed Reality (CR). Historically, CR has been prevalent under totalitarian regimes through prolonged propaganda. Today, it is much simpler—we voluntarily reject objective reality and replace it with constructed narratives. In a democracy, CR is multifaceted, with each individual choosing their reality based on political or philosophical preferences.

Today, CR and objective reality are extremely far apart, and this distance is the cause of increasing polarization. When two groups live in vastly different realities, polarization is inevitable. This situation also makes the rise of various inadequate leaders unavoidable. It is clear that no one will willingly stop constructing reality. However, most of us are not interested in further escalation, nor in the emergence of new weakened or aggressive leaders. Based on this understanding, I humbly suggest that we strive to bring constructed and objective reality closer together. By narrowing this gap, we can work towards a more unified and stable society.