against it.
But our laws are only as good as those who are supposed to enforce said laws (and write them). So a corrupt Congress will not act as checks and balances against a corrupt Executive, who in turn will not act as checks and balances against a corrupt Congress. Once the courts are aligned to the will of the other two corrupt branches, then there are no more checks and balances - not even the people.
Your vote's effectiveness can be gerrymandered away. Your ability to vote can be suppressed. The GOP continued to do both even under Obama, so doing worse under Trump isn't exactly something that can't happen.
Far too many people are so respectful of what the law is, that they tend to obey no matter what the laws says - which means some people are willing to obey bad laws because "it's the law". They are obedient more so than aware.
When bad people make bad laws then law doesn't defend against bad things happening so much as legislating/legalizing the bad things to begin with. The bad becomes the law. And if you've been conditioned to "law and order" and American can do no wrong, then how could anything America does be bad? How can our laws be wrong?
The only shock, really, is to the system of those people who see what has been happening and how people have become adapted to being so easily manipulated into accepting an authoritarian leader. Those who have always accepted that the law is the law no matter what the law says aren't feeling any shock to their system, they are just doing what they were conditioned to do - accept and obey the law (and government) regardless of what the law (or government) says.
I'm not shocked by what is happening, but it is still a shock to my system to see it being played out.
I'm not saying never respect the law. I am saying you have to protect against bad laws (corrupt government) by enforcing the good laws that protect against bad government.
If you allow government officials to get away with their crimes under the delusional lie that it is somehow best for the country to move ahead without being dragged down by criminal proceedings of a disgraced President or whatever, then you're supporting a system that says it is somehow worse to jail a president than it is to uphold the good laws that keep our institutions in check - that keeps them relevant, effective, and strong.
Well, gee, what could possibly go wrong by weakening our checks and balances by not enforcing the laws & rules that act as a checks and balances on a corrupt government official or officials?
It does not drag a country down to jail a government official who is (or has) harmed our institutions and eroded our democracy with their criminal actions. Just the opposite.
Because, sooner or later, we're going to get a government that will look at what other government officials have gotten away with, and see what ways those corrupt officials have weakened our institutions - and weakened the people's voice - and they will plow through our country like a bull in a china shop.
Oh, wait...
= new reply since forum marked as read
