This is NOT 'normal. NOT business as usual. These are the last months of our Democratic Republic.

[CousinIT]

IT'S. OVER.

WITHOUT A MASSIVE move to ensure accountability AND prevention NOW (voting rights, redistricting reform, and NEW LAWS to prevent another Trump - ALL MUST BE DONE IN THE NEXT 9 MONTHS), then we're sunk.

SUNK.

AND WHILE WE AWAIT OUR INEVITABLE DEMISE, two US Senators, named Manchin and Sinema CLING to an unconstitutional senate rule called a 'filibuster' -- to "save Democracy", they insist. SERIOUSLY? Because all the while they are ONLY thinking TWO things (and saving our Democratic Republic is NEITHER of them): PROTECTING AND INCREASING their personal WEALTH, and their goddamned political careers. AS IF THEY WOULD EVEN HAVE POLITICAL CAREERS once we're a Fascist dictatorship. For these selfish, pretentious pretend Democrats, saving our Republic ISN'T. EVEN. ON. THEIR. RADAR. Beyond useless, they are the PRIMARY KEYS unlocking the door to the absolute destruction of the American Republic. REMEMBER: It isn't only those who are evil who destroy our lives and livelihoods; IT IS THOSE WHO STAND BY AND LET IT HAPPEN -- who fling the door wide open and stand there in apparent oblivion while staring at their bank balances and dreaming of their own political aspirations. Those are the guiltiest parties.

Link to tweet

Trump speaking to Ashli Babbitt's family is a lesson Trump learned from Hitler. After Hitler's 1923 failed coup he honored those killed waging his coup. Here's Hitler speaking to widow of Nazi party member who died in coup. It's from US Holocaust museum: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa31320

Trump's Big Lie and Hitler's: This IS how America's slide into totalitarianism begins

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/trump-s-big-lie-and-hitler-s-is-this-how-america-s-slide-into-totalitarianism-begins/ar-BB1fwT4u

Let's call these things what they are: Attempts by Republican officials to exploit Trump's Big Lie to create permanent Republican rule, but without quite saying that they agree with the Big Lie itself. But even if such prominent Republicans don't flat-out say that the Big Lie is true, refusing to denounce it emboldens more people to believe it — and emboldens policymakers to change society based around it.

This is where the Hitler analogy comes into play. When he and the Nazis were fighting to gain power in Germany during the 1920s, they did so by claiming that their country had been defeated in World War I because they were betrayed by a secret coalition of Jews and socialists. Hitler connected his Big Lie to the cult of personality he was creating for himself by connecting the emergence of his epiphany to Nov. 9, 1918, the day that Kaiser Wilhelm II was overthrown in a democratic revolution. (Germany officially lost the war two days later.) Hitler exaggerated his own experiences as a soldier and argued that he began to pursue a career in politics to restore Germany's stolen valor as a result of the supposed Jewish and socialist treachery.

It is impossible to overstate how much this Big Lie enabled Hitler to rise to power. Although the Nazis never won more than 37.3% of the vote in an election, they were able to leverage that minority into seizing power in 1933. Shortly after that they began to systematically dismantle the democracy that had been created after the German Revolution, suppress and murder political opponents, implement policies that oppressed Jews and other minority groups and lay the foundations for an aggressive foreign policy to reestablish a German empire. Over and over again, these actions were rationalized as being not exactly evil or discriminatory, but as a necessary response to the fact that so many people were convinced Germany would have won the Great War (as it was called at the time) if it hadn't been stabbed in the back by a cabal of enemies. Perhaps the perfect symbol for this was that Kristallnacht, the massive pogrom that wound up being a prelude to the Holocaust, was scheduled to occur on Nov. 9, 1938, on the 20-year anniversary of the supposed betrayal.

You may be wondering, at this point, what evidence Hitler and his supporters had to back up their claims. The answer is, simply put, none whatever. They had no documents, no verifiable firsthand accounts, no smoking guns of any kind. There was a lot of misinformation put out by Nazi and Nazi-adjacent media outlets, to be sure, but not a single shred of it was backed up by any concrete facts. This is why Hitler's claim was a Big Lie: It was a lie so massive in its implications, and so boldly untethered to reality, that it becomes more difficult to challenge simply because no one could imagine that something so audacious was 100% false.

[smirkymonkey]

1. K&R

[themaguffin]

3. No, it's not normal& I find any news that's not about this, pointless right now.

[Cosmocat]

4. right

the house is on fire and the media is debating hair styles ...

[OldBaldy1701E]

11. Yep! (n/t)

[lagomorph777]

13. The only appropriate hair style right now:

[CousinIT]

5. Agree. It's incredibly frustrating. NOTHING else matters if this isn't dealt with NOW. n/t

[Sinistrous]

6. K & R

[ck4829]

7. K&R

[Eyeball_Kid]

8. The dam will break when the FIRST INDICTMENT is issued.

Nothing will spoil an insurrection movement like a Trump indictment.

Yeah. I know. Like, WHEN?

It will come, More than two will come. It's difficult to have faith in the justice system when there's been so much... silence.

BTW, one of the biggest factors in the delay of prosecutions is this nugget from the US Code:

18 U.S. Code § 2383 - Rebellion or insurrection

The code implicates over a third of the current Republican Party in Congress as accountable under this statute. It literally means that those members of Congress who violate this code must be removed from any government position and can no longer serve in a government position. The consequences of prosecuting those who violate this code are daunting. It may mean the dissolution of the Republican Party on a national stage. So extreme diligence must be practiced when applying this federal statute.

[ancianita]

18. I do so want to believe you, but don't believe the DOJ moves without criminal referrals on the 1/3.

I can't believe the Jan 6 committee are even building a credible case against that 1/3 because they are so delayed and disabled right now in building the evidentiary case on the non-congressional instigators. This was an informal plan, an informal conspiracy network -- can their evidence prove the 1/3's actions were conspiracy or rise to the high crime level of this 18 U.S. Code § 2383 - Rebellion or insurrection?

Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 808; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

[Cosmocat]

26. Hitler was throw in jail for the failed beer hall putsch

nm

[StarryNite]

10. Chilling

[Delphinus]

12. Indeed.

[hamsterjill]

14. Trump and his followers fully expect him to be President again.

The toxic minority is scheming and planning, and when someone tells me they can’t do it, I remind them that is what a lot of people said in 2016.

Dems need to act NOW to put that criminal behind bars, along with anyone connected to him. The indictments are coming talk does not cut it.

Manchin and Sinema are taking orders and obstructing. That needs to stop as a first step. Where is the DOJ? Where are the NY indictments?

It’s all utter bullshit that this has taken this long. The longer it wanes, the more likely the Trump supporters will get their wish.

[Cosmocat]

27. You are correct, and honestly, if it didn't happen by now

it probably won't and we are reaching the point where the closer it gets to the election next year the more it will negatively impact Ds in the mid term if it happens ...

[hamsterjill]

31. That's my fear.

And I think, the fear of many DU’ers. But if you post something like that here, you are met with “well what are YOU” doing about it.

Action at this point is out of our hands and in the hands of Congress, et al.

So pardon me if I worry, right?

[dlk]

15. Outraged billionaires are exerting their financial influence to avoid any tax increases

The very idea of even remotely paying their fair is an anathema to them and they are spitting in the eye of the country that allowed them to amass such tremendous wealth.

[KS Toronado]

16. Asking reQublicOns on the campaign trail about the "BIG LIE"

Should be front & center when attacking them in all medias. And if they're smart enough to admit that
the 2020 election was not stolen, attack them with why so many repugs are still promoting the big lie.
Ask them if lying to voters is healthy for a democracy. Should we elect politicians who can't tell a simple
truth? You get the idea, nobody likes liars, let's paint them as such. Plus we should start doing it now
before Qrump is indicted or arrested while they're still afraid of his wrath.

[Lonestarblue]

17. The new voting rights bill should have been passed weeks ago.

It is now essentially too late to do much good. One of the key provisions was to prevent extreme gerrymandering. Texas has finished their plan already, and as expected it gives more safe seats to Republicans while marginalizing minorities and creating big Democratic districts in the cities by lumping us all into one district. And there is no longer any oversight or preclearance thanks to the Supreme Court. Texas gained two new House seats, which means that those seats will go to Republicans along with formerly toss-up seats in districts to which they have added Republican areas to make them safe seats. I’m sure Florida and other red states are doing the same.

With the delay in passing voting rights, even if it eventually passes (which I’m beginning to doubt), courts will let red states use the new districts for the 2022 election because they gained seats and their old maps no longer work. Manchin and Sinema have handed the House majority to Republicans.

Democrats have an opportunity to remake the rules of the Senate, which should include getting rid of the filibuster, decreasing the number of appointments that require Senate confirmation, and changing rules allowing one Senator to hold up dozens of appointments for national security and foreign office staff as Ted Cruz is doing now (and has done for several weeks with no action on anyone’s part).

It’s so frustrating because Republicans grab power when it is not theirs and worry about consequences later while Democrats are handed power and refuse to use it. I see the clock ticking down to the 2022 election, now just over a short year away, and I see voters frustrated with so little change. I also see a Republican Party primed to overturn elections they lose in the popular vote by claiming fraud and throwing out thousands of ballots. There is essentially nothing to atop them.

[ancianita]

23. HAVE an opportunity to remake the rules of the Senate? Do they still have it? Did they back in Jan?

When they had it at the start of the 117th, why didn't they remake the rules then. What was going on that they didn't. I think it was because they knew they couldn't remake rules because they were under 116th session's rules, right? If those rule did not keep them from making new rules, then what happened to Schumer's promises of "big bold" changes.

Exactly how, right now, are Democrats not using the power they have.

[Lonestarblue]

32. They have the power to change the rules around the filibuster, or drop it entirely.

The Senate could pass legislation reducing the number of presidential appointments requiring Senate confirmation. The number is now between 1200 and 1400, which is ridiculous. That number should probably be cut in half. Democrats might argue that they were able to prevent Trump from appointing unqualified individuals. They didn’t. He simply used a revolving roster of acting officials who didn’t have to have any hearings at all and were mostly unqualified Trump sycophants.

By keeping the filibuster, Democrats like Manachin and Sinema have handed Mitch McConnell the power to obstruct anything they want, which is everything. If Manchin refuses to budge on the filibuster, then Democrats should at least make it more difficult by requiring in to be in-person, nonstop speaking by a Senator.

The filibuster may offer some small protection for the rights of the minority party, but it doesn’t protect us from radical, right-wing Supreme Court justices. It doesn’t protect us from irresponsible and huge tax cuts for the ultra wealthy. Its primary purpose is to prevent the Senate from getting anything done.

[ancianita]

34. They don't have the power if they don't have the votes to change the rules. Guess whose votes they

don't have around filibuster rules.

[CentralMass]

29. This.

[uponit7771]

45. +1

[GoodRaisin]

19. K&R!

This is why I have said we all need to be yellow dogs right now and yet see idiotic response to such a simple message, showing there are people that still don’t understand the nature of fight we are in. Protecting our voting rights, getting legislation passed and locking down to protect and increase our majorities in 2022.

[ancianita]

20. We can fill this action vacuum with fearful misgivings or concentrate on WV and Manchin.

[world wide wally]

21. Did Hitler have a Manchin and a Sinema?

[Hortensis]

24. Perhaps our time would be far better spent scrubbing our internet history.

Just a thought. Trading physical contact information with any special friends ahead of this and other sites' shutdowns, or when we don't dare visit.

One of the scariest things about the Nazi Party takeover to me is that Hitler was never actually elected. Others in his party, but not him. He was appointed to a supporting position, and various parliamentary and other inside maneuvers lead to the point where he could seize control, while German deplorables screamed their undying (they were mistaken) support outside. Of course, it wasn't much of a democracy compared to ours, but still.

[Cosmocat]

28. yep

nm

[Initech]

25. I always wondered how average people cozied up to the Nazis.

Watching the MAGAs, now I get it.

[Amishman]

35. go a layer deeper, the root is that unhappy people will latch onto a message of change

Especially when they are promising exactly what those people want to hear. Their own discontent makes the susceptible to buying into the lies.

In Weimar Germany, the root of the unrest was primarily economic.

In the US the root is cultural, we have two populations with radically different visions of what the future should be.

In a way, cultural unrest might be better, as the problems are less pressing and less acute. At the same time, it is far harder to mitigate.

[Mr. Ected]

30. So, who exactly are we supposed to reach out to for help?

Let's start at the top: our Reps and Senators? They are handling things the way they always do: according to the rules and without a lot of urgency (at least that we know of). The media? Right. The only thing liberal about the media is when the right calls it the liberal media. Fellow Democrats? Half of them are unplugged and unaware and the other half are familiar with the uselessness of Congress and the media and write memos of warning on Democratic websites.

We are ceding our democratic republic to corporations. The experiment of 1776 will be a failure, not because of politics or democracy, but because of apathy, propaganda and unfettered capitalism.

[UCmeNdc]

33. K&R

No one will believe it. Trump will not stop!

[Firestorm49]

36. As long as we have an apathetic society, too lazy to get off of their ass and protest en mass,

we might as well sit back and watch America go down in flames. Hundreds of thousands protested during the Vietnam war and it brought pressure on those in power at the time. These days, nobody but us on DU seem to give a darn (nasty expletive greatly preferred but not used) about what’s happening.

The Democratic Party needs to wake the hell up before its too late. Very strong voting legislation needs to be passed now, not “maybe later”. Manchin and Sinema, somehow, need their asses straightened out. The party is looking weak. It’s time to fight like Republicans do. No more mister nice guy, damn it!

[CousinIT]

37. Only thing I know to do is tweet @ POTUS and senators, Jan 6th commission, justice dept.

call and fill up their mailboxes and write letters.

Even POTUS doesn't want to abolish the filibuster. EVEN NOW. And there's Manchin, Sinema and maybe other Dem senators who won't either. I can't with this shit. IF EVER THERE WAS A TIME TO BREAK THAT GLASS, it's NOW.

I mean if even Biden doesn't see that, then what?

We're fucked.

[traitorsgalore]

38. It'll peak when a few states try to secede

I hope they get the F out of the U.S. and never come back, that would instantly end the fascist movement.

[Bonx]

39. I remember all of the other times we were doomed.

[BannonsLiver]

41. Doom is like catnip to many DUers

[CousinIT]

42. Well don't turn on MSNBC because they've been talking about it all day.

Chris Krebs, etc.... So.. it's not just DUers. I don't think Krebs is on DU. Or Frank Figluzzi. Or Charlie Sykes...should I go on?

How about Hillary Clinton? Is SHE on DU? She said we're in a constitutional crisis. How often is she wrong?

Your attempt to minimize this, is noted. However, this IS a crisis.

EDIT:

And DAMN PISSY LITTLE is getting done about it and we have VERY LITTLE time left. Do go back to your beer, chips and football though. Nothing to be concerned about here.

As a matter of fact, previous predictions of 'doom' here were accurate. In the past 20 years our Republic has been steadily eroding. And really even before that. DU started when Bush lost the popular vote and was appointed by the USSC, and it has been downhill from there. Now, we are in more dangerous territory than EVER before and every constitutional scholar recognized it. Speaking of that, I don't think Norm Ornstein is on DU either. Or Laurence Tribe. But hey, what do I know eh?

If you don't consider this a problem then by all means ignore it. Doing so would be ill-advised ignorance. My entire family is doing that. Nothing stopping you.

MEANWHILE. We're fucked. Whether you recognize that or not. MAYBE some miracle will happen or Democrats will suddenly do something about it. But day by day, it's looking increasingly unlikely and more likely that after 2022, it absolutely will not happen and this death spiral our Republic is in, will accelerate even faster.

BUT - Back to your beer. Nothing to see here.

[BannonsLiver]

49. I never watch cable news.

It’s beneath me. I’m also not a rage-agitation addict who lives at a “10” 24 hours a day.

Like I said. Catnip. I don’t care that you disagree.

[CousinIT]

50. I don't care that you do either.

You can go back to not paying attention now. Meanwhile, if you're not interested in a thread or 'outrage' that this country is being destroyed with no solution in sight, then don't read the thread or respond.

[Scrivener7]

53. You have made it clear in every post for months that DUers are beneath you, too. So why post here?

[CousinIT]

43. How do you think we got here? It happened overnight?

It didn't.

Roll your eyes and go back to your beer. Nothing for you to see here.

[uponit7771]

46. Like day after election 2015? The "we're doomed" regarding Trump have been more right than wrong

[CousinIT]

44. "Our democracy is over... slow-motion coup"

Link to tweet

Police cars revolving lightWATCH: “Our democracy is over… slow-motion coup… 5-alarm fire… too many are in denial about how close to the edge we are.” Flag of United States

@David_Gergen & @jamiegangel say even GOP strategists say Trump & co. are preparing to steal the election and end Flag of United States as we know it.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

47. Wait what?

When Divid Gergen is talking coup danger that is scary stuff.

[struggle4progress]

48. Don't. pretend to know the future. History is not cyclic.

We choose our own history: we just don't choose the circumstances under which we make that history

[canetoad]

51. No. Too far fetched

To believe that the proletariat, the workers, the enslaved, the oppressed - those with the very least power and influence, get to 'choose' their own history.

Almost like saying it's their 'karma'.

[struggle4progress]

56. None of us choose the world we're born into -- but we do get our chance

to act creatively within it.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

52. We're not at the stage of 1933 yet, but...

... there's little doubt on my mind that Trump and his supporters would love to have something like the Enabling Act become law in the USA too.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enabling_act

Trump can't handle any criticism whatsoever, and he's declared that any media which has done it as an "enemy of the American people". And his supporters lap it up.

If we ever lose the our 1st Amendment rights in this country, for supposed "emergency" reasons like the Nazis did, we'll be at full-blown fascist tyranny.

The military and police will be compelled to enforce such a law, punishing anyone who even dares speak against Herr Trump, to avoid repercussions to themselves for not enforcing it.

And let's face it, several military and police members would enjoy enforcing such a law anyway.

And "good luck" if you're the liberal version of a gun-nut, which won't do much good against a group of soldiers.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

54. Manchin and Sinema could stop this by supporting President Biden's agenda.

The enormous stress they are causing to all democracy loving Americans is cruel and criminal.

We voted to stop fascism, and they are working with the fascists to perpetuate it.

And they full well know it.

[colsohlibgal]

55. Agree But Hope I'm Wrong

Too many dominos have fallen to Not think we are in serious jeopardy of losing our democracy.

Mansion and Sinema are not so dumb, or so I imagine, so you have to wonder what’s up with them. Oh and Garland has to start moving on things like his hair is on fire. Don’t see that yet.

We are up against it and few see that.....from Rachel reading from Adam Schiff’s new book last night, then having him on the show looks like he and Rachel get it.

[Cosmocat]

57. Its over

WE know what is happening and care, but we are about 30-35% of the population.

Their 35% know what is going on and REALLY want it to happen and are fully engaged to carry it through.

The problem is the 30% or so in the middle that don't know what is going OR lean toward one or two issues that the cons push and are willing to stand aside and let it happen.

Only way we can stop is if ever D rings the bell and a big portion of the "middle" figure it out and follow suit.

Just not going to happen ...

No sense of urgency at all over this, while people are running around going nuts over CRT, masks, etc. Media doing their thing to knock down a D POTUS cause, fair and balanced ...

It isn't a recent thing, we have been headed down this path my entire adult life - this country has has ALWAYS indulged right wing lunacy, all the right wing crap about family values and going after trivia ass shit against Clinton in the 90s, spending half a decade letting the Rs use 9-11 for political benefit, the fucking tea party ... They never suffer the consequences for Iraq, for all the stupid as tax cuts that favor the rich, etc.

NEVER.

They just keep getting worse and lowering the bar relentlessly, see 45 ...

Meanwhile, Ds get slagged on for stupid shit - everyone up in arms over Benghazi, Hillary's emails ...

I know people get touchy, and is not us per se, but sorry to say, this IS who "we" are as a country.

Right wing extremist enabling clowns.

[Elessar Zappa]

58. If we're fucked already,

then why worry about it? Seems like a recipe for a mental breakdown to me, so I’ll just continue to do everything I can to elect Democrats (donate, volunteer, GOTV, and vote). Beyond that, it’s out of my control.