Democracy is dying in the USA

[Lionel Mandrake]

The dean of the UC Berkeley Law School Erwin Chemerinsky has this to say in today's LA Times:

Where are we on the path [to authoritarian rule]?

Checks and balances are being destroyed. The quintessential legislative power is control over the purse. But President Trump and those around him have asserted that he can control that by refusing to spend money appropriated by federal statute. The newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, at his confirmation hearings, was explicit that the president could refuse to spend funds notwithstanding a federal law — the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 — that prohibits this. And the president already has done this on a large scale, by signing an executive order freezing a massive amount of federal expenditures (enjoined by two federal courts), and by all but eliminating the U.S. Agency for International Development, which was created and funded by federal statutes. At the same time, he has asserted the power to spend money without congressional authorization as in the offer of a buyout to federal workers.

Laws are being brazenly ignored. Every dictator claims to be above the law, especially by ignoring the ones already in effect. It is stunning how many laws have been violated since noon on Jan. 20. Revoking birthright citizenship violates the 14th Amendment and Supreme Court precedents. Firing a commissioner of the National Labor Relations Board and members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission violates federal laws that are clearly constitutional under Supreme Court precedents. Threatening to deport those on visas because of the views they express violates the 1st Amendment. And this barely scratches the surface.

A purge of government is underway. ... Court rulings are under attack ... A constitutional democracy is not lost all at once. The Trump administration is obviously testing boundaries that have long existed. I fear the authoritarians in the White House have been emboldened by how much they have been able to accomplish with relatively little pushback.

[Moostache]

1. Not dying...its dead. (n/t)

[kimbutgar]

3. I was writing RIP America 1776 to 1/20/25 sarcastically but now it is reality

The safeguards are gone and the Supreme Court will rule in his favor and make themselves moot.

We No longer have three co equal branches of government and now we have a dictator who is unbridled.

[Moostache]

7. Until he is eliminated, then we have a power vacuum and no government structure to restore order.

The chaos is nearly complete. Data is stolen, persons of interest (i.e. - dissidents) are identified and on lists. The military and courts and police thugs are co-opted.

This is going to get incredibly ugly. I am prepared to go down fighting and will bring a guerilla war against these fascists from the safe cover of my white male face and person. They look at me and immediately assume I'm on their 'team'. I am not, nor will I ever be.

[elocs]

19. My family came here from Europe nearly 150 years before 1776. I had an ancestor who fought in the Revolution.

Little did I ever think that in my retirement it would be my generation who experiences the downfall of our Republic. It looks like, Mr. Franklin, that we couldn't keep it after all since too many of us have been complacent in thinking it would last forever without our remaining vigilant and on guard to defend it, a footnote in the history of the world.

[Lionel Mandrake]

9. You may be right.

I hope not. Ever the optimist, I still think it's possible for the Senate Republicans to come to their senses. If they confirm RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary, then I'll give up all hope.

[sop]

2. Inescapable conclusion.

[mzmolly]

4. This doesn't usually end well for the

fascists.

[Lionel Mandrake]

11. Some fascists thrived.

For example, Franco and Stalin (I'm using the word "fascist" loosely). Others didn't last as long, e.g., Mussolini and Hitler.

[mzmolly]

13. Well, there is a 50/50

chance things could go very badly for fascists, based upon your short list.

[Lionel Mandrake]

17. Yes, 50/50 sounds about right.

Other names come to mind: Putin, Un, Orban, Bolsonaro, ... The jury is still out on most of these.

[bigtree]

5. huge pushback in the courts

...a co-equal branch of our democratic government.

Democracy's death has been prematurely declared here.

Stand up. Fight back.

[J_William_Ryan]

6. It's more of a failure of democracy.

Trump didn’t come to power via a military coup or as a foreign invader – he was elected by the people; hence the failure of democracy.

The political/democratic process failed, the consequence of the fear, ignorance, stupidity, racism, bigotry, and misogyny of the voters.

The question is how to keep this from happening again – what safeguards can be put into place; how much damage to our democratic institutions will Trump cause, will that damage be irreparable, will those institutions be so damaged that the next Republican president will attempt to pursue the same authoritarian, fascist agenda as Trump.

[BadgerKid]

8. Electoral college is DEI for Red States

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220016187

[OverBurn]

10. I've Got No More Fucks To Give.

[yaesu]

12. It's official death was 11/5/24, but there may be enough DNA left to clone it in the future. nt

[Lionel Mandrake]

16. Future historians will suggest various dates for the end of US democracy.

11/5/24 is as good a date as any. (That's assuming the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government continue to offer no resistance.)

The death of US democracy is not like the death of the Weimar Republic. Practically everyone agrees that the latter occurred on January 30, 1933.

[Jit423]

14. The Roberts court killed it with a thousand razor cuts.

We will be bleeding for decades until we are drained of every drop of freedom and democracy.

[Lionel Mandrake]

15. Maybe so.

Maybe not.

[elocs]

18. There was a thread here about how support for democracy in America was broad but shallow. How true.

Losing democracy is like the frog in the pot of water with the heat turned on. Cold at first, then better, then even nice until it begins to boil. But it all happened gradually without much notice until the fear of being boiled alive arrives. As the kids would say on a long car ride, "Are we there yet?"