Dudes probably scared shitless. Not of the Senate. But his Bosses and what they’ll do to him if he answers with anything other than the preprepared statement
Unironically at this point. If he promised to respect the Bill of Rights. A not insignificant portion of the population would probably happily crown him king.
Just to be done with rolling the dice every election and hoping that the incoming crop of politicians are at least competent enough to not completely torpedo everything in 4 years. Or however long their term is. Or fleece the coffers dry with wasteful projects all the while siphoning a bit off. For most their only frames of reference for a Republic. Is the current Government. Or Idealistic poetic waxing of Online personalities. Who themselves never actually lived under any form of Government even closely resembling the early Republic.
Fact remains. We probably aren’t going back to a Republic as truly envisioned by the founders. Unless most of the population is satisfied potentially giving up their right to vote as a start. As Universal Suffrage was something the founders wholeheartedly opposed. People tend to gloss over the fact when reminiscing about a return to the Founders Republic.
According to 1 Poll which sampled 1500 hundred responses. So take it with a grain of salt. But support for ‘Democracy’ is declining. Particularly among the young.
https://www.newsweek.com/gen-z-embracing-dictatorships-1886702
According to the poll. 40% of Gen Z and 35% of Millennials would support either a Dictator or at least empowering the President to outright ignore Congress and the Courts at will. Versus just 27% and 31% from those respective generations who’d oppose a move. About the only generations with solid majorities in opposition. Are Boomers and Gen X.
Granted it makes sense more sense when you realize Gen Z and Millennials primary experiences with both institutions has been getting screwed. And the older generations remember a time however vaguely when both institutions didn’t seem to primarily consist of people whose only goal is making life more miserable for the general population.
Regardless the fact a poll is reflecting stats like that. Even if it is only one. Should at least be mildly concerning. As given the Mainstream Rights, and even some of the fringe Rights tendency to ignore fringe issues and the Younger Conservative generations concerns. One may wonder if we won’t end with a repeat of the rise of Andrew Tate. Except this one would be a Monarchist or something.
The real irony is the U.S Political Class coined the term because U.S Companies were overthrowing Caribbean and South American governments so often they needed a name for it. And the first to start doing it were Fruit Companies.
The proverbial Chickens are finally coming home to roost
I mean in a little over 200 years since independence they’ve gone through 8 separate Governments, and several Civil Wars. Probably left a mark on the Cultural Consciousness.
The U.S is one of only a handful of ex-colonies that can be said to have come out of the Collapse of the Colonial Empires as stronger for it. In fact it managed to do some Empire Building of its own.
Most of the rest of the former Colonial possessions have had at minimum one violent change of Government since independence. Usually multiple. And have only extremely recently begun achieving any sort of long lasting stability.
At least until a Major nation decides on backing a regime change…..But I digress.
I mean as far as I recall. They haven’t been shy about just outright killing people down there. And intimidating candidates into dropping out. No vote cooking needed.
I mean they just had a Mayoral Candidate assassinated in broad daylight not all that long ago.
Not to mention if it’s a Bushel of American Wheat. Odds are good it’s both GMO and treated with Chemicals and Pesticides illegal across most of the world due to known Health Risks. Because it saves the Mega Corporations money in growing it and poisons us by extension.
If you have Gluten and Food issues in the U.S. Odds are fairly likely you won’t have the same problems, or at least have them anywhere near as severely consuming European Wheat Products.
Due to heavy regulation and controls on Chemicals and Pesticides used on crops meant for human consumption. Not to mention a Small Farming Culture that has endured the march of time far better than its North American Counterparts. Up until the last 4-5 years at least.
For about the last 300-400 hundred years. Western Society has steadily slipped downhill and consistently gotten worse. While at the same time the people in power consistently tell us we have more freedom and liberty than ever.
When they seem to be more involved in our business and, the economy, and maintain powers more extreme than most of the ‘dated’ forms of Government they tell us were Tyrants and Oppressing peoples freedoms and liberties.
And the last 100-150 odd years. The people who we are told were champions of “Republicanism”, “Capitalism”, and “Democracy”. Toppled other Governments, including other Republics, left-right and center. (Woodrow Wilson in particular was deadset about breaking apart Austrian-Hungary and the German Reich and dethroning both the Kaiser and Hapsburgs.) Forced their ideals on others by force. Stomped on Capitalism and the Free Market when it threatened their personal Business interests. Actively worked to divorce religion from Governance and thusly the last thing keeping bureaucrats in check. Both Directly and indirectly funded the worlds next major threats. That being Communism and Islamic extremist groups when politically convenient. Grew Bureaucracies to unheard of heights even when compared to Bloody Empires with Imperial Administrations. Installed Secret Police that make the Gestapo look like Barney Fife. Expanded the Franchise to the point voting almost became pointless. Against the express warnings of both the Founding Fathers, and the enlightenment and classical thinkers they claim inspiration from. Not to mention they turned to shilling this crap. All supposedly by the will of “We the People”.
All we have to hold onto and hopefully one day revive is a fleeting memory of a Republic somewhat idealized by time and distance from our Dystopian present.
The fact he’s a Billionaire alone slashes that list in half.
It’s a Cliche turn of phrase but “Money Talks”. The fact he’s all but guaranteed to win the next election supposing no shenanigans. Would reduce that list even further or at the very least at minimum cause them to wait to see who actually wins the election
Article author seems to be portraying an ANC-DA coalition as a bad outcome.
Yet the ANC even by the admission of some of its supporters has completely botched the handling of the country for 30+ years. Turning a Country well on the cusp of turning into a major World power. Into a Joke that struggles to keep the lights on.
I’ve lost track of who we’re supposed to blame for all our problems.
Different people have told me to blame in no particular order Jews, Catholics, Quakers, Mormons, Free Masons, Orthodox Christians, Ukrainians, Russians, Khazarians, Classical Liberals, Modern Liberals, Methodists, Libertarians, Non Denominational Christians, Pagans, Marxists, Socialists, Buddhists, Jehovahs Witness, Nazis, anyone of literally dozens of Secret Societies and Occult groups. And now I can add Gnostics to that list.
How many have you gotten on yours?
You can say the same thing about Bill being married to Hillary
We’ve been at that stage for years. The only thing they changed is the verbiage and shifted the goalposts enough that Mainstream American Conservatism and Right-Wing thought can’t ignore it. Because now it’s actually affecting ideas and people they care about.
For years it was considered tantamount to treason by both sides to question American worship of Democratic processes and why the suffrage was expanded universally in the name of Liberty when the country’s own founders warned explicitly against doing exactly that. Ironically In order to safeguard Liberty. Or make the Observation that the Enlightenment may not have been the net positive for Human society we’ve been conditioned to regard it as.
Not Voting and Dem Voting Trump are the leaders so far.
Strictly speaking. It’s not necessary for the People to prosecute the Swamp. It is however necessary for the Republic. At least as we understand it. To survive.
This whole song and dance has been about leaving enough of a Federal Government behind to start earning back the faith and loyalty to National institutions of the people.
Anything else. You risk creating the conditions for the country to Balkanize. Part of the reason the Constitution was created. The Government of established under the Articles of Confederation. Lost the people’s faith and loyalty in short order. And was barely by the skin of its teeth able to stop the States from going to War with each other over territorial feuds. We needed something stronger to keep the country together.
The United States doesn’t have the storied history’s of Kings and Queens of Europe. No Millenia long shared history. Not even a shared universal national culture.
We’re stitched together from dozens of different cultures and peoples and speaking dozens of different languages. With Thousands of different ideas on how things should work.
Much of the National History we do have today is to one degree or another a carefully constructed and curated work. Originally started by the Founding Fathers. As much Myth and Fabrication as it is Truth. Glossing over our failures. Highlighting our triumphs and unity. Done quite deliberately to promote unity.
Somewhat ironically. The only thing keeping this country together is the Constitution and the National Institutions created by the Government which is supposed to be given Authority to Govern by the self same Document.
We’re as much an experiment in the limits of Humans to Unify and the capacity of the Enlightenment Values to function in the real world as we are a Nation State. One that’s in no small amount of Danger. Even with people controlling the situation behind the scenes.
Given Republics and Classical Liberal values are declining in popularity among the population, because the past century+ of corruption and incompetence has done little to help endear the concepts to the world’s population at large to any meaningful degree. That and at least from appearances sake the foremost example of those ideas when applied to the real world seems to be the source of a not insignificant amount of the worlds suffering.
The fact it’s a Tyrannical Oligarchy wearing a Republic as a skin suit is a finer point that maybe lost on the people who’ve been on the receiving end of its “Assistance”.
So Basically either SA completes in journey to failed state. Or manages to barely pull out of the tailspin at the last moment.
Set up to tell us this current crop of the Elite gets its kicks outta eating people?
I mean Banana Republics are bad for Business. When they aren’t serving the interests of those Businesses.
Quite a bit of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was Corporations and Businesses funding the overthrow of various Governments and installing Dictators and Banana Republics who would let them operate often at the expense of the locals. And it was typically fruit companies doing it at least initially. Which is where the term “Banana Republic” spawned from. Hell that’s how Hawaii was added to the bloody flag.
And in the mid-twentieth century the U.S and Soviets were funding coups left-right and center and installing yet more Banana Republics and Dictators who ultimately took their orders from Washington or Moscow instead of a Corporate Headquarters.
Businessmen and Corporations in conjunction with National Governments have still been pulling similar operations in Africa as early as the 2000s.
Fundamentally the World of Big Business and Big Financial Investment is usually fairly hostile to people with morals. In fact sociopathic or psychopathic traits are generally considered a marker for the wild financial success most of Americas .5-1% Top earners enjoy. It’s not impossible to be a moral person or a good person and reach such lofty heights.
But you will have a far harder time then someone who wouldn’t have any qualms about say. Screwing over their employees. Or deliberately cutting corners and using toxic chemicals to squeeze another couple percentage points onto an earnings report. Or communing with a Cabal of the like minded to ensure your continued rule…..
Which comes to another problem. Most Human societies are fundamentally aristocracies in practice. Stripping away Republicanism and Democratic Principles. We’ve garbed them in. Those with financial means generally are directly or indirectly producing the majorly successful Business leaders, Political Leaders, and the Bureaucracy that runs society. As they are the people who can afford to run political campaigns, or fund other’s campaigns. They can afford better REAL education and Tutors then the average person. Not the crap that passes for public education. Which was created to largely ensure a steady supply of servile factory workers capable of running a factory during the period of industrialization. But not much else. Which is also Part of why Bells are used. To condition people to respond to a “Shift Change” Bell in a factory.
Hell. “The Customer is always right” ethos. That so characterizes modern retail business Stems from NY Department stores catering to the Wealthy. Who could never be told they’re treating the low wage staff badly. Much to the dismay of many Modern retail workers who need to suffer through the abuse of people who are pretending they’re in the 1%.
There used to be other legs of the “Elite” from which we could draw leaders. That being the Religious Class and the ‘Nobility’ or blue bloods as it were.
But we largely got rid of them centuries ago. In fact predating the official falls of monarchy and rise of Democracy and Republicanism. It’s no coincidence so many Noble Houses were annihilated root and stem in the Wars and Feuds of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. And so many Monasteries, Religious Leaders, Religious Sects, Churches, and Religious Institutions were put to the Sword and Torch.
And the current Corporate and Economic Culture. From which people earn their ‘means’ now. Well for the most part it incentivizes the promotion of traits in the extremely successful Elite Class and the wannabe “Elites” the successful use as puppets, you absolutely do not want in people in leadership. Sociopathic and Psychopathic traits, greed, delusions of grandeur, narcissism etc.
Fun fact. Mount Rushmore. Like most National American Monuments has never been finished. At least when you compare it to it’s Original Concept Models.
People keep treating an appeal as if it’s guaranteed to overturn it. Some of the same people were swearing up and down the court would throw Braggs case out every other week during the trial.
Should really stop pretending any of the people prosecuting give a shit about the law and Legal Precedent. Or that an appeals court in the same bloody state will either. Hell the Supreme Court isn’t necessarily a guarantee either. They may refuse to hear it for whatever reason. And the precedent has been established for States and the Government to ignore Legal Decisions they don’t like. Albeit to much social unrest. But irrespective they can and have.
The Judiciary can’t do shit if the executive or Legislative isn’t willing to supply the Men and Guns necessary to enforce their decisions.
As the Supreme Court has found out already. The Apocryphal Jackson quote “John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it” springs to mind.
Unlike Trump. The Romans didn’t actually want to kill Jesus. He hadn’t broken their laws. Yet. The Roman Garrison and Governor however were threatened by the Pharisees with a Rebellion they would organize if Jesus was not crucified.
Which would have killed 10s of Thousands. Potentially Hundreds of Thousands. Both in Battle and the ensuing Roman crackdowns.
Three separate Rebellions later in the 1st Century roughly grouped together under the term Roman-Jewish Wars between 66-135CE are believed to have killed between 400,000-1.4 Million according to some period estimates And outright destroyed 1 Legion in its entirety in heavy fighting. And left 3 others badly mauled. With at least 1 of the 3 having lost its Eagle.
A little perspective on the potential Devastation that the Pharisees could have willingly unleashed on the region in their hatred of 1 man. It really takes some skill, and being absolutely horrendous people, to leave the Roman Empire looking like the good guys caught between 2 shitty choices.
That likely wouldn’t have happened a few years ago.
50/50 odds the Appeals Court will refuse to even hear the case. It is New York after all.
Honest opinion. We’re seeing the flaws of Classical Liberalism and Republicanism laid bare. Those two ideologies have largely defined Western Life and Western Political Thought for the past few centuries. And now their flaws are being laid bare. In a way that can’t be sidelined or ignored as we’ve been want to do in the past. People have endlessly reflected on and highlighted the flaws or perceived flaws of the multitude of other isms and ideologies. Over the worlds many centuries.
But for the most part serious mainstream reflection on these two has been studiously avoided by society at large.
One of the few things groups on both sides of the American political spectrum can agree on. Is hating the Government. Arguably it’s one of the most American things there is.
Fed Boi is banking on the various political factions hatred of each other outweighing their hatred of the asshats in Washington. While it maybe a logical assumption to make. Especially given the past few years of political rhetoric. It however is not a guarantee.
Fun fact. In both the Roman Republic and Empire. Members of the Senate served alongside the Legions. And after Hannibal’s victory at the battle of Cannae. 177 of 300 Senators lay dead alongside the Legions and Consuls they ordered to march against him.
But in relation to Steve’s point. Somewhat ironically. Caesar in an act of Mercy spared the people who would later assassinate him. Despite close advisors urging him to kill them all. In fact he was merciful enough to his enemies and betrayers that he was actually reported to be deeply upset once he learned of his once friends Pompey’s death at the hands of the Egyptians.
Anywho That Historic Lesson of misplaced mercy was remembered by other Emperors who purged most of their rivals Violently. And Augustus who hunted down as many of Caesar’s killers as he could find and had them killed. Violently.
Caesars funerary pyre was also reported to have brought the city of Rome to a Halt. With much of the population including surviving critics who weren’t part of the Assassination plot reportedly paying tribute to him.