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THE VIEW FROM HERE - One liability of MAGA or a Woker extremism is that each sets parameters around what their members may believe and even around what questions they may ask. In a polarized society such as ours, each side sees the other as the Evil to be combated; by definition, evil is to be rejected without compromise. To prevent their adherents from giving honest consideration to ideas of The Other, each side replaces facts and logic with their unique Narrative. The Wokers have their Narrative that all society is divided between Oppressors and the Oppressed. Thus, facts which may tend to support this position are good, but if a fact does not support the Narrative, the fact is either ignored or twisted until its new incarnation supports the Narrative. Wokers have an axiom that Whites and Jews have wealth, position, or achievement because they stole the fruits of the labor of the Oppressed. The MAGA believe there is grand conspiracy to replace Whites with Muslims (Europe version) or Blacks (American version). Objectively, there is more truth to the MAGA version since Nancy Pelosi had stated the goal of Identity Politics, aka, Woke DEI was to have the minorities replace the Whites when the minorities are the majority of voters. An American spin on Wokeism is that Jews orchestrate this take over by Blacks since Blacks are not smart enough to do it for themselves. Hence, the nation heard of perplexing chant at Charlottesville, Virginia in August 11, 2017, “Jews shall but replace us.”
Pelosi’s Identity Politics entailed: (1) replacing individual inalienable rights with Group Rights under which a person is not judged by character but by skin color, etc.; and (2) replacing the Republic with a Democracy. Pelosi’s thought that as soon as the minorities were the majority of the voters, the Dems could do whatever they wished. That would require repudiating the Declaration of Independence’s individual inalienable rights and repealing the entire US Constitution which had created a Republic based upon very complex balances and checks on power.
Most Americans Cannot Distinguish a Republic from a Democracy
That failure is not due to low IQ, but due to the decades of atrocious education which has falsely taught Americans that we are a democracy rather than Federated Constitutional Republic. A lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.
“Some believe that the United States is a democracy, but it is actually the perfect example of a constitutional republic. A pure democracy would be a form of government in which the leaders, while elected by the people, are not constrained by a constitution as to its actions.” See USA Is Not a Democracy
The term “constitutional democracy” is an oxymoron because a constitution is supreme law and a democracy means the will of the people is the supreme law.
Both the Dems and GOP have worked long and hard to bamboozle Americans into thinking that the USA is a democracy and not a republic. As the Constitution’s framers knew, a democracy is one small step away from a tyranny, which is why power hungry people like Nancy Pelosi want Americans to believe that the country is not a Republic with all its complicated checks and balances on power. As her game plan proposed, as soon as the minorities were the majority of voters, they would take whatever they wanted. That is not possible when the Will of the People is subservient to the law, statutes and the Constitution. For a while, the GOP would talk about the USA’s being a Republic, but they too saw that the Republic’s Constitutional restraints impeded their desire to take-over. Thus, the GOP adopted the false Dem meme that we are a democracy. Laboring under this delusion, whoever wins an election claims a voter mandate to do whatever he/she wishes. As Donald Trump said, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.” (February 15, 2025 Truth Social) Consistent with Trump’s belief, the courts are powerless since Trump has a mandate to save the country. As Trump elaborates, only courts which agree with him are legitimate, which means the courts are impotent to stop him due to his winning the election. That’s how a true democracy functions.
Elon Musk’s statement in the Oval Office exemplified this view of America. See Musk Ignores Republic People vote , the winner claims a mandate do whatever he wants however he wants. Musk invokes the passion of the voters which framers sought to destroy, knowing that while such passion may receive the cheering approval of the crowd, it results in power being unchecked. “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (Lord Acton, 1887)
Each branch of government has its unique powers, and the Constitution places the duty upon members of each branch to protect their power; otherwise, they betray their constitutional goal to balance and check power so that too much does not accumulate in one branch. Trump’s threats of personal retaliation against any GOP member of the House and the Senate attacks the heart of the constitutional republic. When an official is threatened, there is an obstruction of justice. After his intimidating members Congress to give up their constitutional duties, Trump is now aiming at the courts, which are legitimate if and only if they agree with him.
“The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. (Federalist paper 47)
Trump has cowered elected officials by personal threats of retribution. Trump is treating the US as if were a democracy where the voters give the President a mandate to do whatever he wants. While one could say that Trump has a limited mandate to deport criminal aliens and root out Woke DEI, he has expanded his mandate to do anything he wants because he is a savior. Remember Trump believes “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.” Let’s compare that with the definition of paranoia – systematic delusions of grandiosity and persecution. Trump see himself not only as a savior but as the victim of persecution of the Deep State. One must admit, however, that the Dem’s behavior is replete with examples of attempts to politically destroy Trump and many of Trump’s actions are wise, e.g., making NATO pay more, ending the folly of the Two State Solution and removal of Palestinians to some place where they cannot continue their war of extermination against Jews, the eradicating of Woke DEI etc. The mode of action which Trump is taking, however, will destroy inalienable rights and the constitutional republic.
It Need Not Have Been So
Due to his being a Histrionic and Narcissist, Trump will act precipitously even when his analysis is accurate. Histrionics not only must always be the center of attention, but they also must receive constant cheers. As histrionics are highly impulsive, they do not have cogent plans to go from Point A to Point B. Histrionics exhibit an assumed intimacy with others; hence Trump’s belief that women like him to grab them by the pussy and that he has a great relationship with Putin. Trump’s delusion allows Putin to manipulate him. Putin detest Trump. Trump’s Narcissistic disorder seriously harms US foreign policy. When Zelenskyy would not interfere in the 2016 election, Trump had narcissistic hissy fit from which he suffers to this day. While Trump’s foreign policy for Ukraine should parallel his Middle East policy, Trump wants to destroy Ukraine. Histrionics and narcissists take everything personally. Watch Trump, whatever the situation Trump always turns it into something personal about him.
Because personality disorders are the person’s way of being, they cannot change their personalities, but they can be somewhat restrained. While Speaker Johnson’s capitulation to Trump was a foregone conclusion, the real checks and balances on Trump rested with the Senate. Trump’s savior complex misleads him to believe that his cabinet should unquestionably implement whatever he wants, but saner and more analytical people realize that the role of the cabinet is to provide reasonable balanced advice rather than being mindless sycophants. At this juncture, enters Sen. John Thune’s grand betrayal of his constitutional duty to protect the Senate, the Republic, the American people as well as Trump himself. On the promise that he would protect the Senate and Senators from Trump’s unconstitutional threats, Senate John Thune was elected to be GOP Majority Leader over Trump’s candidate, Rick Scott (R-FL). Once in power, Sen Thune betrayed the GOP, the Senate, the American people and Trump himself, by allowing Trump to trash the Senate’s advice and consent duty to reject unqualified nominees, i.e., Hegseth, Gabbard, RFK, Jr and soon Kash Patel. Each lacks the competence and personal qualities to serve in such vital roles. Had Sen. Thune not betrayed the Constitution and protected Senators who wanted to reject these horrible nominees, Trump could have been compelled to select people who could actually provide him with sound, seasoned, and mature advice in their fields of expertise. Does anyone think that JFK, Jr will lift a finger to stop the measles outbreak in Louisiana? Does anyone not realize that Hegseth made a fool of himself and Trump by giving away the largest bargaining chips which the US had to protect Ukraine, except more lethal military operations against Russia – which is the opposite of Trump’s goal to stop the killing. The world already knows that Gabbard agrees with Putin’s false cover story that NATO forced him to invade Ukraine. More than anything else, Trump needs wise, knowledgeable, and competent cabinet member. Sen. Thune’s abrogation of his constitutional oath made certain Trump could run amuck in selecting the worst of the worst.
(Richard Lee Abrams has been an attorney, a Realtor and community relations consultant as well as a CityWatch contributor. You may email him at [email protected])