...you're against us. The last time I remember hearing those words was when Bush 43 spoke from the still smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center. 9/11 justified that extreme position to put the world on notice that it was time to declare where it stood vis-a-vis terrorism. If anything, I believe the events of 1/6/21 eclipse those of 9/11/01, not because domestic terrorism is worse than the foreign variety, but because of its potential for irreversible damage to our very existence as a representative democracy. As I write this, former President Trump's impeachment is underway in the US Senate. I have little doubt about the outcome of this trial but will wait for it to play out. As many have pointed out, this is not a criminal trial but a political one and the president is not going to suffer any consequences even in the unlikely event of a conviction beyond the possibility of being disqualified from running for office in the future. I am more interested in how senators vote. It is said that every senator, when she or he looks in the mirror, sees a future president. Several current senators have run for the White House and several will in 2024. Is it unreasonable to assume that those who vote to acquit Trump see nothing wrong with his words and actions which led to the invasion of the Capitol on 1/6? These same senators as well as Trump's supporters in the House have stood by him since the 2016 election campaign. They condoned his divisive and hateful rhetoric and his overt calls for violence against those who protested his candidacy. When he refused to abide by long-established norms such as releasing his tax returns during the campaign and putting his assets in a blind trust when he was elected, they shrugged and went along. When he cast doubts on the motives and reliability of our intelligence services and voiced his preference for the likes of Putin, Xi and Kim, they were silent or, worse, applauded him. They pretended to see and hear nothing wrong when he expressed sympathy for neo-Nazi groups in the wake of the Charlottesville riot or when he told groups like the Proud Boys to "stand by" during one of the 2020 presidential debates. They looked the other when he used his office to enrich himself by steering domestic and foreign business to his hotels. None of these actions is proscribed outright by our Constitution or laws with the exception of the emoluments clause of Article I of the Constitution. They have evolved over the course of more than two centuries and they are there for a reason - to curb our baser human instincts which no laws can possibly cover adequately. The usual excuse one hears for their behavior is that they fear being "primaried" before the next election if they were to act otherwise - not what you might call a profile in courage. But also, not the real reason for their behavior. The truth is that they tolerate and encourage Trump's conduct because in their heart of hearts they agree with it and probably wish they could have beaten Trump to it. Now that he has normalized the violation of established standards they can follow his lead with impunity when they run for office. Remember, these are the same people who fiegned outrage when President Obama wore a tan suit to work one day. Clearly, these people know what they are doing and hope that we are not paying attention or that we don't care. Let us make it very clear that when it comes to illegal, unethical and amoral conduct, there can be no equivocation, no fence to sit on. Come the next election we the people should want to know - are you with us or against us?
- drrama7