Descent into Authoritarianism

[IsaacNewton]

I'm guessing most would think this a Trump thread. It is not.

I post now and then that conservatives have come to the conclusion that American democracy does not work for them anymore and so they have been busy the last ten years gaining power at the state level because the demographics of national elections are rendering the hard right-wing slide of the Republican party a losing proposition. So they've been gaining control of state legislatures and Governorships and they immediately set about with grotesque, by anyone's measure, gerrymandering laws and voter suppression laws. All meant to keep them in power perpetually. The Democrats do this to a degree as well, but Republicans have taken this to its extreme.

But this has now risen to a dangerous level. Read this article. Its from the Huffpost, ignore that for the moment if you would, I know many will decry that. The information is factual. Ignore even the 'economic' part of the article.

The important part is what the Republican party is attempting to do in Kansas re the balance of power in the government. I still believe there are many every day conservatives that are honest and who do believe in the Constitutions of the states and the US Constitution.

Of all the things I have seen up until now, this one is the dead canary in the mine and really far scarier than Trump. If so inclined, please read all the way through.

Kansas Republicans Show How Far Conservatives Will Go to Support Their Economic Fantasy

 

[The Great Goose]

Better than this creepy soviet mobocracy I've been putting up with my whole adult life.

 

[WildBillKelsoe]

How much support does this bill have in the Kansas legislature?

 

[IsaacNewton]

Kansas Legislature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Republicans in this state can pass anything they want and this will likely pass. I haven't seen any additional information of whether any of them oppose it yet.

Doesn't matter what party you belong to, this isn't what Americans do.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

"One branch of government, the courts, stood in his way ordering funding for education to be restored to minimal levels in order to pass constitutional muster. However, the modern brand of authoritarian conservatism, though always claiming allegiance to a literal interpretation of the constitution, really has little respect for the constitution together with its messy implicit checks and balances. The constitution is perceived as an impediment in an otherwise relentless pursuit of unbridled power."

True.

Yet further proof of the contempt for the rule of law and propensity toward authoritarianism common to most on the right.

 

[Agit8r]

The corruption of so many state governments is due to the efforts of ALEC. The GOP are just their most loyal pawns.

Model Policies - American Legislative Exchange Council

 

[JQPublic1]

I'm guessing most would think this a Trump thread. It is not.

I post now and then that conservatives have come to the conclusion that American democracy does not work for them anymore and so they have been busy the last ten years gaining power at the state level because the demographics of national elections are rendering the hard right-wing slide of the Republican party a losing proposition. So they've been gaining control of state legislatures and Governorships and they immediately set about with grotesque, by anyone's measure, gerrymandering laws and voter suppression laws. All meant to keep them in power perpetually. The Democrats do this to a degree as well, but Republicans have taken this to its extreme.

But this has now risen to a dangerous level. Read this article. Its from the Huffpost, ignore that for the moment if you would, I know many will decry that. The information is factual. Ignore even the 'economic' part of the article.

The important part is what the Republican party is attempting to do in Kansas re the balance of power in the government. I still believe there are many every day conservatives that are honest and who do believe in the Constitutions of the states and the US Constitution.

Of all the things I have seen up until now, this one is the dead canary in the mine and really far scarier than Trump. If so inclined, please read all the way through.

Kansas Republicans Show How Far Conservatives Will Go to Support Their Economic Fantasy

Great post. After reading some of the replies to the article I noticed one respondent suggested that a lawsuit had been filed due to irregularities in the voting machine results. I am not surprised. Republicans have shown how dishonest they are in myriad ways. I am not sure if the FEDS have any jurisdiction on state voter fraud cases so addressing the grievance in the State Supreme Court is the only recourse for Democrats to pursue.

 

[IsaacNewton]

Yeah the voting machines are another story alltogether.

I'm still stunned by the attempt by the Republicans in Kansas to actually gag the courts in that state by force. They have put forth a bill that would make it an impeachable offense for any judge to oppose a law passed by the legislature.

This is in essence the dismantling of American style democracy as set out in the Constitution. Republicans view their political party as the god that sits above all else, including the Constitution. This is Soviet Union style politics, where one political party is the only political party, makes all the laws and rules, and answers to no one.

Aren't true patriotic conservatives mortified by this?

 

[IsaacNewton]

Kansas Lawmakers Ignore Separation Of Powers, Look To Impeach Supreme Court Justices

"Today, judges may be impeached for “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Senate Bill 439 would tack on dozens more words, many of them so vague and subjective that the law would effectively give lawmakers veto power over the court."

This is what conservative fascism looks like out in the open. The Constitution does not work for them anymore, so they discard it without a thought.

Take heed. This is what they have in mind. If they can implement this nationally they will. They've been uber busy since 2010 gerrymandering every state they gain control of so they in essence can never lose majority. And here we see what they do when they believe they have unlimited power in a state.

They burn the Constitution as first order of business. Wake up people, American democracy does not work for this group anymore and they have absolutely no qualms about doing away with it.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Kansas Lawmakers Ignore Separation Of Powers, Look To Impeach Supreme Court Justices

"Today, judges may be impeached for “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Senate Bill 439 would tack on dozens more words, many of them so vague and subjective that the law would effectively give lawmakers veto power over the court."

This is what conservative fascism looks like out in the open. The Constitution does not work for them anymore, so they discard it without a thought.

Take heed. This is what they have in mind. If they can implement this nationally they will. They've been uber busy since 2010 gerrymandering every state they gain control of so they in essence can never lose majority. And here we see what they do when they believe they have unlimited power in a state.

They burn the Constitution as first order of business. Wake up people, American democracy does not work for this group anymore and they have absolutely no qualms about doing away with it.

Cruz’ moronic proposal to allow the states to ‘vote on’ Supreme Court rulings is further evidence of the right’s contempt for the rule of law.

Constitutional Remedies to a Lawless Supreme Court, by Ted Cruz, National Review

 

[IsaacNewton]

Kansas Lawmakers Ignore Separation Of Powers, Look To Impeach Supreme Court Justices

"Today, judges may be impeached for “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Senate Bill 439 would tack on dozens more words, many of them so vague and subjective that the law would effectively give lawmakers veto power over the court."

This is what conservative fascism looks like out in the open. The Constitution does not work for them anymore, so they discard it without a thought.

Take heed. This is what they have in mind. If they can implement this nationally they will. They've been uber busy since 2010 gerrymandering every state they gain control of so they in essence can never lose majority. And here we see what they do when they believe they have unlimited power in a state.

They burn the Constitution as first order of business. Wake up people, American democracy does not work for this group anymore and they have absolutely no qualms about doing away with it.

Cruz’ moronic proposal to allow the states to ‘vote on’ Supreme Court rulings is further evidence of the right’s contempt for the rule of law.

Constitutional Remedies to a Lawless Supreme Court, by Ted Cruz, National Review

Thanks for the reminder. This is their plan now. The courts, via the Constitution, stand in their way of overturning all federal laws they don't like, so they are actually gaining control of states and dismantling the separation of powers in the Constitution.

Also notice the crickets from conservatives on this. Just as they root for, in private, the people that bomb abortion clinics and kill abortion doctors, they cheer for these legislators to burn the Constitution and force their worldview on the populace.