An insightful article in Salon entitled "How Republics Die".
I find it frustrating at times that some folks here, and in the nation at large, seem unable to recognize the degree to which Trump is attacking and undermining the foundations of our democratic republic.
It's clear that Mueller intended that Congress would examine and evaluate his report. It is also clear that the first branch of our central government, the Legislative branch, through our system of checks and balances, was granted the power of Congressional oversight over the Executive branch. Evaluating the Mueller report, particularly part 2, dealing with obstruction of justice, is part of that oversight.
Yet Trump is engaged in an effort to deny our Congress its constitutional right at oversight, by ignoring all House subpoenas, and telling all witnesses called to ignore requests for testimony, even if via subpoenas. Trump supporters seem fine with this. They wish to embrace AG Barr's "case closed" mantra as the last word.
An entire fake narrative is in the process of being invented, for the sole purpose of deligitimizing our intelligence community's reasons for investigating the extent and components of Russian interference in our elections. All while denying the right of Congress to exercise oversight. Trump supporters embrace this developing narrative, which is very naive given the likelihood that developing such an alternative narrative is exactly what one would expect someone who wants all these examinations of conduct to just go away, would in fact engage in.
I understand why Trump supporters would embrace his alternative narrative. Yet, Trump supporters don't seem to understand why people like myself see Trump's actions as an attack on the foundations of our republic. They do not understand the narrative I embrace, or why anyone would embrace it. They actually believe that Comey's FBI, which severely damaged Clinton's campaign, in public, and shortly before the election, was instead trying to derail Trump, even though Comey never divulged publically that the FBI was looking at members of the Trump campaign, prior to the election.
https://www.salon.com/2019/05/26/how-republics-die_partner/
"Into this moment in history comes Donald Trump, going after the walls and floors of our political house with a sledgehammer. Institutions that were treated with respect and even reverence are ridiculed as “weak” or “useless” by Trump; the hard-right billionaires cheer him on and keep writing checks to the GOP.
These are the symptoms of a republic in crisis.
- Calling the press “the enemy of the people.”
- Refusing to interact with Congress as the Constitution dictates.
- Packing the courts with demonstrably unqualified ideologues.
- Lying to the people on a daily basis.
- Embracing autocrats while trashing traditional allies.
- Breaking the law and flaunting a Nixon-era “guideline” from the DOJ saying that the president can’t be prosecuted, while he runs out the clock on the statute of limitations.
- Bragging that he’s making money on the presidency and daring anybody to stop him.
- Putting lobbyists in charge of public lands, our banking system, and our environment.
- Embracing violent and hateful people and movements, both at home and abroad."
