The Seismic Shift in Politics Towards Totalitarian Rule

THE SEISMIC SHIFT IN POLITICS TOWARDS TOTALITARIAN RULE

By Thomas Coffin

I must follow up on my essay on Our Justice System and Democracy in Peril to comment on very related topics—the growing normalization by one of our major parties and supporters for transitioning from a democratic model of governance to an authoritarian model that mirrors those found in nations governed by dictators, such as Russia, Hungary, China, and North Korea.

The grooming of America has deep roots already and has gained ground.

Several years ago, I wrote an article refuting the NRA’s claim that the Second Amendment was enacted in part to enable citizens to overthrow their own democratic constitutional government. That false narrative is contradicted by our founders who defined taking up arms against our government as treason.  Yet that fictitious claim persists and ironically is cited as justification for the January 6 insurrection as well as violence instigated by the presidential candidate who was rejected by a majority of the voters in both 2016 and 2020 (only winning in 2016 due to the Electoral College.)

That same candidate is emerging as the favorite of the Republican Party to run again for the presidency this coming November. His overt platform is to function as a dictator on his first day of assuming that office and to terminate all government personnel who fail to swear loyalty to him personally, as opposed to the Constitution itself. This is the mark of dictatorship. The Republican Party has become a misnomer. It has become the Trump Party. It has embraced his platform by its silence.

I may be repeating myself somewhat in this article but this observation is worth repeating. We are flirting with jettisoning all our precious rights and freedoms and willingly placing our nation in the hands of a tyrant who intends to replace all of them with his iron fist and erratic whims from his throne. 

Why would we do such a thing to ourselves, our children, future generations, and 200 years of prospering as people who have flourished under our remarkable Constitution?

There are those who desire white supremacy, theocracy, denial of rights based on gender, sexual orientation, a pyramid of power based on status and wealth, and a host of other privileges bottomed on a system that rejects equality as its core value. Prejudice, discrimination and favoritism will replace them. I am not exaggerating. Just take a look at those who are pushing and funding the Trump Party agenda and the 2025 Project if he is voted into office. 

To call it by any other term than catastrophic to our heritage as a democracy is a damn lie.  Finally, ask yourselves why his Party continues to remain silent about its candidate’s agenda.  This is certainly no longer the party of Lincoln, as it has succumbed to the heresy of authoritarianism which will enslave its people.  

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Thomas Coffin was the keynote speaker at the Blackberry Pie Society’s Political Party in February, 2020 and at Politics and Pie in October, 2022.  He is a retired federal magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and a former professor at the UO Law School. Thomas retired in 2016 after 24 years on the bench, prior to which he had a career as a federal prosecutor spanning 21 years. He is married with 7 children.  The Blackberry Pie Society is pleased to include a collection of his essays on our website.  We will post them as they become available.

Posted 2.7.2024