Tuesday, December 07, 2021

Early Warning

 It’s hard for anyone to sound the alarm about an upcoming potential coup without sounding like an alarmist, but writers in the next issue of The Atlantic are doing just that. 

Pulitzer Prize-journalist Barton Gellman with “Trump’s Next Coup Has Already Begun,” and National Book Award winner George Packer with “Are We Doomed?” lay out the case that Trump is poised for another Presidential run in 2024 and once again claim victory, regardless of the results, just as he did last year.

Trump lost the 2020 election and he’d probably lose again in 2024, but this time around, his party has eliminated the Constitutional barriers to reversing the result at the local level in key swing states.

Our democracy was saved in January 2021 when a handful of ethical county election officials in several of those states refused to bow to Trump’s pressure to decertify the legitimate results; and Vice-President Mike Pence, in perhaps the only principled moment of his career, refused to subvert the Electoral College vote.

It was only by the actions of these few Republican officials, therefore, that Trump’s first attempt at a coup ended in failure.

Still, there is something so strange and fantastical about talking about a “coup” in America that it’s difficult for me to use the word. But our election processes are vulnerable to subversion and that is exactly what Trump and his allies appear to be planning to do the next time around.

This wouldn’t be happening if not for the proliferation of disinformation promulgated by conspiracy theorists, i.e., that the 2020 election was “stolen” by Biden. That is a lie, of course, but it is by repeating such lies loudly and incessantly that the authoritarian forces have been able to seize power throughout history.

What can an honest, responsible citizen do about this? For now, perhaps our only option is to speak out — as loudly and repeatedly as possible.

Staying silent is not an option. Because not speaking out is choosing to stand by and allow American democracy to pass into the dustbin of history — on our watch.

I, for one, cannot and will not do that. 

TUESDAY’S HEADLINES:

TUESDAY’S LYRICS

“Someday We'll Be Together”

The Supremes

Songwriters: Bristol Johnny William / Fuqua Harvey / Beavers Robert L

I say it, say it, say it, say it again
(Someday, we'll be together)
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah

You're far away from me my love
And just as sure my, my baby
As there are stars above
I wanna say, wanna say, wanna say

Yes we will, yes we will
(Say, someday, we'll be together) Some sweet day
I know, I know, I know, I know

My love is yours, baby
Oh, right from the start
You, you, you possess my soul now, honey
And I know, I know you own my heart
And I wanna say

Some sweet day
Oh, yes we will, yes we will
(Someday, we'll be together) Tell everybody
Yes we will, yes we will

Long time ago, my, my sweet thing
I made a big mistake, honey
I, I, I say, I said, goodbye
Oh, oh, baby, ever, ever, ever
Ever, ever and ever since that day
All I wanna do, all I wanna do was cry, cry, oh

Hey, hey, hey
I long for you every, every night
Ooh, just to kiss your sweet, sweet lips, baby
Hold you ever, ever so tight
And I wanna say

Someday we'll be together
Yes we will, yes we will
Someday we'll be together
Yes we will, yes we will
Someday we'll be together
Someday we'll be together
Yes we will, yes we will

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