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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWe're seeing, in real time, what the GOP is really made of
The Slippery Slope of Complicity
By Paul Krugman
Opinion Columnist
Aug. 18, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/18/opinion/the-slippery-slope-of-complicity.html
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The real news of the past few weeks isnt that Trump is a wannabe Mussolini who cant even make the trains run on time. Its the absence of any meaningful pushback from Congressional Republicans. Indeed, not only are they acquiescing in Trumps corruption, his incitements to violence, and his abuse of power, up to and including using the power of office to punish critics, theyre increasingly vocal in cheering him on.
Make no mistake: if Republicans hold both houses of Congress this November, Trump will go full authoritarian, abusing institutions like the I.R.S., trying to jail opponents and journalists on, er, trumped-up charges, and more and hell do it with full support from his party.
But why? Is Trumpocracy what Republicans always wanted?
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But my guess is that most Republican politicians are spineless rather than sinister or, more accurately, sinister in their spinelessness. Theyre not really ideologues so much as careerists, whose instinct is always to go along with the party line. And this instinct has drawn them ever deeper into complicity.
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Even now, I dont think most political commentators have grasped how deep the rot goes. I dont think they understand, or at any rate admit to themselves, that democracy really could die just a few months from now.
And if it doesnt, if Republicans lose Congress and Trump leaves office on or before January 2021, the same people who kept declaring that Trump just became president will try to go back to pretending that Republican politicians are serious, honorable people who care about policy. But they arent.
So remember this moment. Were seeing, in real time, what the GOP is really made of.
TEB
(12,842 posts)And no loyalty to country
ProudMNDemocrat
(16,785 posts)His commentaries are always spot on.
Which is all the more important Democrats get out the vote this November.