“Watching
this from Germany. America taught us democracy after WWII and now... your
institutions struggle to handle a situation that destroys them. Frightening and
unbelievable!” - Martin Behle
Yes, it IS hard to believe and it IS frightening. What happened in NAZI Germany IS happening here. Minorities are scapegoated and slaughtered. Detention camps are multiplying. Educators and journalists are demonized as enemies of the people. There is no functioning opposition.
The state of the Republic decays under an authoritarian, corrupt, and criminal administration supported a loyal party of authoritarian accomplices.
The
nation’s people of conscience and understanding watch helplessly as the
opposition can’t even find a way to unite against the greatest threat ever to
America’s founding ideal of democratic representation.
David
Leonhardt lays out the facts in the New York Times:
~~~
Donald
Trump vs. the United States of America
Just
the facts, in 40 sentences.
Sometimes
it’s worth stepping back to look at the full picture.
He
has pressured a foreign leader to interfere in the 2020 American
presidential election.
He urged a
foreign country to intervene in the 2016 presidential election.
He divulged classified
information to foreign officials.
He
publicly undermined American intelligence agents while standing next
to a hostile foreign autocrat.
He
hired a national security adviser whom he knew had secretly worked as
a foreign lobbyist.
He
encourages foreign leaders to enrich him and his family by staying at
his hotels.
He
genuflects to murderous dictators.
He
has alienated America’s closest allies.
He lied to
the American people about his company’s business dealings in Russia.
He
tells new lies virtually every week — about the economy, voter fraud,
even the weather.
He
spends hours on end watching television and days on end staying at
resorts.
He
often declines to read briefing books or perform other basic
functions of a president’s job.
He
has aides, as well as members of his own party in Congress, who mock him
behind his back as unfit for office.
He
has repeatedly denigrated a deceased United States senator who was a
war hero.
He insulted a
Gold Star family — the survivors of American troops killed in action.
He
described a former first lady, not long after she died, as “nasty.”
He
described white supremacists as “some very fine people.”
He
told four women of color, all citizens and members of Congress, to “go back and
help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came.”
He
made a joke about Pocahontas during a ceremony honoring Native
American World War II veterans.
He
launched his political career by falsely claiming that the first black
president was not really American.
He
launched his presidential campaign by describing Mexicans as “rapists.”
He
has described women, variously, as “a dog,” “a pig” and “horseface,”
as well as “bleeding badly from a facelift” and having “blood coming out of her
wherever.”
He
has been accused of sexual assault or misconduct by multiple women.
He
enthusiastically campaigned for a Senate candidate who was accused of
molesting multiple teenage girls.
He waved around
his arms, while giving a speech, to ridicule a physically disabled person.
He
has encouraged his supporters to commit violence against his
political opponents.
He
has called for his opponents and critics to be investigated and
jailed.
He
uses a phrase popular with dictators — “the enemy of the people” — to describe
journalists.
He
attempts to undermine any independent source of information that he
does not like, including judges, scientists, journalists, election officials,
the F.B.I., the C.I.A., the Congressional Budget Office and the National
Weather Service.
He
has tried to harass the chairman of the Federal Reserve into lowering interest
rates.
He
said that a judge could not be objective because of his Mexican heritage.
He obstructed
justice by trying to influence an investigation into his presidential
campaign.
He
violated federal law by directing his lawyer to pay $280,000 in hush money to
cover up two apparent extramarital affairs.
He
made his fortune partly through wide-scale financial fraud.
He
has refused to release his tax returns.
He
falsely accused his predecessor of wiretapping him.
He
claimed that federal law-enforcement agents and prosecutors regularly
fabricated evidence, thereby damaging the credibility of criminal
investigations across the country.
He
has ordered children to be physically separated from their parents.
He
has suggested that America is no different from or better than
Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
He
has called America a “hellhole.”
He
is the president of the United States, and he is a threat to virtually
everything that the United States should stand for.
~~~
And now there's "Ukraine, if you're listening..." and whatever the next crime or betrayal of our country will be.
And now there's "Ukraine, if you're listening..." and whatever the next crime or betrayal of our country will be.
Those
are the facts. The country has fallen into the hands of liars, cheaters, and criminals.
The
Democratic Party is having no more of it. Their message is loud and clear.
"This
time we’re serious and the president’s behavior cannot be ignored. If Trump
continues to commit crimes against the country, humanity, and the planet, the
Democratic Party will be forced to issue stern warnings and statements of
disapproval."
The cavalry can arrive any time now... Oops. They're going to protect a Saudi dictator's oil industry instead.
And so our nation's opposition party decided we're better off to sit and act like we're waiting for Godot.
There is no time to wait for another dark age to pass. This is how it all ends. Or has it already ended? Only Godot knows.
Posts
6 comments:
"And so our nation's opposition party decided we're better off to sit and act like we're waiting for Godot."
Except it's not. Just because the Democrats are not doing what a bunch of blogosphere people dream that they have the ability to do, doesn't mean they are doing nothing. They are investigating, dragging people out into the light to answer questions, and demonstrate the depravity of these people and their contempt and disregard for the law for those people not hooked into the Political News and Blogospheres to eventually see.
The Democrats can not remove the President from office. Impeachment is meaningless. It's not making a statement, it would be perceived as theater despite the obvious transgressions of the President. "Oh, but it'll get the Republicans on record supporting the President." I will hear a supporter say because that's what they are currently saying. To that I respond with, "So what? They are on record? Big whoop? Many of these Republicans are so ensconced in their districts that supporting the President may even prove helpful to their re-election. We can't point out their naked hypocrisy, they don't care or recognize it as such. Either we get a 'Democrats do it worse' or a willingness to give up their morality to support anti-abortion or tax cuts they think actually benefit them or the romanticized notion of supporting our troops or the irrational fear of brown people. We can't shame them, because they don't care or have no shame. Just look at this Blog's resident troll, JTF for examples in all of these aspects.
So the Democrats do the only thing that'll have any effect: Ask questions, subpeona, shine lights. It's not sexy, results aren't quick or assured, but we're not living in an Aaron Sorkin drama.
I'd prefer that our President be referred to as Disgraced, Former President, but I can't allow idealism get in the way of reality and practicality. They aren't waiting for Godot, we're all waiting for election day. Point out the crimes, convince the unconvinced, and we make President Trump into Disgraced, Former President Trump.
TB3,
Yes, we need to make President Trump into Disgraced, Former President Trump. Impeachment is such a disgrace. Let’s hope Democrats don’t disgrace themselves in weakness and indecision.
Failure to act on impeachment only encourages more crimes from the president. And it has. Such appeasement is dangerous.
You're correct. The House Dems are doing the right thing by holding hearings and investigations. Unfortunately subpoenas are ignored and perjury is effectively encouraged by Trump and the Barr DOJ.
The "impeachment is off the table" attitude and the cowardice on the part of the freshmen reps who fear losing due to their support for impeachment are what I'm calling out.
It is quite sickening that the possibility of winning by abdicating their oaths to the Constitution and rule of law is preferable to the possibility of losing by upholding the Constitution and rule of law.
We know the Right will call it theater, or a witch hunt, or socialism. I understand this. Dems are too intimidated by what Republicans might say. I also understand Trump will gloat about not being impeached, and it will be his final ace to play.
Dems are starting to utter the word impeachment, and that is a good thing. Calling them impeachment hearings is helping, rather than hindering, their cause. All Dems need to do is repeat the truth. They are supporting our Constitution.
They aren't waiting for Godot, we're all waiting for election day." Maybe it’s the same thing?
I could say "Godot" IS election day, but unlike Godot, it will actually arrive. The president will brag he wasn't even impeached for his actions, and may well win. What then? More waiting for Godot. (Sorry, I’m keeping the phrase. It’s too good not to.)
I understand Pelosi's goal is to retain her majority. I happen to think an impeachment process is not only the best strategy, but also their Constitutional duty. It's amazing how so many Dems can't find the gumption to loudly and incessantly repeat, "The Republican Party is abetting a criminal president and violating their oaths to the Constitution. We are standing for the Constitution and rule of law. And both call for impeachment”. Some are taking this stand. All of them need to. If this isn’t the time for Democratic unity, then there never will be.
Most Americans did not support the impeachment of Nixon when the process began. Too bad all Dems remember is Clinton.
I want to preface this response by saying, you and I are on the same side of this issue as far as the end goal. That said:
"Failure to act on impeachment only encourages more crimes from the president. And it has. Such appeasement is dangerous."
It's Congress. It's not exactly a body known for being expeditious in its approach to anything. Clinton was Impeached in '98? Paula Jones and Ken Starr started in '94. It's not a failure to act when it's simply the perception of inaction. There are, at least, two dozen ongoing investigations concerning the President. As for the ignored subpoenas and perjury, the people ignoring subpoenas are counting on the very vague "Legitimate Legislative Sphere" wording in Congress's power to investigate the President. So there's a whole court process Congress has to go through to deal with that attempt by the Executive to circumvent Legislative oversight.
"We know the Right will call it theater, or a witch hunt, or socialism. I understand this. Dems are too intimidated by what Republicans might say. I also understand Trump will gloat about not being impeached, and it will be his final ace to play."
Will call? I feel like the words "Witch Hunt" comes out of the President's mouth daily. We're already at the point where they are defining and naming the process. I don't believe there is a hint of intimidation on the Dem's part concerning what Republicans will call the process. Again, don't confuse the perception of inaction with the Dem's being intimidated. What's to be intimidated about? Or are you equating wanting to keep their job as intimidation? I recognize that elected officials have a balancing act to perform. Dems in danger of losing to a Republican in a contested district do have to play that game, but stick to rigid principles, lose their seat and give further power to Trump's enablers or bend principles and play the cards dealt to you with eyes on the long game of defeating Trump? It's not abdicating their oath when they seem to be clearly, to me at least, giving Trump and his administration more rope to hang themselves.
"Dems are starting to utter the word impeachment, and that is a good thing. Calling them impeachment hearings is helping, rather than hindering, their cause. All Dems need to do is repeat the truth. They are supporting our Constitution."
Good! That's why we're hearing "witch hunt" come back into the political discourse.
"The president will brag he wasn't even impeached for his actions, and may well win. What then?"
The President will brag that he wasn't convicted by the Senate for his actions after being impeached and may well win. What then? Honestly, if the Mueller Report was a 'TOTAL EXONERATION', how do you think Mr. Hyperbole is going to spin the Senate not removing him from office? Those are worse optics than his bragging about not being impeached.
" I happen to think an impeachment process is not only the best strategy, but also their Constitutional duty."
I get you are going for the moral high ground here, but the competition is with a bunch of people all-too-comfortable rolling around in the mud.
"Most Americans did not support the impeachment of Nixon when the process began. Too bad all Dems remember is Clinton."
Completely different political climate between the two. We're in the age of Gingrich's Scorched Earth Politics. In Nixon's time you still had people willing to cross the aisle over moral stances and Country over Party. Newt helped to turn Neighbor against Neighbor with his Politics as Sport tactics. If Clinton's Impeachment happened now, I don't imagine any of the Republican Senators that helped to keep the Senate from convicting him then would cross over today. Look no further than JTF as the results those tactics.
TB3,
I’m really hoping the day will come when waiting for impeachment WAS like waiting for Godot.
Your case for caution and serious political considerations is well founded from that perspective. Yes, I do think certain reps are intimated by thinking they could lose their jobs for following the law and Constitution. This indicates the extent of the toxic infection to the rule of law, and the disease to the process of a democratic republic, all inflicted by the far Right.
That’s why we need an impeachment inquiry. The public needs to know this “theatre” is serious and real. And they need to know the crimes are real and provable with evidence. Those reps may find they have less fear of losing their jobs after this process is moving.
Standing on the moral high ground is vital for the defense of freedom and democracy, and it is strategic in that we actually claim the authority that the Right has long framed as theirs alone.
Trump has been given enough rope. Giving him more rope is only clearing his way to committing more crimes and causing more damage to our country.
It is time for an impeachment inquiry. And it’s looking closer after today and tomorrow.
Don the Con can yell “total exoneration” all he wants. As you said, he will anyway. What he cannot say will be “No impeachment”. And his “exoneration” will be only by his party loyalists, who will be seen by history as accomplices.
The impeachment will be his disgrace. I think he knows this. And the evidence gathered by the official inquiry, plus the Mueller Report, will be enough to convict him when he loses.
If he wins, endless waiting for Godot will be all that’s left.
"The times have found us. The actions taken to date by the President have seriously violated the Constitution. It is for this reason that the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry." - Nancy Pelosi
Thank you, Nan. Perhaps it required my "Waiting for Godot" metaphor to get you on board?
I turned on the news as I read your last response. Damn Nancy was making the announcement. I said, Damnit Dave.
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