The United States of America was founded on three moral principles: 1. the rule of law, 2. the power of truth, and 3. the right of equal opportunity for all. The American Republican Party, at the behest its billionaire masters (and the right-wing media controlled by those billionaires), has been chipping away at all three of those principles for decades and is now close to permanently eliminating all of them.
Undermining the Rule of Law
Republicans have long claimed to be the party of “law and order” and have long tried to paint the Democrats as “soft on crime.” But the Republicans have consistently been very selective in their preferred enforcement of the law.
If the accused lawbreaker is poor, or a person of color, they push for strict enforcement and “mandatory minimum” sentences. If, however, the accused is white, and especially if the person has a lot of money, they prefer to excuse or ignore the offense.
Republicans are also highly inclined to want to punish what they consider “moral vices” even when they those behaviors are legal. Yet, they are extremely reluctant to punish financial crimes, whether individual or corporate.
To further the undermining of the rule of law in America, the right-wing has worked for decades to put ideological judges on the bench. With the help of the villainous Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump was able to appoint 3 justices to the Supreme Court and 258 additional Federal judges.
But the most ominous sign of the decay of the rule of law in America is the increasing number of idiots and criminals who are openly being elected to political office.
I have named names in previous blog posts, but here let me just say that any elected official who supported an armed insurrection against the Capitol, or who voted to not count the certified Presidential ballots from certain states, or who posts videos threatening the life of the President and a Congresswoman, is not fit for public office.
Yet, there they sit. And they are our “Lawmakers.”
Subverting the Power of Truth
The founders of the United States understood the importance of a free press in a democracy. If the people were to be the ultimate source of power in the new country, they needed access to timely and accurate information about what their political representatives were doing.
Over time, American journalism became a profession with strong ethical standards and ingrained practices of verification and fact-checking. Professional journalists see their job as uncovering and explaining the truth.
Two developments have eroded that standard. First, media outlets have become corrupted by money. Newspapers, radio, and TV stations that were formerly owned and operated by single families or local companies have been bought and consolidated by large financial corporations who are focused on profit, not community service.
Second, the rise of social media on the internet has given every demagogue the power to spread his lies to a wide audience. The bigger and more fantastic the lies, the more “popular” the liar can become. He can even win the White House!
The “conservative” media outlets have long ago given up on objective news reporting in favor of politicized sensationalism. They decided that pandering to people’s fears and other base instincts results in a larger, and more loyal, viewership – and hence higher profits. Honest, fact-checked, truth is not a part of their business plan.
Truth has become a casualty in the war for popularity and profit.
Denying Equal Opportunity
“… with liberty and justice for all.”
The Pledge of Allegiance
The promise of America has always been that everyone in the country is equal in their opportunities and that the laws will always be applied fairly and equally to all. After more than two centuries, we still have not met that promise.
Significant progress was made during the last half of the 1900’s. Notable, groundbreaking, heroic, leaders during this time period include Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Medgar Evans, Thurgood Marshall, Shirley Chisholm, Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Wilma Mankiller, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Charlene Teters, Winona LaDuke, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Angela Davis, Geraldine Ferraro, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton, and Coretta Scott King.
Sadly, in this new century, we are losing ground. Our historic first Black President was followed by an incompetent malignant narcissist who came to power by appealing to the worst nativist, sexist, and racist instincts of the American people.
Right-wing media continually pumps out bigoted, fear-mongering, lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants, non-Christians, and people of color. Bullying, harassment, and hate crimes have increased. Innocent black people are still being killed by police while white people are getting away with rape and murder.
Meanwhile, Republican state legislators around the country are working overtime to limit the voting rights of the poor and non-whites.
We are at a tipping point
The election of malignant right-wing lawmakers, the loss of generally-accepted standards of truth, and the scapegoating of the less powerful members of society, are all indicators of fascism.
The Republican party has shown repeatedly that it is wholly committed to taking back power through any means other than a fair, open, policy-based, election. If their current manipulative and unethical methods fail, they seem increasingly willing to violate the law – and even to use violence.
Rule of Law, Respect for Truth, Equal Opportunity for All. When they are gone there will be no United States of America – just an empty shell.
Sources
Evan Osnos, Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury, Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, September 14, 2021.
Ed Shanahan, “Man Is Spared Prison After Guilty Plea in Sexual Attacks on 4 Teens,” The New York Times, November 18, 2021.
Pilar Melendez and Dan Simmons, “Kyle Rittenhouse Acquitted in Bombshell End to Vigilante Murder Trial,” Daily Beast, November 19, 2021.
Anne Applebaum, “‘The Bad Guys Are Winning’ — Anne Applebaum on the Rise of Autocratic Power Around the World,” The Atlantic, November 15, 2021.
Depressing… sad that it needs to be said now and then, just so we don’t fall asleep and do nothing long enough to lose our democracy.