by Tom Mills

Excerpts, with my emphasis from this source

Sedition n. incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority.

Yesterday, the Washington Post released a tape of an hour-long phone call where the President of the United States tried to bully the Georgia Secretary of State into overturning the state’s election. The 10 living ex-secretaries of defense issued an op-ed in which they stated, “Efforts to involve the U.S. armed forces in resolving election disputes would take us into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory.” Twelve GOP U.S. Senators and more than 140 Republican Members of the House of Representatives announced they will oppose certifying the election results in clear violation of the Constitution. Most of the conservatives in my twitter feed were tweeting about sports, mundane history, and teachers’ unions. 

The attempt to steal the election by Donald Trump and his minions in Congress is not just a threat to our democracy; It’s the end of the Reagan Revolution and the conservative movement as we’ve known it. Pathetically, many of the conservatives who built their careers and made their names defending the ideals of small government and liberty are silent as radicals destroy their movement. As Republican Representative Matt Gaetz says, “This is Donald Trump’s party.” 

In large part, the silence of conservatives is what led to Trump and his authoritarian brand of populism in the first place. Throughout the 1970s, ‘80s, and 90s, they became apologists for the racists in their midst, giving them cover with ideological slogans like “states’ rights” and “personal responsibility.” In the early 2000s, they made ideological excuses for the anti-immigrant sentiment that came to dominate the Republican Party electoral message. The populists, animated by racism and xenophobia, grew faster within the GOP than the conservatives who led the Reagan Revolution. 

Now, what the president and his enablers are doing is very close to sedition. Trump pressured an elected official, and probably many more, to violate the law of the land to overturn an election. Those former defense secretaries didn’t write that op-ed in a vacuum. They’ve clearly heard that Trump and his minions are talking to the military about keeping him in power. It’s not hyperbole to call what is happening an attempted coup.

My Thoughts

Tom writes:

It’s the end of the Reagan Revolution and the
conservative movement as we’ve known it.
Pathetically, many of the conservatives who built
their careers and made their names defending the
ideals of small government and liberty are silent
as radicals destroy their movement.

I don’t believe that Reagan actually believed in small government, local control, etc.

David Stockman, his budget director, resigned as soon as he realized that Reagan would cut taxes but not spending. A true believer in small government would have cut spending, too.

In 2010 our damn NC Democrats gave us a Republican legislature with the power to gerrymander themselves into even more power. Republicans have since been silent, not uttering a peep about local power. Nor do they “remember the children”, just foetuses.

Ever notice how our “conservatives” never seem to find a police power that they dislike? They keep imagining that they will defend themselves against the police with their guns. But defund the police or try them for murder? Never!

As for racism, I remember listening to Reagan in the late 70s on the radio, while we lived in Georgia. Remember “welfare queens”? Well, Reagan told us about them.

IMNSHO, our fascism started with the civil rights movement, the Southern Strategy, Jesse Helms, Richard Vigarie, televangelists, etc., etc., and it’s been growing ever since.