July 4th 2026. America’s Independence Day. It’s been 250 years since that colony fought and won a bloody war to set itself free. The anniversary will be extravagantly celebrated. In addition to the flags and drums, cheerleaders in pom poms, resonant national anthem renditions, fireworks, countless parties, happy marches and fawning by western nations, we will see inglorious Trumpism parading itself and “owning” the day.
Sensing they were being manipulated, several artists withdrew from the planned Freedom 250 music concerts in Washington’s National Mall, scheduled to celebrate the event. Furious Donald Trump cancelled them all and announced a “Rally to end all Rallies”. A vast fair and cage fighting are some of his other offerings.
America today is a frightful place.
Slavery is being whitewashed; academics, teachers and activists who try to stop the erasures are ostracised. Books about Black history or with gay characters are banned in libraries. Abortion rights have been terminated by Supreme Court judges. Ruthless ICE men come for migrants of colour – illegal and legal. Families are separated. The horror, the horror of such inhumanity. July 4th gives the regime a priceless opportunity to be seen as heroic.
