“(C)ontemporary autocrats tend to hide their repression behind a veneer of legality.” — How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt.
***
What happened in the Tennessee legislature encapsulates the current political crisis in America.
The ongoing sideshow that is Donald Trump obscures in some ways the very real danger his base of support poses to our democracy whether or not he is in power.
In Tennessee, the state Republican Party gerrymandered the voting districts to achieve a veto-proof supermajority. This is how those representing primarily white, rural, pro-NRA districts were able to oust two young black men from the legislature for violating the rules of decorum.
Their crime?
Loudly siding with the masses of people from their districts enraged at the lack of gun control after six people, including three nine-year olds, were massacred in yet another school shooting.
While I am not a fan of Vice-President Kamala Harris, never have been, she got it right in her speech in Nashville on Friday: “This is not a democracy.”
No, this is not how a democracy behaves; it is in fact the contemporary face of authoritarianism.
What will happen next? The people of the big cities are organizing themselves into a movement to oppose the actions of the state GOP and reclaim their democratic rights.
This is eerily familiar to the scene I witnessed in Memphis in1968 when I covered Dr. Martin Luther King’s last civil rights march. One could hope that in the intervening 55 years, Tennessee and America had come a long way toward the goal of inclusive democracy.
But maybe we have not.
LINKS:
Tennessee vote marks latest GOP move to stifle dissent, experts say (WP)
VP Kamala Harris to meet with 'Tennessee Three' in surprise visit to Nashville after expulsions over gun protests (USA Today)
Watch Kamala Harris' fiery speech after Tennessee lawmakers ousted (CNN)
Editorial: A federal judge outlaws an abortion pill that’s safer than Tylenol. This is ridiculous (LAT)
What Happened When Uber’s CEO Started Driving for Uber (WSJ)
Lyft’s Vibe Shift Signals the End of the Gig Economy Dream (Wired)
What Does the Potential Demise of Lyft Mean for Citi Bike? (New York)
How a trio of ProPublica reporters landed an explosive story on Justice Clarence Thomas (CNN)
New data raises concerns over global sea level: study (The Hill)
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AI Desperately Needs Global Oversight (Wired)
The impact of ChatGPT on the federal workforce (Federal Times)
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The Supreme Court Justice Explains Why He Accepted Luxury Trips From A GOP Megadonor (The Onion)
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