“You know, we don’t live in a democracy because a democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what’s for dinner. OK? It’s not just majority rule. It’s a constitutional republic. The founders set that up because they followed the biblical admonition of what a civil society is supposed to look like. What’s happened, Alex, …
I’m seeing lots of ‘New Speaker is [insert whatever you want that’s against humans in general] (maybe a slight over-exaggeration, but it doesn’t feel like it)
But can anyone ELI5 how you all ended up in this state, and how you get back out?
What’s the impact of this individual being Speaker?
But can anyone ELI5 how you all ended up in this state
First off, the US government has always been full of absolute ghouls and clowns. That said, the well-being of the typical american has been on a downward trend for a while, and people are seeking radical change. This isn’t really new, Obama ran on change in 2008 (and then governed like a Republican, alienating voters), and Trump obviously did the same, though in a more unhinged clownish way in 2016. Biden only won a (very narrow) victory in 2020 because Trump was so openly disgusting, helped by mishandling of COVID being an obvious giant talking point.
how you get back out?
The various alphabet agencies, national guard, and police forces have to be purged and reformed at all levels nationwide, then various actions (political arrests and blackmail, mostly) taken that effectively decapitate and dismantle the republican party while being subtle enough that they don’t cause armed rebellion. This would require the dems to be ideologically opposed to fascism, which they aren’t (see their support for Israel as one easy example).
What’s the impact of this individual being Speaker?
Nothing too special, the government probably gets shut down at some point when they try to hold funding hostage, but at the end of the day business as usual (which is, to be clear, very bad) continues apace.
How we ended up here: Following Trump, an increasingly aggressive, authoritarian, what you might call fascist far right coalition has started causing problems in the house (ironically, they’re called the Freedom Caucus). The Republicans are divided, but they technically have the majority along registered party lines. Because of this, the Freedom Caucus can choose to force them to do things because, without them, they can’t do anything at all without crossing the aisle.
What effect it have: Mostly nothing. Democrats have a majority in the senate and hold the presidency. The house alone can’t pass anything. They can vote on things and pass it on to the senate where it will die if it’s bad, but that’s it. They can also choose to not allow a vote on bills with bipartisan support that would pass if they didn’t have control.
The largest effect will hopefully be in the elections. Hopefully people see this shit and choose to vote for something else. There’s no way to know though. This could empower them potentially by allowing them to grandstand and maybe force the senate to vote against things that are poisoned to make then look bad.
no. stop. history didn’t start 3 years ago. rightwing christians made abortion a wedge issue in the 1970s, dominionism is older than that, and creationists have been actively sabotaging public education forever. Meanwhile democrats abandoned new deal politics for neoliberalism and constantly punch left while seeking compromise with the fascists, creating a ratchet effect on american politics.
nd that’s without even getting into the founded on slavery and genocide thing, america has always been evil and was only briefly the lesser evil 70 years ago.
Fuckin nailed it, the right really has been at this for at least 70 years (see: southern strategy). Those evil leftist cabals they think exist? That’s because right-wing ones exist and are pulling the strings.
The left (the actual left not neoliberal corporate whores) needs to get its shit together and agitate if they don’t want to lose their country to the blend of Corpo-Christian-fascism we’re currently watching develop.
Corporations and a vast stretch of the Christian right have absolutely no interest in compromising or not overreaching and pushing their interests, it’s just not in their nature, they want to expand. They’ll push and push and push until they’re (forcefully) pushed back.
History didn’t start there, but that’s when the winds started turning such that they had actual influence. Before then they were just some fringe group without power.
their power started around when Phyllis Schlafly got going. The Federalist Society spent 4 decades stacking the courts. It is not a new problem or development, the rot is deep and liberals need to understand that if you want to actually address anything.
I’m seeing lots of ‘New Speaker is [insert whatever you want that’s against humans in general] (maybe a slight over-exaggeration, but it doesn’t feel like it) But can anyone ELI5 how you all ended up in this state, and how you get back out? What’s the impact of this individual being Speaker?
Fortunately, not a whole lot.
If Democrats control the Senate.
And if he can be removed in 2024.
deleted by creator
First off, the US government has always been full of absolute ghouls and clowns. That said, the well-being of the typical american has been on a downward trend for a while, and people are seeking radical change. This isn’t really new, Obama ran on change in 2008 (and then governed like a Republican, alienating voters), and Trump obviously did the same, though in a more unhinged clownish way in 2016. Biden only won a (very narrow) victory in 2020 because Trump was so openly disgusting, helped by mishandling of COVID being an obvious giant talking point.
The various alphabet agencies, national guard, and police forces have to be purged and reformed at all levels nationwide, then various actions (political arrests and blackmail, mostly) taken that effectively decapitate and dismantle the republican party while being subtle enough that they don’t cause armed rebellion. This would require the dems to be ideologically opposed to fascism, which they aren’t (see their support for Israel as one easy example).
Nothing too special, the government probably gets shut down at some point when they try to hold funding hostage, but at the end of the day business as usual (which is, to be clear, very bad) continues apace.
Our government was designed, probably not intentionally but it is possible, to not work.
Currently it’s not working so we can’t do anything unless the president orders it, which isn’t how shit is supposed to work but now has precedent.
American exceptionalism strikes again
How we ended up here: Following Trump, an increasingly aggressive, authoritarian, what you might call fascist far right coalition has started causing problems in the house (ironically, they’re called the Freedom Caucus). The Republicans are divided, but they technically have the majority along registered party lines. Because of this, the Freedom Caucus can choose to force them to do things because, without them, they can’t do anything at all without crossing the aisle.
What effect it have: Mostly nothing. Democrats have a majority in the senate and hold the presidency. The house alone can’t pass anything. They can vote on things and pass it on to the senate where it will die if it’s bad, but that’s it. They can also choose to not allow a vote on bills with bipartisan support that would pass if they didn’t have control.
The largest effect will hopefully be in the elections. Hopefully people see this shit and choose to vote for something else. There’s no way to know though. This could empower them potentially by allowing them to grandstand and maybe force the senate to vote against things that are poisoned to make then look bad.
no. stop. history didn’t start 3 years ago. rightwing christians made abortion a wedge issue in the 1970s, dominionism is older than that, and creationists have been actively sabotaging public education forever. Meanwhile democrats abandoned new deal politics for neoliberalism and constantly punch left while seeking compromise with the fascists, creating a ratchet effect on american politics.
nd that’s without even getting into the founded on slavery and genocide thing, america has always been evil and was only briefly the lesser evil 70 years ago.
Fuckin nailed it, the right really has been at this for at least 70 years (see: southern strategy). Those evil leftist cabals they think exist? That’s because right-wing ones exist and are pulling the strings.
The left (the actual left not neoliberal corporate whores) needs to get its shit together and agitate if they don’t want to lose their country to the blend of Corpo-Christian-fascism we’re currently watching develop.
Corporations and a vast stretch of the Christian right have absolutely no interest in compromising or not overreaching and pushing their interests, it’s just not in their nature, they want to expand. They’ll push and push and push until they’re (forcefully) pushed back.
No - wait. Let him cook.
Part of me does want to critically celebrate Trump as a leftist hero for destroying America.
But that part is a lib
History didn’t start there, but that’s when the winds started turning such that they had actual influence. Before then they were just some fringe group without power.
their power started around when Phyllis Schlafly got going. The Federalist Society spent 4 decades stacking the courts. It is not a new problem or development, the rot is deep and liberals need to understand that if you want to actually address anything.