Roughly half of the American electorate sits immobilized while watching the American version of democracy slowly crossfade into some lesser form. We can lament in the (n + 1)th essay about #45/47’s inauguration and how that very day they begin deconstructing the federal government. But, by now whining about Trump and the GOP is nothing more than preaching to the choir.
As a practical matter in opposition, liberals are left to make phone calls to our representatives or slap a bumper sticker on our Subarus. The real power lies in the ability to donate cash to the party or the candidate. Even a heartfelt protest in front of a building or an assembly of the faithful listening to the other side’s politico is rarely effective in any measurable way.
If there was a lottery for the chance to have a 5 minute sit-down face to face with president #47, I’d buy $1000 worth of tickets. I’d spend the whole time yelling at him with all of the bile I could heave.
Tyranny is a word often used by 2nd Amendment gun enthusiasts as a euphemism for government. Libertarians and Republicans are fond of it in particular. But if the mandate is to prevent tyranny, will they recognize it from Trump?
The words “Competitive Democracy” is appearing more frequently in the Googlesphere. A decent explanation is found below-
“There is another tradition of democratic theory (tracing its roots back to the work of Joseph Schumpeter), which considers the competition for political leadership to be the central feature of democratic institutions. Both the aggregative and the deliberative views tend to focus on what the state does with its power, rather than who gets to exercise it. Democratic institutions, according to these views, are designed to ensure that the content of legislation somehow reflects the general will. The competitive model shifts the emphasis away from the content of legislation towards those who enact it.” Source: Competitive Model of Democracy.
This whole Trump takeover of the federal government seems to have a libertarian flavor. No social safety nets, low taxes, expanded freedoms, diminished regulatory oversight and privatization of everything. Every service we get from the government would be privatized. Our every need or problem should be viewed as profit opportunity by a capitalist. Our present form of health care is like this.
My sarcastic definition of Libertarianism: it is the theoretical foundation of a Dickensian world where upward mobility of the lower class is near impossible, with the upper class comfortably nested across a yawning gap of wealth.
All of the open talk of upcoming fascism and authoritarianism makes me wonder if tyranny isn’t already pulling up the driveway to stay for a while. Isn’t tyranny what the 2nd Amendment gun crowd was always going on about? Will they notice that tyranny is presently being installed in the USA? Or is it the flavor of tyranny they prefer?
Trump is quickly placing loyalists into every part the federal government that uses power. He has the DOJ, CIA, FBI, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, the US House & Senate, Inspectors General and more. He is consolidating power for himself. He has even started on the military.
Loyalty to Trump is demanded. But, isn’t loyalty to Trump just political loyalty? He often replies to criticism saying that his critics are “just being political.” He is placing political loyalists into positions of power to “fix” a condition that he previously called the swamp. The swamp was a federal workforce that were supposedly loyal to liberalism, according to him. He is replacing one allegedly unloyal group with his own loyalists. He is filling the offices with his own weaponized staff.
Typical Trump- he makes accusations of impropriety while he is doing it himself.
Trump’s adoring cult followers can somehow see around his wide load of character flaws and felonies to steal a view of a fabulous future he dangles before them. Is this a new dawn of a great America or just another America under a cult of personality?
Lamentations on Chemistry 