Fifty-four years of Republican presidents using treason to achieve the White House (or inheriting it from one who did) has transformed America and weakened our democracy
You covered it all, TH. This was hard reading in the morning, but I wouldn’t want to have missed it. I grew up when Ike was president so believed in the presidency. Then a 16-year-old when JFK was assassinated. Everything shifted from that point on. You just gave me all the details and background for what happened to the US and its democracy death-rattle now. Feels pretty goddamn overwhelming. BUT I just got my msil-in ballot in Denver yesterday. I WILL be voting for Democrts and democracy
Fascinating reading; most of us are unaware of such information. This is an article around which the history books should be written. There's a lot of details in the article that are head-shaking, and I needed to lift myself higher for a birds-eye view for perspective. What I see, and I'm sure a lot of Americans are seeing, is a deeply-divided country. This division is no accident; we know that Putin is one of the world's foremost experts on sowing division, and he has a "useful idiot" holed up in a golf course somewhere, plotting how to further such division.
The sad part is that you happen to have a caring, conscientious president and vice-president right now who could have a positive impact on your nation, but who aren't being allowed to do so. That's unfortunate, because men and women of their calibre don't come along that often.
There's a comparison that comes to mind, and there are probably others that I'm unaware of, but the history books tell us that the nation of Israel was once the "U.S.A." of the world; it was the dominant power and the crossroads of commerce in the days of King David. Under David, the nation was UNITED - united with its ruler still maintaining a relationship with God. After David, things began to go downhill - a rift was sown, and before long there was the Northern kingdom and the Southern. Israel gradually lost its greatness; citizens and their rulers were never able to mend what had been torn. We're seeing the same thing happening in America; your greatness is gradually diminishing, and you seem to be unable to heal the rift. Even when you're fortunate enough to have a good president and vice-president, as you have now, their efforts are being undermined at every step of the way. The battle and all its dirty tricks will continue, because men's heads are very hard and dull (women know and understand this), and rarely are the thoughts of their heads warmed by the influences of their heart, such as we see with your current president, a quality which I feel places him among one of your best on record.
This outstanding compendium is a reminder that Trump’s effort to destroy our constitutional republic on January 6 did not emerge from thin air. Trump and the events of January 6 culminate a long pattern of efforts by the Republican Party to undermine voter participation and transparent government in favor of their corporate sponsors. Trump’s collusion with Russia merely echoes Nixon’s collusion with the corrupt regime in South Vietnam and Reagan’s collusion with the Ayatollah. The end game in all of this, however, is the corruption of government itself. The key result, as this article illustrates well, is a Supreme Court fully hostile towards voting rights, civil rights, corporate accountability, and the government’s responsibility in protecting society from gun violence and police abuses.
One might be grateful that the face of this corrupted party no longer even pretends to adhere to constitutional norms. The staid visage of Mitt Romney has given way to such inane figures as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Herschel Walker. Mentees of Roy Cohn such as Roger Stone and Paul Manafort no longer work in the dark shadows of the party but have come to define it. The Senate and SCOTUS are not merely dysfunctional, they are corrosive to the well-being of society.
The way out of this crisis will not be easy. The journey begins with a sober look at how we got here. Thank you, Thom, for showing us how we got here in such a concise and powerful way.
I agree with all the community comments regarding this detailed synopsis by Mr Hartman of the unraveling of all rational Republican ideology. Lie, cheat , steal, gaslight, propagandize- that’s all the Republicans offer Americans to benefit the rich. Unfortunately their messengers (Fox, Breitbart, OANN and other right wing sites) are very effective. The recent primary results especially in California show voters swallowing the Fox poison and voting more right of center. The conservative fear mongering is working and I fear Americans (who most of them lack critical thinking skills) can’t see reality and how the consolidation of power to the wealthy minority is escalating the threat to our democracy.
It is so disgusting to read this information. I am not questioning the truthfulness of the information. What I find disgusting is how relatively easy it has been for the Republicans to engage in treasonous acts. Then they cover their tracks with lies, gaslighting, and the distractions of the culture wars. People are so easily manipulated on a large scale, especially if disinformation is repeated endlessly by the likes of Tucker Carlson. All for money.
"Liars and Thieves Should Not Be Called JUSTICE"; that was my sign I carried during the protests for the Roe leaked decision. After many many local protests, I have to say that one got the most positive response from the public. People are disgusted with this illegitimate Court.
Just like many criminals, the Republican Party has escalated its activity over time. They have another aspect you see, especially with serial killers, they have fans. The more outrageous they are the more devoted their followers become.
We cannot afford to be magnanimous and just move-on. This administration is going for full disclosure and consequences. President Biden and the committee know democracy in America is once more on the line.
Thanks for the history, Thom. I will pass it on, especially to my members of Congress. It will reach their staff at the very least.
Thom, logical fallacies don’t disprove arguments, but they explain why arguments fall fat. Your lines rhetoric describing those that “don’t care about democracy” offer certain fallacies that distort your reasoning. First, your simple binaries allow your opposition to reject your conclusions and correctly see it as nonsense. Acts of political corruption simply do not prove your thesis. You may feel those acts are evidence of things you want us to believe but they only satisfy those that believe the worst about Republicans. As for those that don’t adhere to the extreme binaries, they indeed recognize the arguments are sophomoric.
Second, given your failure to define democracy, reveals the incredulity of your argument. Because you don’t give a descriptive understanding of the term, we are left with an obvious red herring. the fact is that political corruption does not prove one’s disbelief in democracy. Such rhetorical inference is a distraction and shifts attention away, perhaps from the real topic and toward a false conclusion. You simply do not connect a definitive standard with your accusations, and therefore all we’re left with are simple presumptions. Again, acts of serious political corruption doesn’t establish the standard for whether one believes in democracy or not.
I realize most if not all your readers will readily discount and disagree with my critique. I’m under no illusion that my thoughts will persuade your followers, but my thoughts explain exactly why your opposition will simply discount your rhetoric and see it replete with disappointing exaggerations. Then again maybe you don't care what a thoughtful opposition thinks. I hope that's not the case.
You covered it all, TH. This was hard reading in the morning, but I wouldn’t want to have missed it. I grew up when Ike was president so believed in the presidency. Then a 16-year-old when JFK was assassinated. Everything shifted from that point on. You just gave me all the details and background for what happened to the US and its democracy death-rattle now. Feels pretty goddamn overwhelming. BUT I just got my msil-in ballot in Denver yesterday. I WILL be voting for Democrts and democracy
Fascinating reading; most of us are unaware of such information. This is an article around which the history books should be written. There's a lot of details in the article that are head-shaking, and I needed to lift myself higher for a birds-eye view for perspective. What I see, and I'm sure a lot of Americans are seeing, is a deeply-divided country. This division is no accident; we know that Putin is one of the world's foremost experts on sowing division, and he has a "useful idiot" holed up in a golf course somewhere, plotting how to further such division.
The sad part is that you happen to have a caring, conscientious president and vice-president right now who could have a positive impact on your nation, but who aren't being allowed to do so. That's unfortunate, because men and women of their calibre don't come along that often.
There's a comparison that comes to mind, and there are probably others that I'm unaware of, but the history books tell us that the nation of Israel was once the "U.S.A." of the world; it was the dominant power and the crossroads of commerce in the days of King David. Under David, the nation was UNITED - united with its ruler still maintaining a relationship with God. After David, things began to go downhill - a rift was sown, and before long there was the Northern kingdom and the Southern. Israel gradually lost its greatness; citizens and their rulers were never able to mend what had been torn. We're seeing the same thing happening in America; your greatness is gradually diminishing, and you seem to be unable to heal the rift. Even when you're fortunate enough to have a good president and vice-president, as you have now, their efforts are being undermined at every step of the way. The battle and all its dirty tricks will continue, because men's heads are very hard and dull (women know and understand this), and rarely are the thoughts of their heads warmed by the influences of their heart, such as we see with your current president, a quality which I feel places him among one of your best on record.
This outstanding compendium is a reminder that Trump’s effort to destroy our constitutional republic on January 6 did not emerge from thin air. Trump and the events of January 6 culminate a long pattern of efforts by the Republican Party to undermine voter participation and transparent government in favor of their corporate sponsors. Trump’s collusion with Russia merely echoes Nixon’s collusion with the corrupt regime in South Vietnam and Reagan’s collusion with the Ayatollah. The end game in all of this, however, is the corruption of government itself. The key result, as this article illustrates well, is a Supreme Court fully hostile towards voting rights, civil rights, corporate accountability, and the government’s responsibility in protecting society from gun violence and police abuses.
One might be grateful that the face of this corrupted party no longer even pretends to adhere to constitutional norms. The staid visage of Mitt Romney has given way to such inane figures as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Herschel Walker. Mentees of Roy Cohn such as Roger Stone and Paul Manafort no longer work in the dark shadows of the party but have come to define it. The Senate and SCOTUS are not merely dysfunctional, they are corrosive to the well-being of society.
The way out of this crisis will not be easy. The journey begins with a sober look at how we got here. Thank you, Thom, for showing us how we got here in such a concise and powerful way.
As you said, "The way out of this crisis will not be easy."
...In fact, I came to the conclusion that "disunion" is the only way out, unless the Democrats hold Congress this November 8th.
I wrote an essay about this a few days ago: https://ohioprogressivelife.com/?p=290
I agree with all the community comments regarding this detailed synopsis by Mr Hartman of the unraveling of all rational Republican ideology. Lie, cheat , steal, gaslight, propagandize- that’s all the Republicans offer Americans to benefit the rich. Unfortunately their messengers (Fox, Breitbart, OANN and other right wing sites) are very effective. The recent primary results especially in California show voters swallowing the Fox poison and voting more right of center. The conservative fear mongering is working and I fear Americans (who most of them lack critical thinking skills) can’t see reality and how the consolidation of power to the wealthy minority is escalating the threat to our democracy.
It is so disgusting to read this information. I am not questioning the truthfulness of the information. What I find disgusting is how relatively easy it has been for the Republicans to engage in treasonous acts. Then they cover their tracks with lies, gaslighting, and the distractions of the culture wars. People are so easily manipulated on a large scale, especially if disinformation is repeated endlessly by the likes of Tucker Carlson. All for money.
"Liars and Thieves Should Not Be Called JUSTICE"; that was my sign I carried during the protests for the Roe leaked decision. After many many local protests, I have to say that one got the most positive response from the public. People are disgusted with this illegitimate Court.
Just like many criminals, the Republican Party has escalated its activity over time. They have another aspect you see, especially with serial killers, they have fans. The more outrageous they are the more devoted their followers become.
We cannot afford to be magnanimous and just move-on. This administration is going for full disclosure and consequences. President Biden and the committee know democracy in America is once more on the line.
Thanks for the history, Thom. I will pass it on, especially to my members of Congress. It will reach their staff at the very least.
Thom, logical fallacies don’t disprove arguments, but they explain why arguments fall fat. Your lines rhetoric describing those that “don’t care about democracy” offer certain fallacies that distort your reasoning. First, your simple binaries allow your opposition to reject your conclusions and correctly see it as nonsense. Acts of political corruption simply do not prove your thesis. You may feel those acts are evidence of things you want us to believe but they only satisfy those that believe the worst about Republicans. As for those that don’t adhere to the extreme binaries, they indeed recognize the arguments are sophomoric.
Second, given your failure to define democracy, reveals the incredulity of your argument. Because you don’t give a descriptive understanding of the term, we are left with an obvious red herring. the fact is that political corruption does not prove one’s disbelief in democracy. Such rhetorical inference is a distraction and shifts attention away, perhaps from the real topic and toward a false conclusion. You simply do not connect a definitive standard with your accusations, and therefore all we’re left with are simple presumptions. Again, acts of serious political corruption doesn’t establish the standard for whether one believes in democracy or not.
I realize most if not all your readers will readily discount and disagree with my critique. I’m under no illusion that my thoughts will persuade your followers, but my thoughts explain exactly why your opposition will simply discount your rhetoric and see it replete with disappointing exaggerations. Then again maybe you don't care what a thoughtful opposition thinks. I hope that's not the case.