America's at a turning point. Americans, especially American intellectuals, have had difficulty recognizing and responding appropriately to critical turning points. Not in America. In America, we just go through gentle cycles, lean a little right, then a little left, with the center always pulling us back to a reasonable agreement without giving in to extremes. If a progressive's elected President, Congress will prevent any great leap to socialism. If a true right winger's elected President, Congress will prevent a power grab that paves the way to authoritarianism. The system has pretty much worked that way.
We learned our lesson with FDR. Never again will a President gain so much power it overwhelms America's centrist good sense! Well, never say never. At this point in our history, we're more likely to surrender liberty without a fight to an authoritarian than to a progressive totalitarian. American authoritarianism won't be guided by ideology, but, rather, a last gasp of nationalism and a reaction to multi-culturalism. I won't include white supremacy, but it's always right under the surface with many whites, especially those who've joined the MAGA movement.
America's risk is not taking the possibility of authoritarianism seriously. Most independents, truly conservative Republicans and moderate Democrats are too skeptical to believe that an authoritarian regime could materialize in America. They still believe in constitutional safe guards which have always prevented such a drastic political takeover. What Trump, Barr, Pompeo, Giuliani and Republicans in general are doing right now is a serious threat to American constitutionalism. We'll call it MAGAism. If enough white, gullible, disgruntled Americans enter the political process, and if the disinformation campaign, assisted by Russia and others bent on dividing America, convinces more who were before on the fence, MAGAism could overpower constitutional protections. A lot has to happen before an authoritarian regime could force its will on America, but a lot has already happened in the past two years that no on thought possible in America.
I wouldn't be so concerned if more Republicans pushed back against MAGAism, but it appears the entire party has decided to actively support the movement or enable it through inaction and silence. Never Trumpers have put up a resistance, but they're small and at the moment political incompetent. Unless Democrats stand tall and do all in their power to protect constitutional protections, which is not their strong suit, there won't be much resistance if Trump and company decide to roll the dice and go full authoritarian, using armed force to establish their hold on extra-constitutional power. Surely there'll be Republicans in the Senate who'll stand for America and the constitution if it becomes a constitutional crisis, but right now they aren't showing much spine.
In order to survive this turning point and turn in the direction of the constitution and liberty, MAGAism must be treated as the national threat it's become. This is no time for scepticism and complacency disguised as openmindedness.
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