In a surprise move, SCOTUS has made the upcoming 2024 presidential election about choosing the United States first essential King. A president with King-like powers, basically. A democracy in name, only.
This is how democracies die, not in darkness run by a sketchy British overlord at the Washington Post, but that’s not helping. But through the weaponization of the law. One need only look at Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, from whom U.S. Republicans take instruction, on how to overthrow a democracy without a violent revolution, via a 12 point plan to attack democracy and consolidate power.
It’s called soft fascism or soft authoritarianism. It’s done by changing the law. It’s done by taking over the media.
And those two things are happening right now and have been happening for a while now. Our two legacy papers have evolved into pushing an oligarchy of the 1%, and many local papers and TV have been taken over by wealthy conservatives. This is not meant as an indictment on or even a reflection of the excellent journalists at these establishments, but solely upon the leadership. (Please do not yell at journalists; direct your righteous anger at their overlords and stop supporting their businesses.)
The exceptionally corrupt conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court appears to have handed the presidency the powers of a King. This is antithetical to the founders’ intentions, as the Revolutionary War against the rule of Britain under King George III proved. George Washington did not rule as a King.
But if the next election is about installing a president who will act as a King, or have the powers of a King — which the court has just ruled that President Biden has right now, knowing as they must that Joe Biden would never abuse that power (something his team might need to rethink) — then everyone must choose carefully.
The first U.S. King:
1. Must campaign on using their King powers to re-establish the separation of powers and use the power of the King to dismantle those same powers.
2. Must use their King powers to root out corruption at the Supreme Court, getting rid of all 6 Republicans and installing 6 fair minded people with track records of fierce loyalty to freedom and independence who have the courage to hold the powerful accountable and believe the law applies to everyone.
Might I be so bold as to suggest former President Barack Obama be one of them? Yes, I might.
Fani Willis should be added to the list as a potential Supreme Court justice to be installed by King Biden, especially because conservatives confirmed not one, but two alleged sexual predators to the highest court on the land who then set about taking away women’s rights. Fani Willis is a fighter for democracy who is not afraid to take on the powerful. In light of what the U.S. is up against, a tyrannical overtaking of democracy and remaking it into an autocracy, I don’t really care about Willis’ inappropriate and stupid but CONSENSUAL affair.
There are plenty more to choose from, but these are two options who offer the two qualities most necessary to save our democratic republic: In the form of Obama, the highest integrity and in the form of Willis, the steel will needed to right this country. Alvin Bragg should be added to the list for willingness to hold power accountable.
Congressional candidates, because people need to vote all the way down the ticket, including local elections which is where the people who end up with tremendous power start out:
1. Must include in their platform a vow to immediately pass ethical rules and term limits for SCOTUS and to add two-three seats to the court.
2. If already elected, they should propose a constitutional amendment to overturn this ruling.
If you are electing the first King, that means this is the last real election unless you choose wisely.
Indeed, I’m afraid the time has come to call it as loath as I am to spread fear: This will be the last real election in the United States of America unless people get their friends and families to turn out to vote in record numbers for the only candidate who won’t abuse this power.
It is telling that way too much of our media has called for President Biden to step down because he was low energy in his debate, while they haven’t called for ex-president Trump to step down from his candidacy for the same office even after he was convicted of 34 felonies, incited an insurrection against his own country, was determined to be an adjudicated rapist and con artist, and refused to say he would honor the results of the upcoming election.
The takeover has been ongoing, but we are at the end stage now. The five alarm stage. The get out the vote like our lives depend upon it, because for too many, they do. Anyone who displeases Donald Trump will be subject to his Henry the VIII type whims.
