Thoughts on Democracy

 

Only the Republicans Can Save Democracy

I have no doubt that if the wheels of justice were allowed to run in the manner they were designed to run, smoothly, as they do in most cases, the former president would be convicted of civil, and possibly criminal, offenses in New York State, and of instigating and planning the January 6 attack on the Capitol building by those intent on keeping his successor from taking office, an act inspired by him, which would also be a criminal offense.  Anyone other than the former president would end up in jail for these and other acts, too numerous to mention here.

But that won’t automatically happen even if he is convicted and sentenced.  He has enough supporters so that putting him in jail would rip the nation apart, result in a possibly bloody civil war and destroy the United States of America as we know it.  There must be a way of avoiding such a tragedy at the same time as seeing that the former president gets whatever punishment our legal system deems appropriate.  We cannot let disregard for the law triumph.

As I see it, the way to accomplish this is not to relent in criticism of the former president and those who support him.  Democrats have been doing this for years, but it has not swayed his supporters.  The criticism must come from Republicans.  Let me repeat that.  The criticism must come from Republicans.  Republicans! They must be the ones who discredit the former president and his followers.

The voices of Liz Cheney and Adam Kitzinger are not enough, but that’s where it must start.  Of course, the Jordans, the Gaetzes, the Gosars, the Greens, the Brooks and their ilk can never be swayed from their support of the former president, nor can Republican governors like DeSantis or Abbott be swayed.  But every Republican who is not locked into this extreme right-wing coterie must speak up and say what they really believe about the former president.  And that, if they listen to their consciences, will amount to most of the elected Republicans in Congress.  Senators Murkowski, Collins, Sasse and Romney must lead the way and others must follow.  They can no longer sit on the sidelines and let undemocratic forces continue to control their Party.

Their criticism of the former president must not mince words. It must be strong enough to weaken his base and it must come from a majority of elected Republicans, willing to speak their minds despite the threat of right-wing primary campaigns against them led by the former president.  They must speak up strongly and forthrightly.  And quickly.

Then, with only the extreme right-wing of the Republican Party left to back him, and his base diminished after the rest of the Republicans speak up strongly and loudly against him, will the former president get the punishment our legal system deems appropriate, which in my opinion should be nothing short of incarceration or exile. 

To accomplish this, I repeat, there must be strong and unanimous support by all Republicans other than the extremist minority who now, out of fear of the former president and not love for him, dominate their party.  Saving the country from either of the undesirable alternatives of becoming an autocracy or engaging in a civil war is in their hands.  It’s a tall order. 

 

But Will The Republicans Step Up to do This?

Leonhardt

David Leonhardt’s column in the New York Times this morning suggests that the Republicans are NOT up to what is required of them to save democracy in this country.  He writes about the progress of the anti-democratic movement in this country.  Check it out at  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/13/briefing/anti-democratic-movement-us-politics.html  or CLICK HERE.

The mounting evidence of the culpability of the former president and his allies in his administration and Congress in regard to staging a “coup” on January 6, 2021, is ominous.  Because so many gullible and frustrated Americans have been taken in by Republican lies, Congressional and Department of Justice actions on this evidence are certain to have violent results. When South Carolina’s secessionists fired on Fort Sumpter in 1861, they did it to make a point, little realizing that 400,000 Americans would die in battle over the next four years. That’s where the anti-democratic forces Leonhardt writes about have placed us today.  My question is whether we will give up democracy to avoid a bloody civil war.

JL 

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Considering a Boycott of Publix?

Floridians:  If you’re fed up with the historically right-wing political stance of the Publix Supermarket chain, their six-figure donation to support Ron DeSantis and most recently the extensive financial support of the chain’s millionairess heir for the January 6 Capitol insurrection, there are alternatives if you wish to boycott Publix.  But Florida shoppers should first check out the political donations of those alternatives.  A Tampa radio station recently reported on this.  Read their report by visiting https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/florida/planning-on-boycotting-publix-you-should-check-other-stores-political-donations/67-558161715 or just CLICK HERE.

If you don’t bother to look at that site, ranking them from the progressive left to the extremist right, an oversimplification based on their contribution history would look like this:  Whole Foods, Wynn Dixie, Target, Walmart, Publix.

 JL 

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 What Was Once an Unthinkable Thought

As most of you know, I faithfully follow Professor Heather Cox Richardson’s daily “Letters From An American.”  I recently posted the following there as a comment to her summary of the undemocratic actions the SCOTUS is taking.

‘A few weeks ago, a frequent ex-pat commenter on LFAA (there are a few of them) invited us to consider moving to Merida in the Yucatan, where she lives.  Were I thirty years younger, I would seriously consider doing so in view of the impending demise of democracy in the United States toward which the SCOTUS is leading us.’

Something for all of us to think about, as some wise Germans did in the early 1930’s.  It turned out to be too late for those others who finally saw the light (or actually, the darkness) a few years later.

 JL 

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Repairing SCOTUS and the United States Senate

With each passing day it becomes inevitable that President Biden will appoint three additional Justices to the Supreme Court while he still has the Senate majority needed to approve them.  The conservatives on the Court are asking for this to happen by their actions in regard to cases related to abortion and their expected actions on Second Amendment cases soon to come before it.   And fearing the possibility of a Republican majority in the Senate next year, pressure should be put on Justice Breyer to resign now while his replacement might be voted upon by that Democratic Senate.

And similarly, if Republicans in the Senate further delay the passage of President Biden’s agenda, action should be taken to finally abolish the filibuster.  We have waited long enough.

JL 

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Covid Remains a Threat 

And although the Covid19 pandemic is officially downplayed in Floriduh by Governor DeSantis, it still goes on.  The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported (online) on 12/11/21  that Florida had just reported 13,530 new Covid19 cases for the week, the highest since October.  Don't let his lies fool you. Continue to mask, observe social distancing and please, get vaccinated, even if you're a Republican.

JL 

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