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Wow. Just OMG.
Why is this phenomenon — rule by violent intimidation — not bigger, recurring news?
[...]
Just before the House vote on impeachment, Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) has said he heard firsthand from Republicans that fear was holding at least two of them back.
“I had a lot of conversations with my Republican colleagues last night, and a couple of them broke down in tears — saying that they are afraid for their lives if they vote for this impeachment,” he said in an MSNBC appearance.
Former Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) recalls one of his House colleagues privately condemning Trump’s claims of election fraud, but voting to overturn the election results on the evening of January 6 — just hours after the assault.
“My colleague feared for family members, and the danger the vote would put them in,” Meijer wrote in a Detroit News op-ed. This fear wasn’t idle: After voting to impeach Trump, Meijer himself faced so many threats that felt the need to purchase body armor.
And reporters confirmed these accounts.
“I know for a fact several members *want* to impeach but fear casting that vote could get them or their families murdered,” journalist Tim Alberta tweeted before the House impeachment vote.
[...]
How death threats get Republicans to fall in line behind Trump
by Zack Beauchamp, Vox.com — Jan 2, 2024
That well-documented article is a real eye-opener. I hope that you take 5 minutes and read it, if you take away nothing else from this blog post.
If not for the insidious threats routinely tweeted out Donald Trump, and echoed/enforced by his devoted followers — Trump likely would have been convicted on the Impeachment for his Insurrection efforts. [This seems newsworthy — and more than just as a 1-day story.]
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Trump’s lacks character, morals, compassion, and vision for the country — but he does have his Mob boss tactics to get most Republicans to fall in line. When you fear the well-being of yourself and your family, most people will find ways to rationalize their compliance — in order to make the immediate threats just go away.
Senator Mitt Romney spoke of this scary anti-democratic phenomena directly, citing the fact that he could afford to hire round-the-clock security [at $5000 a day], which allowed him to remain steadfast in his Impeachment vote against Trump. Many of his R-colleagues, even though they wanted to vote to convict, did not do so — for fear of the barrage of death threats being hurled their way.
This amounts to mob rule, governing by bullies, threats of violence to coerce officials. This takes us far afield from the ideals on which the nation was found. Namely a government of, by and for the People. All the People. Not just those with the biggest clubs, and the vilest “speech” … and the most horrific threats.
We are on the precipice of a very slippery slope. Hopefully enough Voters will step up and turn back this rising tide. And enough Donors step up and fund the voices of sanity, competency, and democracy. Enough to send Trump and cohorts packing this Fall.
Democracies, through-out history, have been a rare form of government. They are fragile. They depend on the good will of the People, from whom their power derives.
BUT there is no guarantee that your democracy must continue. History shows that they often end. Abruptly, unexpectedly, in horror and bloodshed.
There are plenty of warning signs now. That we must guard against/somehow defuse this Mob rule, that Trump inspires with his every-more frequent violent speech “edicts” …
The fact that so many fellow-citizens are spring-loaded to heed his every screed — should not be discounted, and explained away “as just Trump being Trump.” It needs to researched and compiled, and exposed for the disturbing societal-erosion problem, that just keeps growing worse by the day …
But don’t take my word for it, just peruse these news articles and weep — for the civility we have lost. All due to sore-loser, Donald “Dictator-for-a-Day” Trump.
Oct 3, 2023 Elie Mystal
Jan 9, 2024 Isaac Arnsdorf
Oct 5, 2023 Hilary Barngrove Mcquilkin & Meghna Chakrabarti
Mar 18, 2024 Tom Norton
Jun 14, 2023 Michael S. Schmidt, Maggie Haberman & Alan Feuer
Jan 12, 2024 Kierra Frazier
Jan 2, 2024 Zack Beauchamp
Aug 15, 2023 Vera Bergengruen
May 2, 2022 Ivana Saric
Jan 25, 2024 Chauncey Devega
Sep 26, 2023 Eric Levitz
Dec 11, 2023 Brieanna Frank
Jun 9, 2023 David Gilbert
Nov 4, 2018 Mike Levine
Jun 12, 2023 Keiran Southern
Oct 4, 2022 John Cassidy
It really shouldn’t take a Historian to detect the disturbing trend going on here, now should it?
Even a casual observer of current events should see it. When the entire phenomenon of Trump “free/political speech” is put into such stark focus.
Hopefully see the pressure our free and fair democracy is being put under, by such constant threats, all based on proven lies.
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