Former President Donald Trump was indicted yesterday. It wasn’t the first time, nor is it likely to be the last. Yesterday’s indictment was specifically for several crimes associated with conspiring to defraud Americans about the 2020 election (conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to disenfranchise voters, and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding). Each of these indictments is a sad day for the country. Last night, I was watching news coverage about the indictments, and one of the commentators was so giddy, like a child on Christmas morning, that it was disturbing. I know a lot of people will rejoice over the series of indictments against Trump, and I am happy he is facing consequences for his complete disregard for the rule of law. However, I also think each of these indictments are also an indictment of the American people.
Trump never received a majority of the popular vote, but it still shows that there are a large number of Americans who do not care about the laws of this country or their fellow Americans but care only about having control over others. Supporters of candidates like Trump, Ron DeSantis, or Greg Abbott don’t measure the success of these politicians on what they have done for them but what they have done against those they hate, whether that means someone of a different race or sexuality (among numerous other groups because these same people strive on their hatred of those not like them).
Furthermore, I’m not going to rejoice just yet over Trump receiving his comeuppance, because indictments are only the beginning. I will rejoice (if you can even call it that) only when he has been convicted and sent to prison. As one commentator said last night, that’s a long way away. Even if he’s convicted, it will be a long process, and sadly, Trump is likely not going to prison until he’s exhausted all of his appeals, if he is ever sentenced to prison time in the first place.
The saddest part of all of this is not only that it shows that democracy in the United States is broken, but that there will still be Trump supporters who will still be Trump supporters when he’s proven guilty and escorted to prison. They’ll see this as purely political. This is a dark period of American democracy. The fact that a Trump was ever elected in the first place shows how broken the United States is. History will not look kindly on Americans of this era. The question we need to worry most about is: Will American democracy survive this era?
13 comments:
Dr. Franklin was right: “A republic, madam, if you can keep it.”
Yes to all you said, Joe. I too watched news coverage last night. For me, the most telling comment I heard was when Rachel Maddow said at the start that the question future generations will ask is not how could a former President be indicted, but how was this man ever elected President?
Franklin was a very wise man.
Susan, I was thinking the exact same thing as I was writing this. That's a large reason why I think this is a major battle for the validity of our Constitution and for democracy.
“Drain the (Washington) swamp” was Trump’s campaign motto pledge n 2016. Well, the only reason that the Former President wanted to “drain the swamp” is to prevent him from being held accountable by honest and law abiding civil service career veterans.
Let us be reminded of the quote from the Gettysburg address that the Trump zealots don’t revere:
“…that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Lincoln’s ideal are now being threatened by jingoistic, ideas of MAGA mania that claims to want to “SAVE America.” The greatest threats to America is their MAGA mindset of corruption, lawlessness and blatant disregard to the rules of law. The US Constitution, and the institutions of governments exist to for reason: to safe guard “we the people” from despotic politicians, who have self-serving ambitions.
Donald Trump, and all his agents should be held accountable. The same justice system that applies to weak, poor, and voiceless ought to apply to the MAGA nuts.
Lincoln would disown the Republican Party of today, and the Southern Democrats of old would have switched parties along time ago. In my opinion, it's all about control, selfishness, and greed. They are so afraid that someone might get something (money, equality, etc.) that either they perceive themselves as not getting or something that might make someone closer to being equal to them.
From outside USA, I'm a Canadian, all those justice issues of Trump are so illogical.
What I mean is that with all the evidences gathered since even before 2016, it's sadly shows how the justice system in USA has a double standard.
IF Trump would have been a «normal US citizen» he would be already in prison.
For sure, the GOP and his MAGA cult people are bowing down to him because they are afraid of him (never understood why) and to lose the 2024 election.
They are blinded by his big mouth lies and more he shout his venom, more those MAGA freaks are licking his «fat b..tt»...
IF this goes to the election of this orange conman as your president, surely the rest of the democratic countries will question USA as a real democracy as a leader.
In Canada, we did have some politicians who did some criminal acrions not even as the 1/1000 of what Trump did in all and they had to quit their public office and weren't allowed to come back too. For those it didn't take years for the justice system to do it but months.
What is also hard in USA is the politisation of your justice system and that GOP is saying when it suit them that this is weaponisation of your justice system while THEY did politizised it when nominating those conservative justices in the SCOTUS.
Future will show how solid is the justice system in USA or how your democracy is in peril IF this conman can be elected in the White House.
I am currently reading "A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them" by Timothy Egan. It focuses onthe Klan's takeover of Indiana in the early 1920's, with considerable success elsewhere. What I find very striking is the similarity between the Klan's appeal to racism, white supremacy, xenophobia, and bigotry then and the same themes in the MAGA cult. The only major differences are that anti-Catholicism is no longer overtly part of the mix, which lets them appeal to Catholics who share the other prejudices and the greater prominence of anti-LGBT prejudice.
The point I take is that the strains of hatred which fuel MAGA have been part of America all along, back to our founding. It's a constant battle for equality and acceptance for all. Still, the willingness to overturn Constitutional government by violent means is a danger we do not often face but very real today.
The indictments of Donald Trump are very important, and I hope they will peel away at least some few of his supporters, because even more important than his being convicted is that he must be defeated for reelection or we're finished as a Constitutional Republic.
JiEL, I think many countries are already no longer looking at the United States as the leader for democracy.
Naturgesetz, I am currently reading 1776 by David McCullough. The issues have been there from colonial times, but I think it's more than just long-standing issue in America society, but it is an undercurrent of conservatism. Of course, not all conservatives are racist, white supremacist, xenophobic, or bigots, but from its origins as monarchists, conservatism has been about retaining control and advocating against change. Often, racism, white supremacy, xenophobia, and bigotry is a by product of that belief.
Also, while for most of the United States anti-Catholicism may not be a part of the MAGA cult, in the largely Protestant South, I can sadly tell you, anti-Catholicism is still a major issue. I can't tell you how many students from middle school to college that I had to explain to them that Catholics are Christians. As long as they keep banning books, doing away with libraries in schools (as they are currently doing in Houston, TX), and pushing anti-intellectualism, it is going to get worse.
In France too we have troubles: the party "La France insoumise" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_France_Insoumise , that is to say revolutionary rebels : they block parliament with thousands of amendments, they don't let our prime minister speak ... afterwards they complain of not being listened to.
My friend Angel in Spain tells me about the VOX party there, uvdp. It is so sad that just 100 years after Benito Mussolini became the first fascist dictator, that we are seeing the rise of fascist parties all over again. Now, the Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia), the descendent of Mussolini's Fascist Party has gained control of the Italian government. I'd ask why people can't learn from history, but I know the answer. As these right wing parties take power in various places, they ban the teaching of anything that might shine a light on their evil.
I believe you hit the nail on the head.
From your post-- "However, I also think each of these indictments are (is) also an indictment of the American people."
I saw this meme the other day "HERE IS HE TRUTH...Trump's supporters don't measure his success by what he does FOR them, they measure by what he does AGAINST people they don't like. That's why they see him as being "successful." This is why they will never abandon him. His tormenting of "others" sustains them."
This has been my puzzlement all along and may have been answered by the above statement. You wonder why folks-educated, uneducated, successful, not successful-cling to this man. Many have been around the block a few times and seen some things BUT they are STILL square in his camp.
I personally don't think Trump will go to a physical jail. He has Seceret Service protection and the security risks in jail would be enormous. Now a nice super max site would be great. I hear Guantanamo Bay has a few open slots. Now I can see him confined to his Florida home with restrictions. The big fat orange one will use all legal means necessary to ensure his name is cleared. I heard someone say yesterday that with the case and all appeals exhausted,
we are talking about 4 years.
I view the most recent indictment as serious above all else because we are talking about trying to overturn our democracy and depriving, and erasing the votes of the American people. Trump made it political when he announced his candidacy way, way ahead of everyone else. He is running to stay out of jail. I am focusing on his actions and the laws that he has broken. Let's take the politics out of it. You even have folks say they will vote for the man if he is sitting in jail. I forcefully state NO man or woman is above the law.
Houston we have a problem.
Let's get this sorted out and save our democracy. VOTE like your lives depended on it.
VRCooper, Eugene V. Debs ran as a Socialist candidate for President of the United States five times: 1900 (earning 0.6 percent of the popular vote), 1904 (3.0 percent), 1908 (2.8 percent), 1912 (6.0 percent), and 1920 (3.4 percent), the last time from a prison cell. However, unlike Trump, Debs was persecuted for his politics and was a legitimate political prisoner. He had denounced American participation in World War I which led to his second arrest in 1918 (the first time had basically been because he was a union leader). He was convicted under the Sedition Act of 1918 and sentenced to a 10-year term. However, his conviction had as much to do with the First Red Scare (1918-1920) as it did the suppression of free speech. Trump actively tried to overthrow the government and attempted a coup.
I agree that I doubt he’ll ever spend time in jail, but I hope that he is at least kept under house arrest and without access to media. If he’s allowed to continue using social media and be interviewed by the media, his ego and propaganda will grow and grow and grow, and I think that as soon as a Republican is elected president again, he’ll be pardoned because Republicans have no shame.
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