The other day Sue and I went grocery shopping and parked next to us was a white Jeep (Junk Each and Every Part)….behind the wheel was an old fat white dude and on the bumper were an American flag and a Trump flag…..I thought how disgusting that was for in my mind that is like spitting on the symbol of our country.
That experience got me to thinking about our country and our government…..and yes our democracy.
Democracy is in trouble in the U.S. “Illiberal democracies” exist in Hungary, Poland and elsewhere. Why is democracy dying? How to save it? Harvard Professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue that democracies don’t die from outside forces such as coup d’états. “We must prevent it [democracy] from dying within,” they write at the conclusion of How Democracies Die, their comparative analysis of how democracies have died and how to save them. “Since the end of the Cold War, most democratic breakdowns have been caused not by generals and soldiers but by elected governments themselves,” they warn, with obvious reference to Donald J. Trump and his past and potential future presidency. But what they miss is that “elected governments” were chosen by citizens. Despite all the brouhaha about Trump’s legal difficulties and his attacks on democratic institutions, Trump remains extremely popular among Republicans; he is neck-and-neck with President Biden in a potential 2024 contest.
So while a Democracy can die as a formal political system, democracies die because of a failing civic culture. In that sense, Levitsky and Ziblatt are wrong. Democracies don’t die because of elected governments; it is citizens who choose the elected governments. It is citizens who cause democracies to live or die.
75 million American citizens voted for Trump in 2020, and his popularity continues. Despite indictments – Trump faces 91 criminal charges across four cases – Trump dominates all Republican challengers by widening margins in national polls. A Quinnipiac University poll — conducted after Trump’s Aug. 1 federal indictment but before his indictment in Georgia — had Trump with a 39-point lead over Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination. Trump got support from 57% of Republican registered voters, DeSantis 18%. No other Republican candidate got more than 3% in the Quinnipiac poll.
In terms of a 2024 rematch of the 2020 presidential election between Trump and Biden, Trump trailed Biden by one percentage point in the latest Quinnipiac poll, 47 to 46 percent. A one percentage point difference is a small number between a sitting president and someone historically twice impeached and currently facing four major indictments.
As the indictments continue, Trump’s fundraising improves as well. He raised about $12 million in the first three months of this year. Seven days after the first indictment, he raised $13 million. As he quipped after one of his indictments: “I need one more indictment to ensure my election!” he joked.
Democracy, “democracy,” and Trump’s Faithful Followers
I wish I could be optimistic but all I see and read tends to the pessimistic side.
The divisions are looking insurmountable at this time….I know things can change but I think the biases, hatred and no concern for the rule of law will be our undoing.
But that is just me….if you have a different perspective then please share.
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
As a comparison, I am visualizing what life must have been like for the optimistic Jewish person living in Germany in 1938. How long did optimism in that situation mask the reality?
The writing was on the wall in 1920s so optimism should have left the room. chuq
And the handwriting is on the wall right here, right now…in the form of half a country supporting a wannabe dictator….so where is the room for optimism now?
There is always room….or just become a defeated slug and ;let it run over you. I will not. chuq
Good luck when the shit hits the fan…
I know how to shower. chuq
can we be serious?
I am serious. chuq
It’s a mess, isn’t it? Things are actually even worse here on the state level in Wisconsin. We have the state legislature trying to impeach the new state supreme court judge, Protasiewicz, even though she hasn’t even heard a case yet. They formed some kind of “Star Chamber”, a top secret panel made up of former judges, to try to figure out a way they can get rid of her. When it was pointed out that it was blatantly illegal to form secret panels like this they claim it isn’t a secret at all. Even though they won’t tell anyone who is on the panel, won’t tell anyone where they meet, won’t let anyone listen to the arguments, won’t let anyone see any results from the meeting…
Now they’re going after the head of the state elections board as well with impeachment threats. The MIlwaukee Journal went through the whole list of reasons why the legislature wants to impeach her. Every single one of them was her doing nothing but exactly following the laws and advice the legislature itself gave her. So it looks like they’re going to still impeach her anyway and they’ll figure out some way to do it. Someone has to take the fall for them losing the presidential and then later the supreme court elections and she makes a convenient scapegoat.
The political games always tickles me….a shame it is so serious…..Wisconsin? I have relatives that I do not to in Janesville. chuq
They will argue that since we are a republic and not a democracy we lose nothing.
Yeah they will use the tired old excuse….I do not accept it….chuq
The division in your country now seems to be so deep-rooted, it is insurmountable. The Trump cult followers are never going to change their minds, whatever he does.
Trump once boasted that he could shoot someone on the streets of NYC and get away with it. I am starting to believe that boast.
Best wishes, Pete.
It’s sobering to think that a party that supported the military now supports a person who told his Aides not to have an injured veteran near him because it “wasn’t a good look” and that anyone who serves in the military is a “sucker”…when did we get to the point where we would overlook such a despicable person and allow that sort of thinking anywhere near a position of power? Oh, and it turns out he routinely told people highly confidential information that put our military and our allies at risk…now we will see how many people vote for a convicted felon to be in charge of us…
I know what you mean….when I got out and joined VVAW I was called a traitor and much worse a lot of the time. chuq
Much like the addict that can’t reasonably focus on rehabilitation until they personally reach their moral and physical “bottom” of personal suffering… it seems the nation is in the same boat. We are not “there” yet.. and no one knows where that “there” is to reach. In fact, as a nation we may never reach that point before other events may change the political tapestry. Like Trump suddenly leaving the picture as a result of some old age malady. Even if that happens, his minions who follow his “sainthood” could easily presume a Liberal conspiracy was at fault that caused his incapacitation and now wants revenge.
This morning it’s being reported that the parade of Congressional cornballs in the House now are engaging FOX, their ministry of propaganda, to televise what’s being touted as an “interview” with those wanting McCarthy’s old job. Huh? The more zany the politics… the more we wonder about American democracy.
But then.. I can’t help but wonder… if the Constitution itself had a consciousness it could be thinking…. “LOL! You people are nuts to watch! I don’t care how you people decide to do things, but keep following my rules and you just might get there, but don’t blame me if you don’t.”
Doug that is why I am calling it the “Greatest Sh*t Show On Earth”. chuq
There must be a way to make a buck on that. Too bad we can’t charge admission. 🙂
True…..but it is free for the viewing. chuq
I have a solution to our domestic divide. Stop all aid to Ukraine and pull out of NATO. This will allow Putin to grab Eastern Europe, which in turn will scare Western Europe and spread the conflict. Here in the States we will go through a period of “neutrality” (“Let them fight it out.. it’s not our business.”). But then when the American economy goes to crap Putin will feel emboldened to push us by… well, let’s say his navy sinks a cruise ship because he thinks it’s transporting contraband aid to the Brits. That finally pisses off our public to the point that we have to enter the conflict. Finally we are unified to a single purpose! When enough people have died, and the crowds have been satiated, and someone is defeated… the flags of victory will wave in parades, heroes honored, the dead held in memorium… we will, yet again, admonish peace being the road to travel from now on.
Been there; done that… how many times now?
One tragic part of human history that is repeated way too often is simply because we are human… we have to reach a point where we need to kill off some of ourselves in order to appreciate the need for… not killing off ourselves.. and everyone will always be justified.
The road to unity.
I did not say withdraw all aid from Ukraine….I have no problem with humanitarian aid, intel sharing and training….NATO should have been abolished in 1992 when it was no longer needed for defense of the North Atlantic…..none of that will occur as long as special interests have a hold on the War Department.
The road to unity could have been the UN but the Security Council has permanent members that can stop any action at unity.
I still have the feeling that Putin knows he cannot take on the West and win…..so we wait to see whose feeling is the correct one. chuq
Not something I care to be “right” about. I’m more than willing to accept any “I told you so.”
Open mind….that’ good chuq