No Longer A Hypothetical
Trump has flirted with authoritarian rhetoric, but our real concern should be the current attack on democracy itself by the forces of greed and religious fanaticism.
By David Todd McCarty | Tuesday, October 13, 2020
America finds itself in a curious place historically speaking, one that was unimaginable only a few short years ago. We are in the midst of actual debates concerning the dangers of authoritarianism, the nature of fascism, the viability of democratic institutions, the abolition of established norms, martial law, and nothing less than the future of America. These aren’t theoretical conversations, or cautionary tales we are discussing. This isn’t worrying about the possibility of a constitutional crisis. We are no longer considering what could happen. It is happening.
So this notion that taking unusual, though not unprecedented steps to correct the course of our country, should somehow be viewed as radical is rather absurd. It is merely Pollyanna wishful thinking that we might put the genie back in the bottle or collect all the demons from Pandora’s box after they’ve scattered. We are in full-blown crisis mode and our first order of business has to be the election. If we have any hope of plugging the holes of this sinking ship, let alone righting it, we have to win back total control of government. Any fantasy of bipartisan governing is gone and done with. Joe will have to get over the idea that his blessed Senate is no more.
They say that when someone tells you who they are, you should listen. When they show themselves to be duplicitous, conniving, dishonorable and deceitful, you should take them at their word, and recognize their actions as duly representative of their intentions.
Republicans have been attempting to dismantle democracy in America for the better part of half a century and have actively been working to pack the federal courts with conservative judges, confirm a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, rig elections through gerrymandering and voter suppression, gridlock legislation through filibusters, enable corporate funding of elections, sell off public assets, and privatize public institutions starting with the Post Office.
If you haven’t been paying attention, and it’s clear you were not, they have succeeded. They did it. The accomplished everything they intended to do. They had one last piece in the puzzle, and that was a solid conservative majority on the Supreme Court so that they could legislate the country towards their ideal of a theocratic oligarchy.
Our only option is to overwhelm them at the ballot. If we fail there, we will have failed at everything.
But if we are able to overcome their attempt to enact Christian, white supremacy rule over the majority, we must not believe they will just give up. We must act quickly and with resolve. Expand the courts. Abolish the filibuster. Enact voter rights legislation and campaign finance reform. Undercut the Electoral College with state reform. Pass meaningful legislation on everything from healthcare to criminal justice to immigration. Do without their help. Do it despite their cries. Reform government until it can never again return to the brink of fascism.
Nothing could be more important. Everything is at stake.
Vote.
Follow David Todd McCarty on Twitter @davidtmccarty and The Standard @capemaystandard
