Comments by "" (@DavidJ222) on "How close is the US to civil war? Closer than you think, study says" video.
-
“If there is one fact we really can prove, from the history that we really do know, it is that despotism can be a development, often a late development and very often indeed the end of societies that have been highly democratic. A despotism may almost be defined as a tired democracy. As fatigue falls on a community, the citizens are less inclined for that eternal vigilance which has truly been called the price of liberty; and they prefer to arm only one single sentinel to watch the city while they sleep.”
― G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man
“The actions of government, we are told, bear down only on imprudent souls who provoke them. The man who resigns himself and keeps silent is always safe. Reassured by this worthless and specious argument, we do not protest against the oppressors. Instead we find fault with the victims. Nobody knows how to be brave even prudentially. Everyone stays silent, keeping his head low in the self-deceiving hope of disarming the powers that be with his silence. People give despotism free access, flattering themselves that they will be treated with consideration. Eyes to the ground, each person walks in silence along the narrow path, leading him safely to the tomb.”
― Benjamin Constant, Principles of Politics Applicable to All Governments.
"If conservatives become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will not abandon conservatism. They will reject democracy."
-- David Frum: The Corruption of the American Republic.
Vote 💙 like your right to vote, and our democracy depends on it, because it literally does.
137
-
The dawn of American democracy didn’t come in 1776, with the Declaration of Independence. It didn’t come in 1788, when the Constitution was ratified by the states, or in 1789, when George Washington took office. According to Harry Rubenstein, chair and curator of the Division of Political History at the American History Museum, the symbolic birth of our system of government didn’t come until its noble ideals were actually put to the test. On September 19, 215 years ago, Washington published his farewell address, marking one the first peaceful transfers of power in American history and cementing the country’s status as a stable, democratic state.
This moment, Rubenstein says, “is crucial for creating the in-and-out system of government that we have. And this is unique. In that time and era, politicians would gain power, or kings would stay in office until theyDie.” At that nascent stage in American history, before precedents such as the two-term limit were even set, many were uncertain about what would happen after a galvanizing figure like Washington resigned office. But at this critical juncture, the leadership of Washington and others proved more than adequate to preserve the democracy. “Stepping down is unique,” says Rubenstein. “It’s a powerful statement about Washington and American democracy.”
41
-
20
-
16
-
12
-
11
-
9
-
5
-
5
-
5
-
4
-
@RyanESmith-wf4cu
In Mar, 2019, a woman takes the stage at an event hosted by Steve Bannon and calls for a Trump dictatorship.
“Never in my life did I think I would like to see a dictator,” the woman told the crowd. “But if there’s going to be one, I want it to be Trump.” Bannon then clapped and smiled.
People who have seen this clip were shocked and appalled. Not only does the woman claim that she never thought she would agree with a dictatorship crushing the U.S., she fully supports the idea of Trump being that dictator, and single-handedly ruling over the nation.
While the woman’s words alone should strike fear into your heart for the fate of our country, the audience’s response is the most telling.
There was not a moment of concern on many of the attendees’ faces. Instead, many of the attendees, like Bannon, were grinning from ear to ear as they applauded the outrageous idea of elevating Trump to a dictator.
The woman’s comment and the crowd’s reaction is a serious cause for concern.
Why continue as a democracy when we can go the way of Russia&Venezuela?
And these very same people have the audacity to call themselves "patriots."
3
-
2
-
2