It isn’t just the loss of due process (yesterday’s lament).
The Bulwark recently published an essay comparing the rule of law to the rule of Trump which is displacing it. You will not be shocked by the article’s conclusion that the two are incompatible. Under the rule of law, for example, certain specified persons are empowered to use force on behalf of the state in specified circumstances against persons engaged in specified activities. The rule of law does authorize state violence, but only under the enumerated circumstances–and other laws restrain government officials from engaging in such activities.
Under the rule of Trump, inevitable conflicts between public safety officials and people with whom they engage become conflicts “between angels and demons.” In Trump’s mind (I use the word “mind” hesitantly), “military police are heroic patriots by virtue of being in his military police.” Criminals are people who anger or cross him, or object to Trump’s will. By definition, they are dangerous insurgents who must be rooted out.
In other words, criminals are whoever Trump says are criminals, including the invented rioters and murderers in his fanciful descriptions of the horrors of life in Blue cities–descriptions so at odds with reality that they confirm his mental derangement.
The New York Times recently interviewed 50 members of the Washington, D.C. legal establishment, men and women who had worked as high-level officials for every president since Ronald Reagan. The group was evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. All of them were appalled.
One former official who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations–including Trump’s first term–was quoted as saying “What’s happening is anathema to everything we’ve ever stood for in the Department of Justice.” There was a near consensus among the officials surveyed “that most of the guardrails inside and outside the Justice Department, which in the past counterbalanced executive power, have all but fallen away.”
The indictment of James Comey, the former F.B.I. director who was charged only after Trump fired the prosecutor who refused to do so and installed a pliant operative in his place, represents a misuse of power that several respondents said they had never expected to see in the United States.
The survey found a “collectively grim state of mind.”
All but one of the respondents rated Trump’s second term as a greater or much greater threat to the rule of law than his first term. They consistently characterized the president’s abuses of power — wielding the law to justify his wishes — as being far worse than they imagined before his re-election.
And every single one of the 50 respondents believe that Trump and his attorney general, Pam Bondi, have used the Justice Department to go after the president’s political and personal enemies and provide favors to his allies.
At the end of his first term. Trump pressured the Justice department to investigate obviously “fact-free” claims. Bill Barr, who was attorney general at the time, had been a close ally of Trump, arguably subverting DOJ independence on Trump’s behalf in several matters. But when Trump pressured him to pursue allegations that Joe Biden had won the 2020 presidential election because of voter fraud, Barr wrote in his memoir that it was an ask too far, and he resigned rather than give in. Other top officials also threatened to resign rather than use the department in a dishonest effort to overturn the election.
Because of the lawyers in the room, the safeguards held. But if such a scenario were to play out in Trump’s second term, the same result is “unthinkable,” said Peter Keisler, who was an acting attorney general under President George W. Bush.“No one in the room now will say no,” said the Justice Department official from Trump’s first term. The lesson Trump drew from his first term, the former official continued, is that the lawyers who talked him out of “bad ideas” were the wrong kind of lawyers. “The president has set it up so that the people who are there are predisposed to be loyalists who will help him do what he wants.”
The dismantling of the rule of law began immediately after Trump assumed office the second time, with his shocking grant of pardons and commutations to the Jan. 6 rioters. It has continued with innumerable other examples, many of which were enumerated in the Times article.
It was significant that all 50 respondents faulted Congress for doing little or nothing to fulfill its role of restraining the president–and a majority also faulted the rogue Supreme Court. When checks and balances no longer check and balance, autocracy flourishes.
RIP rule of law…..
The rule of law has ALWAYS been a hurdle for Trump’s nefarious businesses and dealings. He is, by definition, a career criminal. And have we noticed that those he has closest to him are of exactly the same cloth? We should, because they are?
We’re dealing with a criminal enterprise and it isn’t going away … until it goes away one way or another. Marches and demonstrations are well and good and certainly necessary for the health of the people, but the monsters don’t give a damn about them other than to hope they foment what they’ll interpret as an insurrection. After all, Stephen Miller says that protesters are terrorists.
I agree with Vern that our president is running a criminal cabal with his kids blatantly making deals for the family business. Everything is a gross conflict of interest, and those who work around him are obviously unethical dopes. Pam Bondi is likely one of the worst and should be disbarred by the Florida Bar. The only thing holding them back must be DeSantis. From what I’ve read, she should have been disbarred a long time ago in Florida – talk about corruption!
Her comments in the Senate Oversight Committee were disgraceful. She acted like she would always be in office and never face any consequences. Her actions confirmed to me that Trump will cancel the midterm elections. According to recent elections and polls, Republicans are in trouble. I mean, the Republicans have shut down the federal government to protect Trump and other pedophiles. If the government opens, Johnson will have to swear in the Arizona Democrat, which will force the vote on releasing the Epstein Files, ending the cover-up.
I have read right-wing media, and the conspiracies around Antifa and its ties to “international gangs” are unbelievable. The “NoKings organizers are paid agitators and communists.” I asked some of them on X if they have visited the NoKings website – crickets. Ignorance is a choice, but it’s also dangerous…
the entire admin in DC that has set into plan for the trumps/admins attack against a free society.literally a well thought out group to take over and supress the democracy. these people,all of them were caught on vids being trained what to say,and how to implment this take over. project 2025 was a text, the people who wrote were funded by? thiel,musk,bradley,diamon.you dont do this kind of warfare unless someone has guarenteed your success to get away with it. deep into the groups mandate we have seen what and who. no names missed, now the retaliation to weak voices. the pouncing of ice into Americas cities is pure intimidation to all who walk. this is a take over,and its real. the news media has cluttered the noise, and the facts. himmler at the DOD/DOW is not sitting idle,and our own brass is now in the cross hairs of a putsch.his recent demand to news agencys to sign a pact to ignore any further actions by his staff. the drivel of thumps command voice sounds like a clown.. its the DC staff that has been assigned by the heritage foundations back room. lets be real. this isnt a game, its a take over of the very country we defended for 250 year. the congress has ignored the laws and set themselves as the wall against the people. the justice dept is now the police state were getting. anti-fa. terrorists? you gotta be kidding. hate America rally 10/18 only those terms would be used by dictators and nazis.
if your going to the rallys on 10/18. leave yout teather(cell) at home. park your ride somewhere else. or get a private ride. take measures to keep from being subject to being tracked. AI is being used now for any gathering. social media will sell any data. the DOJ will be using anti terrorist goons to patrol them. keep safe. we need everyone here to come home again to America..
best wishes, i just had my Bernie 2016 hat cleaned…
When you push the “rule of law” out of a republic, what comes rushing in is “rule by force” and a gangster government.
This lawlessness cannot survive without the absence of any decent response from the Congress of the United States. They (the GOP, in control) have completely and utterly denied the existence of their Constitutional obligations, namely, to act, as was originally intended, as a check and balance as one of the three branches of governance. Where the hell are they? The House isn’t even in chambers, as their “leader” Mike Johnson has deemed an obedience to the will of POTUS more important then taking part in the operation of governing while protecting his kingship from the truth about a relationship with Jeffery Epstein that we all know existed. Anyone who didn’t know that the second coming of this orange beast would be this horrendous lives in another universe.
The Trump crime syndicate includes:
Swindlers, Murderers, Thugs, Traitors, Plagiarists, Extortionists, Insurrectionists, Con Artists, and Dozens of Sexual Deviants …
See link to my website with names/bios of 300 Trump accomplices.
Sources included.
This is just his 1st term.
https://drchrislamb.com/only-the-worst-people-introduction-cast-of-characters/
I was thinking over the weekend that it shouldn’t be too long before former Presidents of the United States have to live outside of this country once they are out of office. This society’s spiral downward has been both shocking and predictable.
It might be best to take a more accurate view of our world. The orange one is not a wanna be dictator. We currently are surviving, barely, under a fascist authoritarian dictatorship. The orange one certainly will be deceased soon
Then perhaps people will observe that Vought, Thiel, and above all Miller have been in charge all along.
I have to disagree with your first sentence, Mauyra, in that he is certainly a wanna-be dictator. It’s just that he can’t approach that goal without the cooperation, and possibly guidance, of the Theil and crew from the Heritage society who are using him. I’m sure he thinks he is in charge, and running the syndicate with those “Patriots” Chris referred to.
No phone on the 18th is a sad, but interesting, idea.
MAGA is fueled by blame, which is therapeutic for those who are angry and need an outlet. Its target is everything Democrat and “woke” and not like the majority of them. They depict an open society as a burden, and that has been eating at them for decades. They are Rush Limbaugh wannabees.
All that has made them victims of the final and greatest Trump con job.
I will have my phone with me to record whatever happens. Event organizers have been communicating with local police and say they (the police) have been respectful and cooperative. My positions are clear to anyone who wants to investigate me. They wouldn’t have to track me to find out whose side I’m on!
When the 18th is over and nada has changed…wadda ya gonna do? I am guessing that, at best, the participants will be mostly over 60 or under 25 with the rest just livin’ their normal weekends.
It takes dramatic action to push change, e.g. the ~75% who have Amazon Prime suddenly dropping it….or 75% of Tesla’s suddenly traded for something else… We are still way to comfortable and entertained to do stuff like that…
dump and his supporters have little leverage over me as I am retired, my house and vehicle are paid for and my taxes are up to date. They can withhold my SS and I would still survive for quite a while on savings. I am one of the lucky ones. There are many who would be in mortal jeopardy of losing everything, including their lives.
dump is sick and likely not to survive his term, one way or another. They are keeping him happy with projects that appeal to his narcissism, real estate projects like the Rose Garden desecration, the false gilding of the Oval Office into some kind of throne room, the ballroom and now his plans for an triumphal arch to overshadow the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery. He is all too willing to be anywhere that he can be in the spotlight, no matter the cause. He just couldn’t stay away from Israel yesterday. He and yahoo, criminals both, acting like they are winners of some competition for who is the biggest genocidal maniac. The manipulators know how easy he is to be a prop and they never hesitate to do so.
I hope to participate next Saturday, weather permitting as I have mobility issues. I have signs and will identify myself openly as anti-fascist/pro-American democratic Republic.
Maybe what shocks me most right now is the complete abdication of responsibility, total complicity, by both of Indiana’s Senators with military service backgrounds, to a dictator who makes a mockery of the oaths of office all them took. At least Young would have studied history enough to know that he is very close to traitorous.
If there are as many as the organizers think will march on October 18, 11 million is still a small fraction of the 330 million in this country. Where are the rest of us? The racist, misogynist, xenophobic, white christian nationalists, seem to be the most vocal and threatening. We need to be louder and passive in resisting the loss of our individual human rights.
RESIST.
JD – write on! See my earlier comment.
It seems the trump regime is threatened by the protests especially the upcoming nationwide NO KINGS protest scheduled for October 18th. With trump and speaker of the House labeling these protesters as “people who hate America and terrorists”, their setting the stage for some rough stuff from their side/vigilante thugs. to cause violence and blame the protesters. Trump’s goal is to call the Insurrectionist Act so he can declare Martial law and cancel elections.
Participating in the protests is positive resistance using our right to free speech and right to peaceably assemble. Also, it helps to fortify our strength through a sense of solidarity with millions of Americans who want to protect our freedoms, a democracy and the rule of law. Participating dispels a feeling of helplessness and opens insights to the next steps. It’s a bad look for trump regime and they are feeling the pressure.