Democracy
The Left says Trump is destroying democracy.
The Right isn’t paying attention, although Zmirak writes and Candace talks.
So, is democracy at risk—what is American-style democracy actually?
Democracy is how America functions. For example:
Balance of power, i.e. power is distributed evenly between the three branches of government: legislative (Congress), executive (White House), and judicial (courts).
The American flag and an approaching wildfire…
Rule of law: We are all accountable to fair laws equally applied.
Guaranteed rights to: speech, religious expression, vote, pursue life, liberty, happiness, etc.
Capitalistic economy versus Socialistic, Communistic, dictatorial, etc.
These four points are a small fraction of governmental civics—which used to be a required study. No longer.
Trump’s Threat
Is Trump threatening America’s democracy?
President Trump was legally elected in 2016. He is a raucous, ranting, hard-bitten New York business man. He is not a politician. That he operates as he does is his style. Democracy is not threatened by style.
Democrats are crying “Foul!” because Trump nominated Judge ACB to fill Justice RBG’s seat on the Supreme Court. Twenty-nine times in American history seats on the Court have been vacated during an election year. The last time this occurred, President Obama was in office. President Trump did what every other President has done: nominate a new justice. Nothing undemocratic here.
Democrats also cry “Foul!” because the Senate voted on now-Justice Barrett during an election year. Their complaint is that the Senate didn’t vote on President Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland.
The Senate didn’t vote on President Obama’s nominee in 2016 because the Democrats lost control of the Senate in 2014. It was a bitter pill. However, not voting had nothing to do with democracy and everything to do with the Democrats losing control of the Senate in 2014. Unhappiness, yes. Undemocratic, no.
Summary thus far
Trump is uncouth. He has upset DC while achieving a great deal. (How did he get so much done?) Republicans control the Senate. Half of America loves Trump. Half hates Trump. There’s nothing undemocratic about this.
So what of democracy?
If I was going to ruin democracy, how would I do it?
Balance of Power
First and easiest, I would undermine the constitutional balance of power between the judiciary, legislative, and executive branches of government.
Since the most vulnerable of the branches is the legislative, I would pack the Supreme Court—i.e. add additional justices who favor my political position—thus co-opting the Court’s independence with an insurmountable number of justices favorable to my political persuasion. By doing this, my party could control the Court for the foreseeable future.
Many Democrats and the media are advocating for this tactic. Mr. Biden says the American people don’t deserve to know what he thinks about Court packing but that if elected he will enact judicial reform that goes well beyond packing the Court.
If the Democrats pack the Court, they should be able to control all three branches of government in perpetuity. The balance of power is dismantled and America’s two-party system is now functionally a one-party system.
Freedom of Speech
Next, to ruin democracy I would turn a blind eye to blatant censorship by big tech and a duplicitous media—provided they [for the time being] facilitate my preferred political agenda. So what if free speech is dealt a fatal blow for half of America and the other political party is silenced. They’re deplorable anyway.
Then, I would tolerate—even facilitate—labeling conservative speech “hate speech” and “racist.” This way, the other political persuasion is deemed immoral, deplorable—and to any thinking person, illegitimate.
What’s not to love about a one-party nation? It works in China. Russia’s doing okay.
Freedom of Religious Expression
I would also seize upon the pandemic. I’d let airlines fill their middle seats but legally penalize houses of worship for meeting—even in small groups.
Freedom of religion gets in the way—allegiance to God not government is hard to overcome.
I would also blame the Jews for the spread of the virus in New York. There’s historical precedence, after all. Then, I would hail the Governor of New York the most effective governor in America. This way, we all have it on good authority—the governor’s—that the Jews are at fault (and must be dealt with).
Religious zeal is an impediment to national wellbeing. It’s like religious people are on drugs.
Voting and Free Elections
Next, I would eliminate the electoral college. It’s antiquated, confusing, and only America has such a notion [to ensure equal representation]. It would be preferable for the country to be dictated to by the elite who live on the coasts and in the cities. The half of America that lives in the middle doesn’t know any better than to embrace a different viewpoint from the enlightened one. This way, every election has a known outcome—my party—and dissident opinion is neutralized.
The Rule of Law
Next, to ruin democracy and be sure my one party’s political future is certain, I would let people who are not citizens of America vote—many of whom are in the country illegally. So what if election laws and immigration laws are subverted. The rule of law can be really inconvenient when you really need to win in November.
Here’s another idea: I would allow convicted felons to vote. But again, those pesky laws. I would locate a billionaire and buy felon’s votes by paying their outstanding legal penalties. This way, we can get past election laws while being dismissive of the rule of law overall—as suits us. It’s not democratic, but it’s a winning ticket.
And if any other laws are impediments, I’ll ignore them. The rule of law can’t matter or we’re screwed.
Constitutional Legitimacy
Finally, I would marginalize the foundational document of democracy, the United States Constitution, by reasoning that it is outdated. After all, how could a bunch of white guys wearing funny pants know in 1776 what issues we would face in 2020?
If the Constitution has suitable ideas, great. If it gets in the way, then we will arbitrate and validate new standards as we go. As we need to. As suits us. Trust me, this will work—unless it doesn’t.
Capitalism and the Economy
It goes without saying that Capitalism is immoral. Socialism is way better—and no, it doesn’t matter that we don’t know what Socialism is. It’s just better. The Danes are a perfect example of why Socialism is better, even though they say they aren’t Socialists.
Everyone must be equal. Never mind that implementing and enforcing social equality requires eliminating all those who dissent or don’t fit in. Dissenters and unfortunate ones have always gotten in the way of revolutions. It’s such a shame that in a country as vast as America we don’t have anything like Siberia at our disposal.
There you have it: If empowered to do so, that’s how I would ruin America’s democracy.
The End of Democracy
I hope all Americans—Democrat, Republican, something else—are angry, offended, sickened, and that your American stomach boils as you read these paragraphs.
The vote in November is NOT about Trump or Biden. It truly is about the future of American democracy.
Democrats, your party of choice is pushing these initiatives while being aided and abetted by traitorous media and big tech. That puts you in a hard place—at least I hope that puts you in a hard place. Don’t delude yourselves. Trump is not the threat to democracy on November 3rd.
Those of you eaten up with hatred for Donald Trump? I have two questions: 1) How did you let yourself be consumed by such hatred? 2) Is your soul so permeated with hatred that you will vote for America’s demise as a representative democracy?
This election is not about Trump or Biden.
This election is about our future as a representative, democratic, free people.
How we got here, I’m not sure—and don’t even bother me with “Trump got us here.” The man’s only been in DC for 3.5 years. We got us here—by hook or crook.
Congress represents us. Hate Nancy Pelosi? Hate Ted Cruz? They are us! Further, we are the users and empowerment for the monopolies of social media. We are the ones blindly believing what the poisonous, forked-tongue media tells us.
Dear, dear America! Come to your senses.
The stated intent by the DNC, blatant censorship, and a disingenuous media should scare us spitless!
What do I propose?
As bitter as the pill would be for Democrats, and as vomitous as Trump haters might feel afterward, the people leading the way toward ruination of American democracy cannot be entrusted with office on November 3rd. They have lost their way and power deludes them.
Yes, that previous paragraph results in reelecting Trump.
Swallow hard. Step to the bushes when you depart your polling place and render up your lunch. Trump for four years is heaven compared to a ruined democracy—if you stop to think about it.
You blurt out, “But surely not. You’re just promoting Trump!”
And I ask you to read again—more closely. Two thoughts: First, I’m advocating for America’s democracy, not Trump. Second, observe all the hyper-links to my research for this article. Click on them. Check them out. I’m taking the DNC at their word. As Americans, we all must take the DNC seriously lest we suffer immeasurably.
Our only chance as a democracy is to vote ourselves a chance to try again as Americans. Together we work things out.
Enough of this neighbor hating neighbor. Remember what’s on our money, E Pluribus Unum, “out of many, [we are] one.”
My fellow Americans, we vote ourselves another chance at democracy on November 3rd. Then, on November 4th we stand up as one people and declare to our representatives in DC—including President Trump—that our democracy is not to conclude, our laws are not subject to whim, our Constitution is not to be disenfranchised, and the rights declared in our Declaration of Independence are still true and not to be trifled with. Either do as we democratically say or we call you out and vote you out.
By the way, that’s representative democracy.
Further: We must tell our elected officials in DC (and elsewhere) to reign in big tech. They have done us—our democracy—a grave, grave disservice with their censorship and running slipshod over our privacy laws. Unfortunately, we the people have rendered up so much of ourselves to big tech that it will require governmental action to return big tech to servants of society instead of guardians.
And the media: The media has always fed from the bottom of the social pond. Yes, we must have a free press, but that doesn’t mean we can’t hold them to a standard that serves our democracy. This reform is easy: The media either rededicates itself to journalistic excellence or they go out of business (because we have lots of choices).
My Summary
My proposed solution is a three-step process:
1) Vote “no” to the ruin of democracy advanced by this group of DNC wannabes. This reelects Trump in the short term but it preserves democracy and unifies us as a people moving forward for the long term.
2) As one people, empowered by a November landslide enabling us to embrace another chance at democracy, we spend the next set of election cycles—2, 4, and 6 years—to reinstitute a healthy, two-party system, dedicated to bi-partisan collaboration, and a return to thoughtful Americanism that ensures the rights of all our citizens.
3) Demand that DC reign in big tech, e.g. enforce monopoly laws, regulate business, honor anti-discrimination laws, conclude their favorable standards and financial status, etc.
In this way, Americans behave like Americans—the great melting pot that makes us united people—and secures our democracy. Once achieved—and we can do this in one election cycle—our society will be reset, i.e. our priorities will be established, our standards reaffirmed, and our civility as a people solidified.
The alternative is unthinkable.
Democracy empowers every person. The alternative being offered in November ruins democracy. Let’s not let ourselves be torn asunder.
E Pluribus Unum.