An awfully damned inconvenient truth:

[Atticus]

the attitude of a very significant percentage of those paying any attention at all is now "I don't want to hear about 'new evidence', further 'investigations' or 'slow but methodically'. If those we all know are traitorous criminals are not very soon arrested and prosecuted, 'no man is above the law' is a goddam lie and our democracy is lost!"

To deny that that attitude is significant and growing is akin to saying that an approaching tsunami will somehow go away.

[Ilsa]

1. So many people have no patience. This process requires

patience or we truly have no fairly applied law.

[2naSalit]

3. +1

Patience and respect.

[Chainfire]

4. Patience and respect causes the bear to be trapped, right after he ripped your insides out.

It is way past time, and I think that everybody really knows it.

[dchill]

21. Not to put too fine a point on it, but, yup.

[Hortensis]

7. Yup. Someone has to do it right, and that has to be us.

Btw, experts say the kind of democracy-versus-authoritarian-takeovers we now find ourselves in often go on for decades, with neither side gaining enough advantage long enough to solidify control.

That doesn't have to be the case, of course. We can stabilize the way a genuine majority want, to what we all inherited and has been "the American way," if they vote for it.

One way or another, though, the right isn't going to just stop being crazy, and the risen extremism isn't going to just go away, even if Democrats keep power in DC. The fear and anxiety behind them will continue, and we all need to strengthen our ability to function well in spite of insecurity.

Btw, I believe the biggest single cause of the planetwide rise of RW authoritarian extremism, and all the ugly irrationality and hateful rages that go with that, is the planetwide climate change crisis in its various manifestations. And awareness of that has only recently begun to come home to people.

It's going to be a long road.

[Escurumbele]

12. I tend to disagree, when the ultra-right is able to implement a totalitarian regime, it is very

hard to get them out, and one thing they do very well is to work fast to dismantle the freedom of the people, the constitution becomes a target, one they change to suit their needs. Examples? Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Belarus, etc.

People think these right-wingers are incompetent because everything they do destroys something, what they don't realize that destroying things is their goal, education is one that gets destroyed almost immediately because the goal is to indoctrinate, then comes the abuse of power where enemies are jailed, tortured and killed, then the abuse of the economy where they start taking all the money for themselves, etc., etc. It is always the same methodology, and the end result is the same, an impoverished country and a handful of very corrupt people living like kings, and that includes the military when they decide to support the regime.

We cannot fall sleep on the wheel, it takes seconds to get into an accident, it is the same when loosing Democracy.

[Farmer-Rick]

25. Wait...are you saying Venezuela is right wing authoritarian?????

The current elected government is socialist and has enacted numerous socialist policies.

The right wing filthy rich of Venezuela are very unhappy with this reality and have joined forces with Trump and US right wingers to portray Venezuela's current government as corrupted.

I noticed Biden has no problems negotiating with Venezuela's elected government.

[Hortensis]

29. No, we agree. When they're able to implement. But apparently

revolutions don't always quickly get enough power to do away entirely with democracy. Like Hungary right now.

Some countries that fell also had decades of serious problems that lead to desperate people choosing the extreme solutions promised by extremist groups trying to overthrow "the establishment."

Just for example, problems causing people to turn to socialism in Ecuador and Venezuela, leading to further decades of worsening problems, instability, regime changes, and of course dictatorships.

Worth noting, and in line with your opinion about ruthless RWers, is that sometimes supposedly LW socialist governments become run by RW authoritarian types who sell themselves as LW. After all, the right tends tend to produce the most aggressively ruthless authoritarians, and more of the type, as well as wealthy backers, and they're not picky about the means to power.

[malthaussen]

14. Stipulating that this is true, it already *has* been going on for decades... n/t

[Hortensis]

30. The "vast RW conspiracy" has, but democracy has become

gravely endangered in this century and especially over the last decade.

We all need to remember they're being assisted by LW "wannabes" who see destruction by RW revolution as a step to their takeover from a RW dictatorship. Yeah, irrational -- a small fringe who can't even give away socialism are going to take an entire nation from an established RW police state.

Not exactly our most rational extremists. But, as one of their power seekers who did manage carry it off (ultimately responsible for many millions of deaths) put it, "The worse the better."

[HariSeldon]

16. I balance patience against political reality

If an indictment comes, and does so at a time that riles Republicans and Trumpists to vote en masse, it will be a Republican POTUS in the White House granting a pardon to Trump for all his federal crimes two years hence. And that's assuming the new Republican administration doesn't just give up the case in the appeal process sure to come. This is the primary factor limiting my patience. I fear Garland may wait so long to indict Trump that any consequence of conviction would be moot.

I will give Garland one more month before I fully move into the "incompetent as Attorney General" camp.

[relayerbob]

18. This

[Justice matters.]

19. Were it ANY other ordinary citizen (just like him NOW)...

The "two-speeds" justice system would have arrested and charged with espionage.

Then once "in" custody (with those charges, one per file), non-stop interrogations 16-hours-a-day without days off, for truthful answers about exactly what he did with the U.S. National-Security related classified files.

Allied nations stopped sharing their intel about terrorist threats, among other stuff! Non-actions have consequences DUH...

Then super-charged with any other statute violation(s). Pile them up to the hundreds!

[LudwigPastorius]

24. We really only have one precedent anywhere...

close to this investigation - Watergate.

From the time the burglars were arrested to the time a grand jury was poised to hand down four indictments against Nixon was 20 months.

We are now 21 months from the Capitol attack.

I understand why people are beginning to get anxious and cynical.

[Skittles]

34. you cannot blame people for feeling discouraged

repukes started a war based on lies and were never held accountable.....also, remember FITMAS and the Mueller Report.....

[hurple]

2. We already knew there was a class of people above the law

This is just glaring in-your-face proof.

I mean, check it... the mindless drone minions are being thrown in the slammer left and right, but the masterminds are still just cruising along holding rallies and preaching their terrorist threats across the country.

[gab13by13]

5. Donald Trump gave Merrick Garland

a gift wrapped indictment for his theft of super classified documents. I had no faith that Garland would ever indict Trump for his role in the ongoing insurrection because it is too complicated, too hard to prove.

Trump gave Garland a gift wrapped indictment that I expect will happen in early 2023.

Yeah, sometimes prosecutors are so slow and methodical that the statute of limitations runs out on the crime.

[fightforfreedom]

6. It took AG James 3 years to bring a lawsuit in a civil case.

Our justice system takes time. That's how it is set up.

[Silent3]

8. You can be pulled over for running a red light, cops find drugs in your car, and you're in jail...

...that night. You might get out on bail, but it won't take long to put your ass in jail long-term if the drug violation was serious enough.

Trump's possession of secret documents was JUST AS BLATANT as having a few kilos of cocaine in your car. This is unquestionably double standards of justice, not merely "Our justice system takes time".

And if "That's how it is set up", it's worth complaining about loudly. This level of timidity and glacial slowness in not a reasonable requirement for fairness nor justice.

[kacekwl]

10. +10000

[malthaussen]

17. Agreed. Furthermore, we have already heard rumblings of the...

... "Mustn't affect the elections" noise. Whether or not that is the attitude inside the DoJ, deponent knoweth not, but pattern-analysis suggests something very like it.

-- Mal

[tritsofme]

9. It only seems significant in a place like this.

The vast majority of voters either aren’t paying attention at all, or are content with the course being pursued by DOJ.

[Silent3]

11. The public not paying attention is a big part of the problem, not an indication...

...that the DoJ's slow and timid progress against Trump and his gang is meeting some worthy standard of public approval.

Our democracy most definitely in peril, whether not not large portions of the public are either sleep-walking through the danger, or have been propagandized to believe that it's Democrats who are the big threat.

[TheRickles]

13. I'd be more willing to be patient if we weren't 5 weeks from a crucial election.

Some major indictments or convictions now, ASAP, would help ensure a blue wave. Otherwise, without majorities in House and Senate, much of this judicial process will simply get shut down.

[tritsofme]

15. How do you suppose Republican congressional majorities would "shut down" the judicial process?

It um, doesn’t work that way.

[Evolve Dammit]

28. Well, the 1/6 commitee would be gone and impeachment would start within weeks. It wouldn't

change DOJ cases per se, but attorneys are politically affiliated like we are, and a GOP Congress would put a new slant on things, even if it is largely emotional (each person's idea(s) about future events).

[relayerbob]

20. Actually, it would be much more likely to fire up the GQP to exact revenge

And the fact that we don't know which alternative would actually occur is WHY they don't want to do it this close to an election.

[KS Toronado]

27. I agree

Best not to motivate Right Wingers to go out & vote.

[Snackshack]

22. Our Democracy is already...

Lost. America is running on the fumes of the infrastructure and Democracy the was put in place by past congresses when the 2 party’s compromised to find a common ground and move forward.

The GOP has destroyed that. The zero tolerance the GOP has for compromise because that is somehow being “weak” is not Democracy. The GOP has become a wanna be dictatorship with a sprinkling of fascism.

As for this notion that people don’t want to hear new evidence is completely understandable but not something I have seen. The fact is the DOJ could have moved on DT and the rest already. There is already more than enough evidence the DOJ has to indict DT but hasn’t instead we see DT hoping around the country continuing lie and fan the flames of violence and it must stop. This “oh the election is too close” to hold any politicians accountable is bullshit just like that OLC memo.

[Augiedog]

23. If trump is above the law then so are we all

[Farmer-Rick]

26. Not so much

Maj. Jamie Lee Henry and Anna Gabrielian got arrested and indicted within months and are currently under house confinement. They stole only privacy act protected info to turn over to Russian agents.

I gurantee if I stole top secret documents today, I would be in jail tomorrow.

We have 2 different legal systems. One for the rich and powerful and one for the rest of us. This is Not democracy.

[Evolve Dammit]

31. I would be in jail tomorrow. As would any Dem if the R's were in charge. I gotta agree

[hay rick]

32. "No man is above the law" is a goddam lie and our democracy is lost!" may be hyperbole but...

it contains an uncomfortable amount of truth. We have a de facto two or three-tier judicial system- one for the rich, connected, and corporate persons; one for the mostly white middle class; and one for minorities and the disadvantaged. Our democracy may not be lost but it is utterly non-functional on a host of issues: climate change, homelessness, military spending, voting rights, women's rights, etc.

[TigressDem]

33. The main issue is HE IS ON THE LOOSE.

Now if the orange man were a normal citizen, he would be under house arrest at the very least or in jail awaiting trial because of the seriousness of his crimes.

He is continuing to agitate and potentially bring about a Civil War is a good cause for concern.

NO SHADE ON THE DOJ.

SURE they have their reasons, but it isn't easy to live with a serial offender while he goes out and continues to rack up offenses.

[Hassler]

35. Also, RW authoritarian regimes are deeply misogynistic. As Dahlia

Lithwick recently pointed out, we thought the "Lock Her Up" chants were only symbolically about Hilary, but after Dobbs, it is quite literally what they have in mind for women.