December 15, 2018: Full Authoritarian, Grateful For tRUMP, Cancer Called Conservatism

“If you want to understand what's happening to our country,” wrote Paul Krugman in The New York Times, “the book you really need to read is “How Democracies Die”, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt...in recent decades a number of nominally democratic nations have become de facto authoritarian, one-party states. Yet none of them have had classic military coups, with tanks in the streets.

“What we've seen instead are coups of a subtler form: takeovers or intimidation of the news media, rigged elections that disenfranchise opposing voters, new rules of the game that give the ruling party overwhelming control even if it loses the popular vote, corrupted courts.

“The classic example is Hungary, where Fidesz, the white nationalist governing party, has effectively taken over the bulk of the media; destroyed the independence of the judiciary; rigged voting to enfranchise supporters and disenfranchise opponents; gerrymandered electoral districts in its favor; and altered the rules so that a minority in the popular vote translates into a supermajority in the legislature.

“Does a lot of this sound familiar?” (1)

The several states have been called the 'hothouse' of our republic inasmuch, it is held, that they serve as a laboratory in which various experiments in public policy can be tried before they are proposed and adopted at the national level. If this is the case, we are, as Krugman rightly points out, in deep trouble.

Let's look at Wisconsin, says Krugman.

“There has been a fair amount of reporting on the power grab currently underway in Madison. Having lost every statewide office in Wisconsin last month, Republicans are using the lame-duck (2) legislative session to drastically curtail these office's power, effectively keeping rule over the state in the hands of the G.O.P.-controlled Legislature.

“What has gotten less emphasis is the fact that G.O.P. Legislative control is also undemocratic. Last month Democratic candidates received 54 percent of the votes in State Assembly elections—but they ended up with only 37 percent of the seats.

“In other words, Wisconsin is turning into Hungary on the Great Lakes, a state that may hold elections, but where elections don't matter, because the ruling party retains control no matter what voters do.” (2)

Similar efforts are underway in Michigan where Democrats have for years polled a higher overall vote for the state legislature but have remained in the minority. In both states, as well as Ohio and Pennsylvania, Rescumlickans have maintained power by, among other things, purging the voter rolls of over 400,000 in Michigan, 300,000 in Wisconsin and similar totals in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.

In the meantime Gerrymandered districts drawn up by Rescumlickan legislatures have ensure Rescumlickan majorities in the congressional representation of these states, giving the G.O.P a clout that they didn't legitimately hold. In fact the Democrats got more votes in Congressional races throughout most of Obama's presidency but Rescumlickans were able to hold the house and obstruct. Likewise, in the wake of the 2016 election: The Democrats, given the popular vote and absent this chicanery, should have held the house. How different it would have been. Real hearings, real investigations.

Only by out-polling the Rescumlickans by over 8 per cent were the Democrats able to re-take the house demonstrating just how awful has been this administration.

“Which is why”, concludes Krugman, “we should be grateful for Trump.” For this is a problem that predates and transcends tRUMP. The modern conservative movement is a cancer upon this republic, imposing upon us not only breathtakingly ignorant and ill-advised public policy, but threatening in the process the very legitimacy of our governmental institutions. “If he weren't so flamboyantly awful, Democrats might have won the House popular vote by only 4 or 5 points not 8.6 points. And in that case, Republicans might have maintained control.” (3)

Meanwhile Disgustus openly muses about becoming 'president for life' and envisions a state-run television network even as he threatens the broadcast licenses of those who criticize and tries to strip reporters of White House access to 'news briefings' because they have the temerity to try to ask follow up questions.

Yes, Krugman is right. It is an observation that courses through these columns in the Age of Disgustus. One of our major political parties is at war with the people. One of our major political parties is pushing the United States toward authoritarian rule; and it is only the breathtakingly incompetent and blatantly awful presence of our erstwhile Caesar that keeps us from falling into the abyss. It is, perhaps, the awful stench coming from this White House that will finally focus our attention on the rotting cancer that has metastasized in the body politic; cancer called conservatism.

Ridding ourselves of Disgustus is the necessary but not the sufficient condition; is not the end, it is only the beginning.

“An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh.”

Impeach and Imprison.

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1. Krugman, Paul. “The G.O.P. Goes Full Authoritarian” The New York Times. Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Page A26
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.