By P.S. White
We find ourselves at a critical point for our Democracy, and the next few months may determine if the country is up to the challenge of facing a clear challenge our Constitutional system. We have an unstable and potentially dangerous presidential administration in office which presents a high threat level if its current war of words turns to actions that violate our freedoms and Democratic Institutions. Donald Trump has regularly attacked the free press, the judiciary, the system of check and balances, and has even suggested that violence could arise throughout the country if the upcoming mid-term elections do not go in his favor. So far, his words have not gone beyond rhetoric, damaging as that may be. But if he starts to act against these institutions that he sees as threats to his power, who will stand as the barrier against his dangerous and autocratic impulses?
Trump has waged a war against the press since before he was elected, often making the egregious claim of “fake news” against any coverage that does not hold him in a good light (and almost always failing to provide proof that said coverage is “fake” or in any way misleading). He started to attack the judiciary and the system of checks and balances once the courts began striking down his executive orders shortly after he assumed office. He has regularly berated any public officials that have opposed him, no matter their party affiliation, and has demanded blind loyalty from government officials he considers to be under his control. He has whipped up fear against immigrants and has already taken extreme action, including separating children from their families, against those found to be in the country illegally. And most recently he has potentially raised doubts about the upcoming elections claiming they could lead to violence.
Throughout this, many have criticized his actions, but this has done little to restrain his overreaches of authority, and the officials and institutions who should be stepping up and acting as a check against his abuses have been silent, non-committal, and/or mostly ineffective.
First and foremost, the Republicans—who currently control Congress—have failed in their duty as elected officials to stand against the very clear threats coming from the Executive Branch. Beyond a few fringe members of the party, they have offered little in the way of rebuke against his words and actions. Nor have they wielded the Constitutional tools available to them to strong-arm Trump into getting his actions and administration—both of which appear to be spiraling out of control—in order. A few have challenged certain actions from time to time, but this rarely goes beyond the occasional reprimand. Instead, the Republicans in general have chosen to place party loyalty above their sworn duty to act as a check against overreaches of power and also to uphold our Constitution and protect our Democratic system of government.
The Democrats have been very vocal in their opposition to Trump, but have also been largely ineffective in restraining him. They appear be a party without direction and completely lacking the patriotic fire to make a stand against an autocratic leader that represents a serious threat to our Democratic way of life. Beyond Bernie Sanders, who is considered to be leaning a bit too far left, the party leadership has been largely ineffective and uninspiring. This party, allegedly dedicated to the people, cannot even unite said people to come together and make a stand against a leader who is openly and proudly supported by Neo-Nazis and white supremacists. How can we expect them to protect us against the threat that Trump could pose to our Democratic Institutions if he takes his attacks to the next level?
Even the press, despite being under direct and constant attack, has failed to present much of a unified front against a dangerous leader. The media outlets regularly rebuke Trump’s actions and point out his mistakes in deed and word, but fail to take action against his most direct and damaging attacks. If the media outlets were to unite together and make an attempt to work with our elected officials, they could provide a strong front calling out Trump’s offenses and using the power of information to make a case against him. Instead, they allow the misguided “fake news” dialog to continue as they feed on the drama he has created, which may help their circulation but ultimately threatens their long-term viability.
And now we have insider information from Bob Woodward’s book and the anonymous New York Times op-ed which reveals that the Trump Administration is as chaotic and unstable as expected, and also that a group of unelected and unaccountable staffers are running the government to conform to their narrow views. However, considering the reality-television-like status quo in the Whitehouse, this appears to have drawn a collective yawn amongst the public and those who can really make a difference. So if this sort of revelation cannot stir people to action, what will happen if Trump starts to act on his dangerous impulses?
There was a critical point in Germany’s history in the early 30’s when Hitler—himself once considered a darkhorse candidate for leadership—and his supporters began to squash the Democratic institutions and Constitutional protections that existed in that country in order to consolidate the power of the Nazi party. Many Germans believed at that time that a dictator could not take control in their country, but they were a deeply divided people suffering from economic turmoil and Hitler took advantage of the situation.
Economically, the United States is in a much better position than Germany was in the 30’s, but our divisions may be deeper and more irreconcilable. And Trump has fed off of that as he tries to whip his base into a near-apocalyptic faux-patriotic furor. A large part of his underlying message is that people should trust him instead of our Democratic institutions, and that without him at the helm his country would descend into chaos.
These are the words of a would-be dictator, and those that love our Democratic way of life—even though it has its flaws—should be wary of his vitriolic rhetoric and be on the alert for when he may turn those words into actions. Our elected leaders and the free press have done little to keep Trump in check, giving the appearance that if he takes his attacks to the next level that they would provide an insufficient barrier to the oppressive actions that would follow.
That leaves it to the people of this country—the collective sovereigns of our Democracy—to stand up as the defenders of our freedoms and our way of life. We need to organize. We need to take to the streets in protests. We need to make our voices heard and make it clear that an autocratic leader like Trump is not acceptable in this country. And most importantly, we need to vote in this upcoming election as if its outcome could determine the fate of our country and the continuance of our Democracy. Because it very clearly could, and we must do everything we can to take our country back.
We find ourselves at a critical point for our Democracy, and the next few months may determine if the country is up to the challenge of facing a clear challenge our Constitutional system. We have an unstable and potentially dangerous presidential administration in office which presents a high threat level if its current war of words turns to actions that violate our freedoms and Democratic Institutions. Donald Trump has regularly attacked the free press, the judiciary, the system of check and balances, and has even suggested that violence could arise throughout the country if the upcoming mid-term elections do not go in his favor. So far, his words have not gone beyond rhetoric, damaging as that may be. But if he starts to act against these institutions that he sees as threats to his power, who will stand as the barrier against his dangerous and autocratic impulses?
Trump has waged a war against the press since before he was elected, often making the egregious claim of “fake news” against any coverage that does not hold him in a good light (and almost always failing to provide proof that said coverage is “fake” or in any way misleading). He started to attack the judiciary and the system of checks and balances once the courts began striking down his executive orders shortly after he assumed office. He has regularly berated any public officials that have opposed him, no matter their party affiliation, and has demanded blind loyalty from government officials he considers to be under his control. He has whipped up fear against immigrants and has already taken extreme action, including separating children from their families, against those found to be in the country illegally. And most recently he has potentially raised doubts about the upcoming elections claiming they could lead to violence.
Throughout this, many have criticized his actions, but this has done little to restrain his overreaches of authority, and the officials and institutions who should be stepping up and acting as a check against his abuses have been silent, non-committal, and/or mostly ineffective.
First and foremost, the Republicans—who currently control Congress—have failed in their duty as elected officials to stand against the very clear threats coming from the Executive Branch. Beyond a few fringe members of the party, they have offered little in the way of rebuke against his words and actions. Nor have they wielded the Constitutional tools available to them to strong-arm Trump into getting his actions and administration—both of which appear to be spiraling out of control—in order. A few have challenged certain actions from time to time, but this rarely goes beyond the occasional reprimand. Instead, the Republicans in general have chosen to place party loyalty above their sworn duty to act as a check against overreaches of power and also to uphold our Constitution and protect our Democratic system of government.
The Democrats have been very vocal in their opposition to Trump, but have also been largely ineffective in restraining him. They appear be a party without direction and completely lacking the patriotic fire to make a stand against an autocratic leader that represents a serious threat to our Democratic way of life. Beyond Bernie Sanders, who is considered to be leaning a bit too far left, the party leadership has been largely ineffective and uninspiring. This party, allegedly dedicated to the people, cannot even unite said people to come together and make a stand against a leader who is openly and proudly supported by Neo-Nazis and white supremacists. How can we expect them to protect us against the threat that Trump could pose to our Democratic Institutions if he takes his attacks to the next level?
Even the press, despite being under direct and constant attack, has failed to present much of a unified front against a dangerous leader. The media outlets regularly rebuke Trump’s actions and point out his mistakes in deed and word, but fail to take action against his most direct and damaging attacks. If the media outlets were to unite together and make an attempt to work with our elected officials, they could provide a strong front calling out Trump’s offenses and using the power of information to make a case against him. Instead, they allow the misguided “fake news” dialog to continue as they feed on the drama he has created, which may help their circulation but ultimately threatens their long-term viability.
And now we have insider information from Bob Woodward’s book and the anonymous New York Times op-ed which reveals that the Trump Administration is as chaotic and unstable as expected, and also that a group of unelected and unaccountable staffers are running the government to conform to their narrow views. However, considering the reality-television-like status quo in the Whitehouse, this appears to have drawn a collective yawn amongst the public and those who can really make a difference. So if this sort of revelation cannot stir people to action, what will happen if Trump starts to act on his dangerous impulses?
There was a critical point in Germany’s history in the early 30’s when Hitler—himself once considered a darkhorse candidate for leadership—and his supporters began to squash the Democratic institutions and Constitutional protections that existed in that country in order to consolidate the power of the Nazi party. Many Germans believed at that time that a dictator could not take control in their country, but they were a deeply divided people suffering from economic turmoil and Hitler took advantage of the situation.
Economically, the United States is in a much better position than Germany was in the 30’s, but our divisions may be deeper and more irreconcilable. And Trump has fed off of that as he tries to whip his base into a near-apocalyptic faux-patriotic furor. A large part of his underlying message is that people should trust him instead of our Democratic institutions, and that without him at the helm his country would descend into chaos.
These are the words of a would-be dictator, and those that love our Democratic way of life—even though it has its flaws—should be wary of his vitriolic rhetoric and be on the alert for when he may turn those words into actions. Our elected leaders and the free press have done little to keep Trump in check, giving the appearance that if he takes his attacks to the next level that they would provide an insufficient barrier to the oppressive actions that would follow.
That leaves it to the people of this country—the collective sovereigns of our Democracy—to stand up as the defenders of our freedoms and our way of life. We need to organize. We need to take to the streets in protests. We need to make our voices heard and make it clear that an autocratic leader like Trump is not acceptable in this country. And most importantly, we need to vote in this upcoming election as if its outcome could determine the fate of our country and the continuance of our Democracy. Because it very clearly could, and we must do everything we can to take our country back.
“It is a hopeless misjudgment to think that one could force a dictatorial regime upon the German nation….The diversity of the German people calls for democracy.”
– Theodor Wolff (German writer and journalist) January 1933
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