Before The Bubble Bursts And The Wave Breaks

I was cursed with the ability to see the near future. There’s nothing supernatural or mystical about it. It’s simply an intuitive thing. But when it hits, I can’t shake it. And the certain knowledge of what is going to happen carries with it the responsibility to act. 

Sometimes it’s with big things, like the collapse of the Soviet Union. Sometimes it’s with personal things, like a friend’s pregnancy. 

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, I knew the USSR would collapse within three years. Though the experts in America said it would take 25, others listened. Then I met with high-level representatives from Russia in San Francisco in late 1989. They agreed the end of the USSR was imminent. 

Invited to Moscow in January of 1990, I lined up a half dozen key companies in California willing to explore doing business in Russia. The mission of my partners and I was to lead the way toward “the ecologically and ethically sound development of our former superpower enemy.” 

Conceived as a kind of mutually beneficial Marshall Plan, it had a smaller chance of succeeding than I thought. But all the pieces were in place in America and Russia, and it could have worked. In short, it was an epic fail, but I don’t regret taking the risk. 

My main partner was a fellow from India who worked for Hewlett-Packard. We became friends, and I visited him and his pregnant wife after the dust had settled on our Russian venture. His wife was carrying twins, and they were happy. 

During the visit, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with the pregnancy. What do I do? Tell the expectant mother at eight months that something was wrong and scare the bejesus out of her, and risk losing the friendship? Or keep my mouth shut and hope things work out? 

My turmoil surrounding the intuitive foreshadowing ended with the insight: telling them was necessary because it could change the course of events, and enable the birth of healthy twins. Not telling them would mean that whatever was wrong would continue to be wrong. 

I’ll never forget the look on her face as I said on leaving, “Vandi, I sense that something is wrong with the pregnancy. Don’t be afraid, but talk to your doctor. I feel it will turn out fine.” 

The first baby was delivered normally and was healthy. But the second baby came out with the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck, and was blue. The doctor, having listened to Vandi’s concerns, acted quickly. The newborn was revived with seconds to spare. She grew into a healthy girl. 

This experience comes to mind as the political groundswell since President Biden left the race has grown into a blue wave cresting tonight with Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech at the Democratic convention. 

Having foreseen that Biden would lose if he allowed Netanyahu to attack the last “safe zone” of Rafah in Gaza, I’ve been hoping like millions of Americans that the momentum would carry Kamala to the presidency, finally ridding us of the Trump nightmare. 

However, the same imperative to meet a minimal moral standard that ousted Biden applies to Harris. And she just failed it. 

As reported this morning, “On the third night of the Democratic national convention, the group ‘Muslim Women for Harris’ released a statement announcing that it was disbanding in response to the Harris-Walz campaign’s refusal to allow a Palestinian person to speak on the main stage.” 

A family member of one of the hostages spoke at the convention last night, and called for a ceasefire. The Muslim Women for Harris’s disbanding statement read: “The family of the Israeli hostage that was on the stage tonight, has shown more empathy towards Palestinians than our candidate or the DNC has.” 

As someone said of Harris, “She is not displaying what I would call a profile in courage, competency or leadership.” 

Harris doesn’t want reality to rain on her joyful campaign and happy warrior shtick. And the bandwagon effect has begun to echo Trump rallies. 

Denial still rules. Amazingly, Stephen Colbert, the top late-night comedian in the USA, was not being satirical when he ended his monologue last night with, “America is good.” 

How can a nation that supports genocide be good? The true question is: when did the United States stop being a force for good in the world? 

When a democracy begins to slide into fascism, only a reckoning with the darkness and deadness at its core that’s giving rise to despotism can arrest the degeneration. No amount of positive thinking and joyful messaging will suffice. 

It may be wishful thinking, but I don’t feel it’s too late for Harris to break with Biden and say she will no longer support American complicity for the Israel’s crimes against humanity in Gaza. 

Though Kamala can’t change Biden’s collusive policy until she becomes president, she has to speak out before the bubble bursts and the wave breaks. 

Martin LeFevre

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