The Republicans Want a Right-Wing Dictatorship

[_Robert_]

This election redistricting bullshit has been going on forever…not like the Dems are unaware. Trying to make it more difficult to cast a ballot should work against both parties evenly if the democrats were as diligent in voting. You have 2 fucking years to plan your vote. But they are not. So yeah, these 1,000 paper-cut, “legal” efforts concern me more than an illegal armed insurrection.

This electoral college system itself is discouraging. Not like my vote for POTUS ever REALLY matters in this RED(neck) state. I wonder how many democrats think that..and then don’t even vote. Shame on them. The problem is not the Republicans. It’s the hapless Democrats. And like I have said many times, pushing a far-left agenda against the ignorant centroid voting block (who is not ready yet), just gives power away to the conservative religious assholes. I am sure most American do not understand that a social democracy is not Soviet communism. Hell, we are so screwed….they couldn’t find Sweden on a map for 20, Alex.

[Davis]

Gerrymandering is another case where people in other countries always roll their eyes whenever people say America is the “bastion” of democracy. It isn’t enough that there is an unfair electoral college, extreme business interest interference re: enormous financial contributions to campaigns, new anti-voting legislation…but on top of that brazen election map fuckery. The fact that there isn’t a nation wide movement to create amendments to the constitution which would end gerrymandering, voting interference and political donation limits…shows the extent to which Americans actually give a shit about meaningful fair and representative elections.

Yes, the prime value of democratic elections is having the ability to more or less reliably get rid of bad governments, but a still important value is to have some semblance of representation and equality amongst voters. I would say having a two party system makes the ending of Gerrymandering a bit of a dream at the moment.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

The problem is not the Republicans. It’s the hapless Democrats….

Yes, they are too meek and too weak.

I was in north Atlanta for Thanksgiving and read “Wildland” which I would recommend. You could be parachuted into any neighborhood there and you would immediately know the political color of the area (red or blue). Gerrymandering of MTG’s district will be interesting to watch.

[Belle Rose]

The US is no longer a democracy

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/videos/politics/2021/12/20/us-civil-war-study-barbara-walter-intvu-intl-ovn-vpx.cnn

we ARE headed for civil war. I want OUT! It’s been a LONG time coming

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Belle Rose.

[jakelafort]

We may be headed for civil war but that was not in my estimation a particularly strong case. It is not that historical precedents are irrelevant but no  proximate causation or specific factors putting us in jeopardy are given by the speaker.

[TheEncogitationer]

Reg,

I should be clear. I’m not saying the January 6th rioters shouldn’t be criminally prosecuted, of course.

I do say, however, that your typical South or Central American or African Generalissimo who successfully throws out a civilian President would be embarrassed to be put in the same category as the January 5th rioters. In terms of efficacy, they just aren’t the same.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

@Encogitationer – I fully accept that. I am more keen to see the puppet masters prosecuted for treason (domestic terrorism) than the jesters and fools that wandered around the stage. If I was able to vote in the US I would vote Democrat but in the past I have often thought that I might have voted Republican. There was a time not so long ago when the GOP commanded my respect (which I don’t give easily to any politician). But that is all gone now. I have spoken with a few traditional Republican voters here in Ireland and also recently when in the U.S.  None of them will cast their votes unless the GOP gets its act together and stops pandering to white Evangelicals and business interests. It is not longer recognizable as the GOP. Such a shame and not good for Democracy, especially the US version of democracy if it keeps changing what that looks like 🙂

[_Robert_]

TheEncogitationer wrote:

Reg, I should be clear. I’m not saying the January 6th rioters shouldn’t be criminally prosecuted, of course. I do say, however, that your typical South or Central American or African Generalissimo who successfully throws out a civilian President would be embarrassed to be put in the same category as the January 5th rioters. In terms of efficacy, they just aren’t the same.

I am trying to gauge this armed insurrection prospect…… Yes, it would hard to be a real insurrection army if y’all still go to work, come home to your cozy bed at the end of each day so you can watch Tucker and get on Facebook and chat about your exploits. If we start getting regular improvised explosive devices going off …then things have turned, and they are a serious threat my friends. If Putin is supplying them with aircraft and weapons, oh shite. One may think it may be difficult to get the military to attack and kill ‘fellow’ citizens, but today’s army is professional and not a bunch of draftees. And even if they do take some government buildings, that will not win a war.

[Unseen]

Hey, y’all (Jake, Enco, Robert, Ivy, Reg, Davis, etc., are you missing the point?

Let’s distinguish between a legalistic coup (the one the GOP is working on setting up) and civil war. These are two different matters with different and overlapping risks.

One risk of an armed insurrection (mobs taking over government offices both Federal and in the states, fighting between right- and left-wing mobs in the streets, acts of political terror) is the opportunity it would give the person in The White House the needed rationale for suspending the Constitution, shutting down Congress and the Supreme Court, and declaring martial law.

Both of these are very real dangers and the first one may precipitate the latter.

The problem with suspending The Constitution is that we’d be unlikely to get it back. Why? Because there is no legal way to suspend The Constitution, doing so makes the President a criminal who would be subject to prosecution under Federal law. Assuming Trump, you can already see the extreme measures he’s willing to go to to avoid any kind of prosecution.

A statement signed by more than 100 scholars on Tuesday warns that as a result of Republican-led states proposing or implementing “radical changes” to election laws, the voting procedures in several states are being transformed into “political systems that no longer meet the minimum conditions for free and fair elections.” The statement includes this dire prediction: “our entire democracy is now at risk” (source: More Than 100 Scholars Issue Warning That American Democracy Is In Danger, Call For Federal Reforms)

BTW, one solution to the legalistic coup the GOP is setting up would be for The Supreme Court to declare their efforts unconstitutional. The problem is that the Court has a long history of leaving the running of elections up to the state and local governments and this Supreme Court leans heavily conservative. It would have to consider the anti-democratic nature of these efforts to outweigh the Court’s traditional desire not to interfere in the rights of the states to self-govern.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Unseen.

[jakelafort]

Unseen, I am with you on all points except perhaps the prospect of a return to the constitution after its suspension.

[_Robert_]

I know the Dems have been working on federal level voting rights legislation to counteract the red state bullshit. I get endless tweets about it from my reps but I mean, phuck even with control and time running out….

[Unseen]

jakelafort wrote:

Unseen, I am with you on all points except perhaps the prospect of a return to the constitution after its suspension.

I suppose the dictator could be offered immunity from prosecution if he’d be so kind to unsuspend the Constitution. Is that what you have in mind? Suppose he likes being dictator and doesn’t see the benefit of going back to being a mere President again?

[Unseen]

_Robert_ wrote:

I know the Dems have been working on federal level voting rights legislation to counteract the red state bullshit. I get endless tweets about it from my reps but I mean, phuck even with control and time running out….

The Dems, as usual, are standing around sucking their thumbs waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel to turn into an oncoming locomotive.

[_Robert_]

I was middle road most of my life. I think this statement nicely sums up what I have experienced politically when I started to pay attention.

The conservative sees an issue and says: ‘If the solution is good for me then it must be good for everyone.’ The liberal says: ‘If it is good for everyone, it must be good for me.’

That was before the Repugnicants lost their minds. I think there is some repressed guilt about negligently not wearing a mask, killing grandpa and then dividing up his bank account. They gotta double down, it is too much to deal with. A million excess deaths in 2 years and it ain’t over yet. Even the US Civil War didn’t have this death rate.

[jakelafort]

No, Unseen, i agree that if the party that initiates the coup stays in power we won’t soon have a return to the constitution.  But if the usurper is ousted then an immediate return is highly probable.

[Author]

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