The Sore Loser Symphony continues. Trump Derangement Syndrome reigns. Buzzfeed’s Chris Geidner lays out the Sore Loser playbook for how Democrats will attempt to block Trump. Michael Moore has his own Sore Loser request for the Electoral College. And then there’s Sore Loser Paul Krugman, who had nary a bad word or complaint about Obama during the past 8 years, proclaiming we’re either heading towards Nazi Germany or the Roman Empire
How Republics End
Many people are reacting to the rise of Trumpism and nativist movements in Europe by reading history — specifically, the history of the 1930s. And they are right to do so. It takes willful blindness not to see the parallels between the rise of fascism and our current political nightmare.
It sounds like some people need Prozac, or at least to get off the current drugs they’re on.
But the ’30s isn’t the only era with lessons to teach us. Lately I’ve been reading a lot about the ancient world. Initially, I have to admit, I was doing it for entertainment and as a refuge from news that gets worse with each passing day. But I couldn’t help noticing the contemporary resonances of some Roman history — specifically, the tale of how the Roman Republic fell.
Here’s what I learned: Republican institutions don’t protect against tyranny when powerful people start defying political norms. And tyranny, when it comes, can flourish even while maintaining a republican facade.
His main complaint is, you guessed it, about foreign influence. And because of that
And what happens to the republic as a result? Famously, on paper the transformation of Rome from republic to empire never happened. Officially, imperial Rome was still ruled by a Senate that just happened to defer to the emperor, whose title originally just meant “commander,†on everything that mattered. We may not go down exactly the same route — although are we even sure of that? — but the process of destroying democratic substance while preserving forms is already underway.
Interesting. Where were Krugman’s complaints when the IRS was abusing its power? When Obama and his people were slamming through more and more regulations, including the vile and oppressive Waters Of The United States and Clean Power Plan, putting more and more power and control in the hands of Los Federales? When Obama and the Dems jammed through Obamacare over the will of The People?
Krugman has a few more complaints, putting the blame on Republicans (hey, remember when Republicans tried to investigate governmental wrong-doing, and had their investigations slow walked by Democrats and the Obama admin? Remember all the regulations from Obama that have been blocked and he’s ignored what the federal judges said “don’t do this”?), of course, ending with
One thing all of this makes clear is that the sickness of American politics didn’t begin with Donald Trump, any more than the sickness of the Roman Republic began with Caesar. The erosion of democratic foundations has been underway for decades, and there’s no guarantee that we will ever be able to recover.
But if there is any hope of redemption, it will have to begin with a clear recognition of how bad things are. American democracy is very much on the edge.
Well, hey, Paul, I have a solution. First, term limits for Congress. Second, repeal the 17 Amendment, let States appoint their Senators. Third, reduce the size and scope of federal agencies. Those three things will put more power back in the hands of the states and the people, as it’s supposed to be, and limit elected officials “toeing the party line and defending the party’s rule.”
Furthermore, get rid of public unions. Follow federal laws, like on immigration. Protect the borders. Make sure that people voting are actually eligible to vote.
You’re still nuts, though.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
Teach’s single argument is the false (and childish) claim that President Obama did it too!
The call from Der Trumpenfuhrer’s critics is to be on guard, watchful for when the mentally unstable tyro takes his “election” seriously.
IRS, clean power and regulations, oh my!
Der Trumpenfuhrer is fascist by nature, and Republicans are fascists at their core and most are authoritarian followers. They believe in rule by rightful decree and they feel they are the rightful “owners” of America.
We must ALL be vigilant, just not the majority that recognize Trump for what he is. Once fascists seize power, they keep it by force and rule EVERYONE that way, not just their enemies. You may get to use your AR-15s after all – but ironically, Black people won’t be your target!
From Dr. Krugman’s NYT column last week:
Trumpski, with the support of a Republican Congress, will be able to work closely with Russia and Putin to further enrich himself and his cronies and consolidate his hold on power, our now fragile Republic be damned. And all as a result of the Republican “long” game of gerrymandering and voter suppression at the state level. Add enough whites who feel victimized by brown immigrants, Black folks and dangerous Muslims and you have the toxic stew ready for a demagogue (voters realized right away that a dangerous mistake was made).
Well played, Republican comrades… well played.
Our great Republic ended the day they elected a non American commie president. The good news is we can Make America Great Again by using what the illegitimate leftist pigs created. For example one of Harry “Punch my face in” Reid’s legacy’s was to eliminate the filibuster for Cabinet appointees. Thank you Harry! We will be using that gift shortly.
But the best legacy by far is Barack Hussein Obama’s famous “I’ve got my pen and my phone” comment. hahahahaha. Well now Donald J. Trump has the pen and the phone and he knows who’s been naughty and nice. Hahahahaha.
Jeffery, you and all the liars and commie pigs on your team made all the new rules now live by them stupid! Hahahaha.
I hear the left is now bribing electors. At least the ones that don’t take death threats from gurlyboys seriously. There is nothing too low for the democrats to reach, is there?
What, exactly, did the alleged Russian hacking actually do to influence the election? President Obama stated that there is no evidence at all that the Rooskies somehow altered the voting machines, and no one else has presented any evidence to the contrary. The hacking, we are told, was given to WikiLeaks — though WikiLeaks deny that they received their information from the Russians — and they then published the DNC and Jon Podesta e-mails. The left are trying to deflect attention onto the Russians, because the real problem with the published e-mails was their content, what they revealed about Hillary Clinton and her campaign staff. If there had been nothing rotten in the emails, they’d have been no problem.
Most laughable is DNC interim chairwoman Donna Brazile, who spent yesterday combitching about Russian hacking; it was the lovely Miss Brazile who was caught, by the Wikileaks revelations, as having gotten an advance question for the CNN-sponsored Democratic primary debate, and given it to the Clinton campaign. Miss Brazile cheated, and then helped the Clinton campaign cheat, and she’s pissed off because her cheating was exposed.
Tinpot Despot-elect pressures Kuwait into using his hotel:
http://thehill.com/homenews/news/311118-kuwait-embassy-cancels-major-event-at-four-seasons-to-switch-to-trumps-dc-hotel
#Amoral
Wow, a another smear job from Thinkprogress!
Isn’t that Podesta the Pedophile’s loser group?
Tuesday morning links
Got firewood? Tech Upgrades Just Aren’t That Great Anymore Mick Jagger—A New Dad at 73—Isn’t a Fertility Role Model The “Snowflake†Generation: Real or Imagined? Beach Boys Song Too Sexually Offensive for 2016 College Campus The persistence of
If I may, I’d encourage you to keep it up, don’t change your mind, stay as you are, and ask only that you try to speak louder and more often. Let even more people realize what sort of deceptive minds we’ve been up against.
You’ve certainly made it clear that you are upset that your envisioned pathway to a Stalinist Utopian future has been disrupted. Comrade.