Contributed by Jim Hayes

Donald Trump has been convicted of a list of felonies. Don’t expect him to be locked up. In fact, his convictions will help him to become President of the United Sates for the second time. Trump and his backers know how to use spectacle, and the convictions are being used to portray him as a victim of a powerful elite controlling government, the law, and society.

It works because there is some truth in this, and Trump’s supporters recognise it. This enables Trump to be portrayed as a saviour. Even his harshest critics should recognise that he performs the role effectively. He’s a performer all right. With his simple messages and rages against the elite, without saying anything profound, he can project himself as one with the common folk, without committing himself to anything real.

This is all a mirage of course. The Trump bandwagon would not exist without some enormously powerful backing from within the elite he pretends to rail against. At the top is Rupert Murdoch, who offers his media empire as the propaganda headquarters or the Trump campaign. Like other American media moguls, he is not at present telling people to vote for Trump. Like them, he uses every opportunity to promote the Trump phenomenon.

Just as important are the powerful billionaires. They are very much a big part of the elite, and they are investing billions in a Trump victory this year. Only this week, Trump and his team pitched a fund-raising drive from Mar-a-Lago for S1 billion for his election campaign from oil and gas industry corporations in return for favours. “Drill, baby, drill,” said Trump, in connection with his determination to ensure the green light for fossil fuels.

Many of these companies and had already given more than $7 million according to Open Secrets data. Individual oil and gas billionaires donated much more. Texas oilman and multibillionaire Tim Dunn, for example, gave $5 million this year alone.

They aren’t the only ones. Elon Musk and PayPal owner Peter Thiel have given their support. Stephen A Schwarzman and head of the Blackstone Group, is another, as is Jamie Dimon – chair and CEO of JPMorgan Chase.

Theil being the most outspoken and articulate of the group once wrote “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.” This encapsulates their shared mindset. He put $15 million to the cause.

So much for Trump being a force of being of the elite. He is one of them, and a large part of it is part of his team. He will not act against himself. The tilt against the elite is fake, designed to hoodwink people in these increasingly tough times. And take them down a dead end.

The Biden campaign and its key supporters and financiers within the elite are inadvertently helping the resurrection of trump with their failure to present much more than defend a status quo that few people want. This is no real alternative.

During the second Trump presidency, the main threats will be a serious attack on basic rights, a basket case American economy, and war. This is where the United States and the world are heading.

The ability to stop this may not materialise. This means a longer-term battle ahead. How will the forces to chart a new course emerge? This is the question that must be answered.