As America's slide into authoritarianism appears to be inevitable..

[cilla4progress]

it remains to be seen what form it will take, how bad it will be.

Will the civil rights conferred in the Constitution, Bill of Rights hold?

[fwvinson]

1. I'm not there. I feel we are strong and can keep a Democracy.

[cilla4progress]

2. Dear goddess

I hope you are right!

[brush]

4. I'm with you. I think there are more pro-democracy people in the nation...

than there are proto-facists. I think we outnumber them and will prevail. trumpism will be a bad memory once his delusion and break from reality becomes more and more apparent. And it will as the House select committee delves into who, what, where, when and how of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

[Silent3]

3. The typical pattern, I believe, is to pretend that law and rights and democracy continue to exist...

...but all of the important institutions are managed by those who will merely put on a show of following rules and respecting rights.

What I see as more likely than totally falling into authoritarianism, however, is the US breaking up, with break-away states resisting any sort of Trumpian rule. Of course, that would be very messy too, since plenty of red people live in blue states, and blue people in red states.

[brush]

8. trumpism will pass once his break from reality becomes more and...

more apparent. The Jan. 6 House select committee will reveal much of his big lie delusion. Democrats and republicans will continue to butt heads in the different states but we outnumber the extreme, right wing crazies and I believe never-trumper republicans will get back some control of their party.

A saving grace is that there is no Mason-Dixon, regional dividing line as in pre-Civil War times that could prompt a secession movement.

Thank God.

And once one or both of the infrastructure bills pass and the high-dollar and long past due projects in all the states get underway producing multiple thousands of good jobs, we'll be all right for a good while. At least until the next wannabe dictator comes along.

Then rinse and repeat.

[Silent3]

10. I don't feel that confident about Trumpism going away

Even without Trump himself leading the way, the Republican party has clearly devoted itself to power above all else. They continue to rig voting laws, and our all-too-slim hold on the Senate has yet to show it can maintain our voting rights.

Those who need to be convinced that Trump was corrupt and dangerous either never cared in the first place, or will stick with the propaganda they love and treat all bad news about Trump as “fake news” and a “witch hunt”.

If Republicans gain control of the House and Senate in 2022, not only will they sabotage the remainder of Biden’s term to turn voters against him, but they have now demonstrated they are completely capable of simply refusing to certify a Democratic presidential victory.

[brush]

11. We shall see won't we? I'm not ready to concede the nation to them.

Last edited Sun Jul 25, 2021, 02:27 PM - Edit history (1)

Infrastructure projects will produce thousands of good jobs and boost the economy which is already rising.

Having a nice paycheck makes people want to keep getting it. And we and independents, plus the sensible republicans outnumber the crazies. I'll go with our chances.

[Silent3]

13. I'm not conceding, I'm just facing the fact...

...that we are in a very precarious situation right now. I'm not insisting that a gloomy outcome is unavoidable, just that there are significant risks of things going badly.

Infrastructure isn't a done deal yet either, and I'm not sure that even if gets passed in a not-too-watered-down form to please the likes of Joe Manchin that it will please enough motivated Democratic voters to overcome Republican election rigging and crazy, but nonetheless very motivated Trumpists.

[brush]

15. The infrastructure bills are closer than you think. The bipartisan one...

is coming up this week and Manchin has already signaled he's on board with the much large reconciliation bill.

Things are actually promising that at least one of those bills will pass...and soon.

[unblock]

5. Just to be clear, the constitution doesn't "confer" rights.

These rights aren't the government's to dole out to people. These are the people's rights, period.

The bill of rights merely recognizes those rights and provides some protection for them.

A pedantic point, perhaps, but an important one I think.

[bahboo]

12. yes...

[sop]

6. Authoritarianism was inevitable following a corporate takeover of the government and economy.

And dismantling our democratic processes is the only way they can hold on to power.

[jalan48]

7. Donald Trump has shown us what it will look like. Those with power will make as much money as they

can off of the failing state while the populous will be kept in a state of ignorance through the use of chaos and hatred of the "other".

[Hortensis]

9. You know, these people are the same kind who became ardent Nazis

under Hitler 90 years ago. It's not just Trump's vicious cruelty -- he got the loyalty of his "red in tooth and claw" followers by using limited power to feed them some of what they want, promising much more. In this latest surge of what always lurks among us, political malice and obedience to their vicious leader has already managed to kill as many as a million others, and they've only gotten more angry and unsatisfied.

So no to assuming we'll fall to them. It's not an option.

But here's a thought: Data files are now available on almost all Americans. In a RW authoritarian state, why would anyone displease the local powers by hiring or keeping on a Democrat he didn't have to? Authoritarians are famously vindictive and harshly punitive against those who cross them, or just displease. Experts say that virtually everyone colludes, as a matter of course, in the crimes and persecutions of authorian governments. Constitution? Bill of Rights? Those are both based on the liberalism they hate and despise.

[Grasswire2]

14. Conceding already??

That's very sick-o.

It seems like something the Kremlin would want us to say/think.

"As for me, I have not yet begun to fight."

What happened to that promise?