General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"we'll soon reach the point where it will become impossible to stop America's slide into...
...authoritarianism through elections. "
Link to tweet
If democratizing reforms do not come, all the states in which Republicans are in power will soon resemble apartheid South Africa much more than anything that could reasonably be called a functioning multiracial democracy. 2/
In about half the states, Republicans will be erecting stable one-party rule and install a system that is best described as a herrenvolk democracy: A system that is fairly democratic if you happen to be a white Christian man and something entirely different if you are not. 3/
Does that sound far-fetched? Alarmist? Its not. In many ways, it would constitute a return to the pre-1960s situation and be much closer to the historical norm in the United States. Remember that until the 1960s, apartheid was the reality in many regions of the country. 4/
What about the national level? If you combine the current systems anti-majoritarian distortions with the GOPs many aggressive anti-democratic initiatives, Republicans are basically guaranteed enough power to obstruct and make functional Democratic governance impossible. 5/
The result is definitely not a functioning democracy. The question is: Would it even be a sustainable country? @davidmfaris worries about a breakup in this interview and hes right! America is already facing a crisis of democratic legitimacy, and its only getting worse. 6/
In a representative democracy, the party that consistently gets significantly fewer votes on all levels of government shouldnt be able to hold onto power and control the nations fate. At some point, this crisis of legitimacy will have to be resolved one way or another. 7/
History doesnt repeat itself. There wont be another Civil War blue vs. gray the coming crisis will look different. But the idea that things are definitely going to work out somehow is mainly based on a It cant happen here type of American exceptionalism. 8/
And still, It cannot happen here seems to be, as @AmandiOnAir puts it in the @RonBrownstein piece, the animating principle for too many Democratic officials and liberals more broadly. American democracy cant afford this sort of willful ignorance and naivety. 9/
We must face the fact that the radicalization of the Republican Party has outpaced what even most critical observers imagined, and we need to grapple with what that should mean for our expectations going forward and start thinking about real worst-case scenarios. 10/
I think @perrybaconjr really captured the situation perfectly in last weeks important column: Perhaps democracy dies faster in darkness. But it could also die slowly in the light, as all of us watched but didnt do enough to save it. 11/
Will America become a stable multiracial democracy - or will the history books record multiracial democracy as a fairly short-lived and ultimately aborted experiment, an interlude from the mid-1960s to the 2020s, when the country returned to its previous historical norm? 12/
I understand the criticism of what @ezraklein calls a self-fulfilling cycle in this great conversation with @pastpunditry: By emphasizing how high the stakes are, they get even higher making it more difficult to solve the situation politically. 13/
But I maintain that for journalists, analysts, and scholars, the prime responsibility is to cover, describe, assess, and interpret American politics as objectively, accurately, and adequately as possible. We shouldnt downplay, appease, play politics. 14/
I dont think the situation is all bad, by the way. Reactionary forces are radicalizing because America really has become more liberal, more pluralistic, and is closer to being a truly multi-racial democracy than its ever been. 15/
But thats exactly what makes the current moment so acutely dangerous. Reactionaries who define real America as a nation dominated by white Christians feel their backs against the wall and are convinced that all measures are justified to defeat an illegitimate opponent. 16/
I believe this struggle is of world-historic significance. And we are witnessing a very similar conflict in all Western democracies: Is it possible to establish a stable, truly multiracial, truly pluralistic democracy? 17/
I tried to make this point at the end of this @DinDpodcast, on democracy in Europe and how it compares to the situation in the U.S.: Such a truly multiracial, pluralistic democracy has never been achieved anywhere it would be a world-historic first. 18/
There have been several stable, fairly liberal democracies but either they have been culturally and ethnically homogeneous to begin with (think Sweden); or there has always been a pretty clearly defined ruling group, or herrenvolk. 19/
A truly multiracial, pluralistic democracy in which an individuals status was not determined to a significant degree by race, gender, or religion? I dont think thats ever been achieved anywhere. 20/
The U.S. is in many ways the most advanced, most acute test case: Will it become a stable multiracial, pluralistic democracy or remain a white Christian nation, defined by white Christianism, in which white Christians dominate socially, politically, and culturally? 21/
Its an open question, one of enormous significance for all of us, all democracies around the world. Which is why the stakes, right now, are enormously high. We must hope that Democratic elected officials understand the situation and are willing to act accordingly. /end
Lets add this:
Democrats will have to accept the challenge that accompanies the recognition that they will act alone to protect democracy, or it wont happen at all.
This here, from @ThePlumLineGS, goes right to the heart of the matter. So the question is: Will they?
Since I wrote this thread, a little over 24 hours ago, Republicans blocked a January 6 Commission in the Senate. I want to extend the thread by highlighting a few reactions to the latest Republican assault on democracy that I found particularly relevant:
The perfect encapsulation of Americas urgent crisis of democratic legitimacy.
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Link to tweet
Ignoring and erasing the January 6 insurrection is very much in line with what has been the historical norm in the U.S. for most of the countrys existence.
Much closer to the truth than the lame, but pervasive center-right country pseudo-analysis.
This, exactly.
brush
(53,733 posts)into the Jan. 6 coup attempt sure seems to point to that. And the filibuster is the obstruction instrument that is also stopping the John Lewis voting rights legislation, infrastructure legislation and legislation to void all the vote suppression legislation happening in states all over the nation.
kentuck
(111,051 posts)The rule by the minority.
Freddie
(9,256 posts)Of the institutions that allow for minority rule. And those very institutions keep us from doing anything about it.
jaxexpat
(6,795 posts)them gated communities. All quite civilized. The Nazis should be quite comfortable.
roamer65
(36,744 posts)Into a scenario where some states have very democratic elections and others have fascistic sham elections.
It will set up a conflict between the states not seen since 1860.
Seriously, why should we in Michigan honor the results of a Texas election if they pass this criminally restrictive voting bill?
We shouldnt. Our only option may be devolution or secession.
Tiger8
(432 posts)My ancestors maimed and killed these racist confederate morons.
I hate to say, but this is going to end in a Civil War - AGAIN. Theyve wanted this since the last war, so we cant allow them to remain on the loose or take the land, because they will kill us. So, I am 100% willing to put on the uniform and take up arms TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY.
Initech
(100,029 posts)And their target would be democrats. That's what happens with 40 years of one-sided propaganda.
roamer65
(36,744 posts)Plus most of the military would end up on our side, due to the higher percentage of minority and urban based members of it.
Training out in some farmers hayfield in a militia is WAY different than street to street urban combat.
orangecrush
(19,384 posts)To form a national task force/coalition to stop the crazies in their tracks.
Jon King
(1,910 posts)Full size bus, painted in colors with Trump as a muscle guy on the back. Selling Tshirts and flags, large crowd gathered around it.
These fools ain't going anywhere and will vote in mass for Desantis or whoever Trump picks. Manchin and Sinema need to stop messing around if they want their kids/grand kids to grow up in a democracy.
wnylib
(21,312 posts)for me to move to Florida where he and some other relatives lived. I am so damned glad that I did not do it.
RVN VET71
(2,689 posts)And Manchin seems not to give a damn what kind of government he leaves his grandchildren. I believe that he is firmly entrenched in the plutocracy (see his daughter as one example) and will be happy with Trump-for-Life as long as he, Manchin, stays in office, and his family can continue living at the top of the food chain.
At any rate, neither of these Senators are particularly inspiring examples of democratic and constitutional principles.
Depending on them means were screwed. Our only and last hope is to negate their power in 2022 by scooping up a few more seats in the Senate. Then we might see Biden and Harris actually get done the things that need to be done, the voting rights bill, correcting the sickening imbalance on the Supreme Court, moving more agressively on climate change.
Losing in 2022 and well not see a free and democratic America in any of our life times.
kacekwl
(7,010 posts)who vote and of who's vote counts and give themselves the power to declare the winners of elections by decree there will be a civil war of sorts. Rich white people are not the majority no matter how hard they try. Depending on how far and how fast Republican fascists push the agenda they are promoting will determine the scale of war because as shown before when people have nothing to lose they will push back especially when there are more of them.