On this particular 4th of July, I feel like we are at a potential pivot point. In two years, the Republic will be 250 years of age. The Romans lasted about twice that long before the transition to empire, and then its fall a few centuries later, but from here, we can see a potential end to our own before that milestone, on the current trajectory. Certainly, the election in November will be crucial.
What is ironic is that both sides see it as potentially catastrophic for their vision of the nation’s future. The Democrats, who have always hated the Republic, fear (or claim to fear) the loss of “our democracy” (something that, fortunately, we have never had). Republicans, whose party is named after it, fear the continued chipping away at it which started a century ago in the “Progressive” era, in which the Senate started to be popularly elected by the people of the states, rather than appointed by the states themselves. This began the erosion of the fundamental idea that the president was elected by the states rather than the populace, which was supposed to be represented in the House (the most powerful part of the government).
Eroding as well is the notion of separation of powers (something that both sides are guilty of, but the Democrats far more egregiously). Fortunately, the Supreme Court made a major, almost earthquakey decision last week by ending the so-called “Chevron” deference of the judiciary to what had become an unconstitutional fourth branch of government in the bureaucracy of the executive, accountable to no one. But first Barack Obama, then Joe Biden (who has effectively been Obama’s third term) repeatedly showed their contempt for this founding principle with their “pen and their phone” arrogating unto themselves the legislative powers given by the Constitution only to Congress, with their de facto legalization of the “dreamers” and the “forgiveness” of student loans, transferring wealth from hardworking Americans to those mostly well off. Biden even continues to defiantly take pride in this lawlessness while decrying the “crimes” of his predecessor and perhaps successor.
He has now fully weaponized his department of “justice” against his political opponent, a practice that began under Obama, during which his IRS targeted perceived domestic enemies. His unlawfully appointed special counsel, Jack Smith, now claims his intent to pursue Donald Trump for crimes (which Biden committed more egregiously but ironically will not be prosecuted for because the prosecutor judged him too mentally impaired to stand trial) right up until the inauguration, standing on its head previous department procedure to not engage in prosecutions prior to, let alone after an election.
The Democrats claim to fear (insanely, if they really believe it) that if Trump is elected, he will declare himself dictator for life and that it will be the last election. Republicans and other non-Democrats (like me) legitimately fear that if given four more years of power, they will complete the dismantlement of what remains of the Republic, packing the courts, including the supreme one, and the Senate with new states, and new election laws guaranteed to continue and expand the rigging and fraud that put them into power three and a half years ago.
I do believe that, almost a quarter of a millennium after the founding, the Republic is at a precipice, and that this election is not just the most consequential of my lifetime, but since that of 1860. There is talk again of civil war and, while I’m sure that the Democrats will lose again as they did then, it will once again tear the nation asunder, and is to be greatly feared, and if possible avoided. Vote this November as though your life, and that of the Republic itself, depended on it, because it very well may.
[Update a while later]
Stop calling it “the July 4th holiday.”
[Afternoon update]
First come rights, then comes a government to secure those rights.
Some thoughts from ‘Silent Cal’ 98 years ago. Worth a read. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-celebration-the-150th-anniversary-the-declaration-independence-philadelphia?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0XmxULy3ag84czFtDYW65cxVEfgQq4Wh6cKAlNWrDgj5w4TZhkMfMKsVE_aem_1jTuLQND2sdKDZgcANssWw
Yeah, it’s always been bizarre when Democrats claim to fear that One Guy will magically take over the whole government. Republicans’ fear that a huge mass of people who have given up on liberality will eat out our institutions and take over “peacefully” unfortunately sounds enough like a wacko conspiracy theory that the true danger is often scoffed at, but at least we have a coherent narrative rather than some “underpants gnomes” outline.
Happy UK election day, everyone.
Happy Independence Day for everyone obviously especially Americans but everyone else as well. Hope you’re getting together with your đ ones
Democrats have been working hard to sovietize the military and should civil war come, it is likely the military will fight on behalf of the Marxists.
One need only read leftist vets on Twitter to see how they lust for it. All to protect democracy of course.
While civil war is a worry, our biggest threat right now is our budget. We need to increase military spending but can’t and should wwiii kick off, or any black swan event that isnt war, we will lack the ability to make certain choices because we won’t have any money.
This seems intentional, as we are approaching the point where drastic measures are the only options and our friends to the left would love to implement them.
Yes agree the deficit national debt is our biggest current problem that’s getting no attention and will likely remain such unless Donald Trump wins election and is able to implement his Impoundment idea. For well nigh 200 years presidents clear up to Richard Nixon had the option of returning excess funds appropriated by Congress not spending them returning to the treasury/people until the ( likely unconstitutional) impoundment control act was passed. The current conservative SCOTUS might declare it unconstitutional, think that’s Trump’s plan.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/4736824-trump-is-right-about-the-impoundment-control-act-its-unconstitutional
He only has one shot at it and doesn’t have to worry about being re-elected, only how he will be remembered by history. However, he didn’t do anything about it in his first term, not that Paul Ryan or Nancy Pelosi would have cut spending.
Agenda47: Using Impoundment to Cut Waste, Stop Inflation, and Crush the Deep State
âFor 200 years under our system of government, it was undisputed that the President had the Constitutional power to stop unnecessary spending through what is known as Impoundment,” President Trump said.
âVery simply, this meant that if Congress provided more funding than was needed to run the government, the President could refuse to waste the extra funds, and instead return the money to the general treasury and maybe even lower your taxes, although we did give you the biggest tax reduction in history, and the biggest regulation reduction in history, two things I am very proud of.”
President Trumpâs plan will naturally lead the Executive and Legislative Branches to work together to negotiate and gain better control of federal spending.
âI will use the presidentâs long-recognized Impoundment Power to squeeze the bloated federal bureaucracy for massive savings. This will be in the form of tax reductions for you. This will help quickly to stop inflation and slash the deficit.”
– Article II of the Constitution vests the president with the inherent authority to âtake Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,â which has historically been understood to mean that the president can impound funds when doing so allows him to enforce the law more effectively and efficiently.
– In defense of the presidentâs impoundment power against attacks from Congress, Joseph Sneed, Deputy Attorney General under President Richard Nixon, explained that the use of executive impoundment âto promote fiscal stability is not usurpation; rather it is in the great tradition of checks and balances upon which our Constitution is based.â
“- Restoring the Impoundment Power will naturally lead the Executive and Legislative Branches to have to work together to negotiate and gain better control of federal spending.”
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-using-impoundment-to-cut-waste-stop-inflation-and-crush-the-deep-state
Not bad for a novice to government who spent most of his adult life in the private sector. Don’t see any similar plans (or even acknowledgement of the seriousness of problem) by our “professional politician class” folks.
Boy so much wrong with this whole post but lets go with a simple fact that you benighted knowledge of history probably due to too much Fox news and talk radio have provable wrong.
Who were Andrew Johnson, Joel Parker, David Tod, John Borough and others ? It was a war of north vs South and if we have another one it will be the Same , and who represents the loser South now? Who represents the winning north east and west.
Kinda funny that Ohio was a Democratic strong hold back in the civil war and who are they for now?
The delusion is strong with one.
Uh huh what party was Andrew Johnson, Joel Parker, David Tod, John Borough ? I know it tough to argue when the facts are against you just pound the table.
As Democrats always say, the parties’ of the 1860s aren’t the parties of today — except when they want to score cheap rhetorical points. And only a doofus would believe it would be North vs South. Even in the deepest blue states, it’s mostly the big cities that are actually blue. The antebellum South had virtually no industry. That’s far from the case today. Blue states are shedding population, business, and industry as they career faster and faster down the road of DEI and socialist-leaning economics instead of equality and free markets.
Listing a few Democratic Party politicians from the Civil War (3 out of 4 of which only those with a deep interest in Civil War politics would even recognize), a war famous for divisions within both the North and the South, is supposed to demonstrate what, precisely?
So, yes, you’re delusional. Or just plain daft.
“Pound the table”? What color is the sky in your world? Stating that you’re delusional is hardly “pounding the table”.
“It was a war of north vs South and if we have another one it will be the Same”
Today, our population is mixed with states controlled by Democrats having large populations of Republicans and vis versa. It wouldn’t be North vs South. It would be neighbor against neighbor. Suburban vs Urban. Resource producers vs resource users. It would be horrible for everyone but to fight one at all means Democrats get what they want, because their goal is to overthrow the government and no matter who wins the war, that old government isn’t coming back.
When people say the first civil war was north vs south, that is just a way to condense the topic. Geography had nothing to do with it. The war was over Democrat’s desire for slaves. They haven’t changed much. They still follow a racial hierarchy, are corrupt, and cheat in elections. The only new thing is their anti-American devotion to Marxism, which ironically enough, seeks to enslave the nation.
Again no facts just conjecture and as expected a boomer retreading fractured fairy tails from Correia who is one sick puppy and a Colonel with a screwloose who writes modern day turner diaries fantasy writer and gets in spats with the Auschwitz museum on twitter.
Got to love the Civil war II fantasies of the loony right, I don’t think I ever see the left spend much time war gaming it out as the loony right do.
The right answer is the winner who ever has the air force and maybe the army on their side , along with Lockmart, RTX, Boeing, General dynamics, and BAE along with their employees support. A lot of that is going to be determined by how it starts.
But lets see it more like Rural vs Sububan and Urban, the under 50 year old crowd vs 50 year old plus crowd. The dems have about 6 million more people than the Trumpicans to what ever multiplying effect due to the none voters and the republican efforts of suppressing democrat votes in regions they control, I think it safe to say the multiplier leaning more heavily on the democrat side. I repeat the Northeast and the West won’t be democrat and those are teh most productive regions in the country
Who are the producers and the takers again?
Well duh since the slavery issue was the industrial north vs the agricultural south that relied on slaves. But their was anti slavery northern democrats , the republicans formed as a explicitly northern party separating from the pro or whishy washy on slavery Whigs. Even back then the Democrats had control of urban areas in north pre civil war.
The rest of the crap in that paragraph is crap you Trumpicans tell yourselves that overall true and using your boogy man terms.
ugh left out the “not overall true”
I’ve never heard of most of those people, but Andrew Johnson was a southern Democrat.