Fighting Democracy

INCREASINGLY, citizens, philosophers, and scholars are speaking and writing about the various threats to democracy in the United States. We are told, by people of the highest sincerity, integrity,and powers of observation, that liberal, secular democracy is indeed gravely threatened in America, and may not survive. The threat comes from teh far right wing of the conservative American political spectrum. It is embodied in the upsurge of right wing populism, with its authoritrian tendencies, and exemplified by the Trump movement. Since Donald J. Trump and his agenda clearly matches that of his MAGA members, but not a majority of American voters, democracy is simply not an effective way to get and keep Trump in power, and allow the implementation of his America-first anti-immigrant xenophobic socially regressive agenda. It must be installed by other means, means which can and may, according to pro -Trump advocates, include insurrection and violence. We have already seen examples of this, of course. Trump's supporters would seemingly glady accede to Trump's being installed as a virtual dictator, as long as he doesn't suddenly do an about face, and become a compassionate, progressive liberal, which seems quite unlikely. This threat to democracy is being much discussed and written about. Among the most recent and best scholarly works on this topic is "Where Tyranny Begins: The Justice Department, The FBI, and the War On Democracy", by Pulitzer Prize winning author David Rohde. Rohde uses new research to prove that during the Trump administration, bullying tactics by Trump, wrapped in conspiracy theories, threats, and lies, were used in intimidating high ranking officials in both the D.O.J. and the FBI, the two most powerful and largest law enforcement agencies in the United States, into becoming essentially instruments of President Trump's political will. Attorney Generals Jeff Sessions and William Barr both fell victim to this Trump plot to make both agenices dependant on him personally, rather than independent, as they were intended to be. The author recalls reforms passed by Congress in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal in the nineteen seventies which led to greater independence for both, and a strengthening of democracy, and strongly suggests that we have now entered another era in which reforms, which only Congress can provide, are once again desperately needed to rebuild democracy. Rohde reminds us of Bill Barr, newly the leader of the D.O;.J., meekly issuing a brief, misleading statement which totally understated the severity of the results of the Mueller investigation into Trump's relationship with Russian operatives in his election campaign 0f 2016. Barr was quite obviously working entirely at the behest of Donald Trump, not serving justice or the American people. He further reminds us that the Biden adminstration, in its attempt to restore the independence and democratic integrity of the Justice Department under Merrick Garland, that the D.O.J. failed, in their restored impartiality, to hold Trump accountable for his criminality in time for prevent him from once again running for president, and preventing the possibility of his actually becoming president again, from manifesting. If Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election, democracy in America will have failed. Basic justice and the democratic process should not allow someone who has previously attempted to illegally remain in political power by overthrowing the federal government and the results of a fair and free election to again become president. That it very will might do precisely that should be extremely alarming to all good Americans.