Malcolm Nance: We're 'on the Cusp' of 'Losing the American Constitutional

[bdamomma]

https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/former-intelligence-officer-malcolm-nance-were-cusp-losing-american-constitutional?src=newsletter1094135

snip of article:

We’re entering a very dangerous period in American history. It is terrifying. I was rereading my book last weekend and I really had no idea that putting all of this together in one solid package would lead to the conclusion that there is, in fact, a plot. The Russians have a plan and a strategy. They have been executing the strategy for 15 years, by finding Donald Trump and building him up as a character and fostering his betrayal of the United States of America. They clearly set out to destroy American democracy and Donald Trump is the man to do it. We are, as of this November, on the cusp of possibly losing the American constitutional republic forever.


We need to stop this before November our lives depend on it.

excellent article added this snip too.

What would you tell people who are terrified or afraid of Trump and what he is doing to America? What advice would you give them?

I get those types of questions every day. The first thing I tell people is: "Stand fast. We will win this." You have to understand that we are not up against one man. We are up against 40 percent of the American public who don’t understand what’s going on because they only believe Donald Trump. What we must do now is commit ourselves to the American democratic experiment and the best spirit of the founding.

If we turn out this year like it was a presidential election year, then we will win in a phenomenal landslide. You must vote like your life depends on it, because it could, if you’re a woman that might need an abortion. It could, if you’re a Latino. It could, if you’re a young black man where shootings can now essentially be written off with a rubber stamp.

When this nation was built out of my city, Philadelphia, the odds were simple. They win or they hang. And now it’s simple again. We win or we lose American democracy. We lose it forever, and I don’t think we’ll come back from autocracy.

[dhol82]

1. I don't think of Nance as being prone to hyperbole

This then is a cause for concern.

[Anon-C]

2. K&R!

[Wounded Bear]

3. K & R...for visibility...

This guy knows his shit. If he's scared, we should all be shitting bricks by now.

[Nitram]

4. It's not hyperbole, but I agree we can still win.

[Hortensis]

31. Whoever votes in enough numbers wins.

[WhiteTara]

41. there has to be so many they can't overcome with election rigging.

[FakeNoose]

48. Agreed - this is all that matters!

[calimary]

64. Yes! VOTE, Dammit!

And with this guy very likely on the Supreme Court by then, the “vote like your life depended on it” admonishment takes on new meaning - and plenty of new urgency!

Your/our rights certainly depend on it!

[bdamomma]

5. I agree with Malcom Nance on this

comment:

The first thing I tell people is: "Stand fast. We will win this." You have to understand that we are not up against one man. We are up against 40 percent of the American public who don’t understand what’s going on because they only believe Donald Trump. What we must do now is commit ourselves to the American democratic experiment and the best spirit of the founding.


thank you Malcolm Nance

[duforsure]

6. If we had some real Americans left

In the Republican party in the Senate, they could switch parties to the Dems to retake control away from Mitch McConnell and stop this from happening to this country. Where's John McCain , Flake , and others against this dictator taking over control for putin of our country.

[Hortensis]

25. There are no "real Americans" left in GOP caucuses,

of course.

And there are more plotters than just Putin. Ultrawealthy right-wingers have been packing legislatures and judiciaries with hard-core ideologues and corrupt scoundrels at every chance for decades now. Putin's efforts mostly supplemented their work to move Americans right and corrupt government to serve them. The religious right is involved also, with some members among ultrawealthy conservatives bridging the groups.

It is our domestic enemies who over time purged the Republican caucuses in congress of all members who would not be corrupted, and those were replaced with both hard-core authoritarians who'd do as they were told and corrupt opportunists, with a great deal of overlap.

Everyone should read about authoritarians and authoritarian leaders. The former are extremely dangerous en mass when just following orders of bad leaders -- as we are seeing among Trump voters now, and the bad leaders are scary as hell.

Robert Altemeyer, a seminal expert on authoritarians, wrote a book for lay readers about his research and made it available without cost on line because he felt it was desperately important for people understand this danger in ourselves and/or others.

Authoritarian Followers: We know a lot about authoritarian followers, ... See if you recognize any of these behaviors in Trump supporters. Compared with most people:

They are highly ethnocentric, highly inclined to see the world as their in-group versus everyone else. Because they are so committed to their in-group, they are very zealous in its cause. They will trust their leaders no matter what they say, and distrust whomever the leader says to distrust. ...

They are highly fearful of a dangerous world. Their parents taught them, more than parents usually do, that the world is dangerous. They may also be genetically predisposed to experience stronger fear than people skilled at “keeping their heads while others are losing theirs.”

They are highly self-righteous. They believe they are the “good people” and this unlocks a lot of hostile impulses against those they consider bad.

They are aggressive. Given the chance to attack someone with the approval of an authority, they will lower the boom.

They are highly prejudiced against racial and ethnic minorities, non-heterosexuals, and women in general.

They will support their authorities, and even help them, persecute almost any identifiable group in the country.

Their beliefs are a mass of contradictions. They have highly compartmentalized minds, in which opposite beliefs live independent lives in separate boxes. As a result, their thinking is full of double-standards.

They reason poorly. If they like the conclusion of an argument, they don’t pay much attention to whether the evidence is valid or the argument is consistent. They especially have trouble realizing a conclusion is invalid.

They are highly dogmatic. Because they have mainly gotten their beliefs from the authorities in their lives, rather than think things out for themselves, they have no real defense when facts or events indicate they are wrong. So they just dig in their heels and refuse to change.

They are very dependent on social reinforcement of their beliefs. They think they are right because almost everyone they know and listen to tells them they are. That happens because they screen out sources that will suggest that they are wrong.

Because they severely limit their exposure to different people and ideas, they vastly overestimate the extent to which other people agree with them. And thinking they are “the moral majority” supports their attacks on the “evil minorities” they see in the country.

They believe strongly in group cohesiveness, and being loyal. They are highly energized when surrounded by a crowd of fellow-believers because it makes them feel powerful and supports their belief that “all the good people” agree with them.

They are easily duped by manipulators who pretend to espouse their causes when all the con-artists really want is personal gain.

They are largely blind to themselves. They have little self-understanding and insight into why they think and do what they do. They are heavily into denial.

I hasten to add that studies find examples of all these things in lots of others, not just authoritarian followers. But not as consistently, and not nearly as much.

If you are the kind of person who would NOT make a good authoritarian follower, you will be wondering “What’s the evidence?” for all these assertions. The scientific evidence, which has stood the test of time for decades now, is at your fingertips.

https://theauthoritarians.org/

[duforsure]

37. Unfortunately you're probably right

But there's hope a few have a conscience against what they're doing to this country, and refuse any longer to stand with these corrupt and treasonous criminals. History will not be kind to them if they don't.

[Ilsa]

47. I think reposting your reply as an OP might help some folks.

I'm bookmarking this thread, in part, because of your reply.

[FakeNoose]

50. We can thank the Tea Party for this

The Tea Party has fucked up this country in so many ways, and we didn't even see this down the road.
Any sanity and civility has left the Republican Party, they're all nothing but nazis, deplorables and RWNJs now.

[Hortensis]

55. FakeNoose, the tea party was CREATED by the very

people they imagined they were rebelling against. Their populist resentments were organized, funded and directed by agents of the Koch alliance and other ultrawealthy manipualtors.

Most populists don't really care about cutting taxes for the wealthy (small government) or national deficits, etc. Most are a mixture of social conservative and economic progressive (i.e., they like government programs for people like them, but not those "others."

For a while the Koch types achieved great success by making them passionate about lowering taxes on the wealthy (small government, cutting the fat, etc.) and used them to get a lot accomplished. When the TPers' new passion for eliminating deficits got out of control and they tried to shut down the government and cost their masters money, their funders withdrew their power and money and their deluded movement ended. Some of the TPers in office were allowed to stay with the agreement that they served the GOP's big donors, not their voters.

Hope this illustrates to just a small degree just how dangerously well organized and deep seated democracy's domestic threat is. They're embedded in our most influential media as well. Russia would be a minor threat and Putin very likely already deposed by his fellow kleptocrats due to international sanctions if we weren't badly weakened by our domestic enemies.

But as it is, Nance is undoubtedly right. Our nation is dangerously divided and destabilized.

[FakeNoose]

56. Yes it's been happening since Reagan

I know that - I'm older (and smarter) than I look.

[Hortensis]

57. Sorry. :) Like info on authoritarians, I post this periodically.

Many don't realize. How could they?

The MSM are heavily influenced and infiltrated, and journalists don't dare take our big domestic enemies on directly. Little hints now and then by talking heads. CNN has dropped most of its pre-2016 pretense and now also primarily serves democracy's enemies, like Fox but a different treatment to reach different audiences.

[FakeNoose]

59. Thanks for being so thorough, Hortensis

You're one of the reasons that I keep coming back to DU.

[Hortensis]

61. :) You too me. Info, encouragement, antidote to neighbors.

[ancianita]

38. The real Americans of that party ran. They knew what we know.

[nolabear]

7. "If we turn out this year like it was a national election year..."

Don’t boo...VOTE!!

[Hekate]

8. KnR

[Bayard]

9. You can bet Rethugs are planning a massive turnout.

[Hekate]

11. Nance has been calm and rational throughout, yet a passionate patriot. I have not once seen him...

..."try to normalize Trump."

Welcome to DU, 2goldsogs. I watch your progress with interest.

[RandomAccess]

12. Then you haven't been paying attention

[uponit7771]

16. Do you have a link to Malcolm Nancy saying that?

[2golddogs]

18. Nance

Yes, it was on Twitter and I'm wracking my brain to remember to what he was referring. I was heartily disappointed and unfollowed him after that.

p.s. Thanks for the welcome!🙂

eta: I'll have to comb through Nance's Twitter to find it, it was quite a long time ago. It could have been after that MOAB thing but I'm not certain.

[JI7]

34. He never said it. Do you even know who Nance is ?

[ancianita]

40. If you read his books, you'll know that he knows what he's talking about.

[uponit7771]

42. Nance never said that that was the guy with glasses on CNN

[lagomorph777]

24. You may have him confused with Van Jones or Fareed Zakaria,

who both seriously damaged their reputations with comments like that.

Welcome to DU, will be watching.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

35. Yes.

It wasn't Nance it was Van.

[2golddogs]

44. Nance

This is possible. I unfollowed quite a few people out of frustration, some of it due to my own impatience, by the summer of 2017.

eta: With my apologies, it was Jones, in February 2017 [link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/28/trump-critic-van-jones-one-of-the-most-extraordinary-moments-you-have-ever-seen-in-american-politics-period/?utm_term=.71b69baaf57a|

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

52. Maybe.

i try not to click on stories if I can help it.
I distinctly remember Van Jones saying it (maybe in addition to). I remember it bc I was shocked he said it when the night of the election, he was crying (like a lot of us), about his daughters and Americas fate in general. I remember putting the two together. But, at the end of the day,I'm a human being. Like you (hopefully.)
We all reacted w shock bc it was HRC for the win and we knew it. Then it didn't happen. We didn't know then what we know now. It was the biggest heist in the history of the world. facilitated by the Insider In Chief, and his kids. (See the meeting w the russians about adoptions.) AND a General in the Armed Forces Gen. Flynn. Flynn had a solemn obligation as he swore an oath to protect and defend every citizen in the country.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

28. You're getting your black men confused. nt

[JI7]

32. Van Jones said that. And how does one really confuse them

They are nothing alike.

[theophilus]

36. I don't recall ever getting that vibe from Malcolm. I think that you might possibly

have him confused with someone else or misunderstood his point. He is a serious source of info on our National Nightmare, imo.

[RandomAccess]

13. This is SO important to understand

This is why we MUST fight -- and win -- against this judicial nominee. AND then win the Senate in November. For anyone who hasn't seen this, it's excellent.

The 2-Step Strategy to Win the Supreme Court Fight
https://www.indivisible.org/resource/2-step-strategy-win-supreme-court-fight/

[Sparkly]

14. Kick

Malcolm Nance knows.

[snort]

15. Why? Because we wont fight?

I'm tired of this bullshit. Yeah sure, I'm just going to lay down and say "well they changed the rules so now I'm living in a dictatorship"? FUCK THAT! This country is our country and no half assed fuckhead wanna be is going to take that away from 200+ million determined people. You really want to see a sack of shit loser garbage human "take over"? It'll only happen if we let it. How many people do you really think are behind this, a couple hundred? What are we afraid of? So exactly why the fuck am I seeing post after post about how its just all the fuck over? HUH?!? FUCK THAT! and FUCK anybody who lays down for it.

[saidsimplesimon]

53. Well said, I agree.

[workinclasszero]

17. Let's not forget that Trump would have no power to destroy the Constitution

If the Republican party wanted to do it's sworn duty to protect it.

Every single republican in Congress and the country that isn't actively and publicly trying to stop Trump and Putin's coup is a traitor.

And that's 99% off them at least!

[Cosmocat]

30. The target should be the republicans

Every american knows full well that 45 is a complete sociopath. EVERYONE. It just is a matter of those who have a soul, conscience and decency to be horrified by him vs those who are somehow lost to the point where they can rationalize him. And, to those people, all screaming about how bad he is does is make them, absurd as it is, even more entrenched in backing him.

SO ... There literally is not gain in screaming about how horrible he is.

BUT, he is a symptom, not the cause, The cause is the GOP/conservative movement, and republicans. This started LONG before 45 came down the elevator. LONG before, with them twisting their "base" into knots and whistling the things that 45 overtly speaks to.

Anything that can be said about him, can and should be said about the republican party. THAT is the target, cause we have no chance of stopping this until it is recognized as the radical, extremist, anti-american party it is.

[ancianita]

43. Amen. That they break their oath of office will be a proven fact if Mueller has any say about it.

[OnDoutside]

19. Think of this: What if Trump was just ONE strand Putin employed to destroy American Democracy ?

Clearly Trump has been the most spectacular bullseye for Putin, but maybe there are others who are also currently in place, to follow on ?

[gordianot]

20. How about a new world superpower the American and Russian Federation.

Versus everyone else. I expect them to call themselves Christian to sell it to their marks. 1984 and the Brave New World were foreshadows of a reality just as cruel. Caging infants deporting toddlers is too much the United States has become a nation of child abusers. This will not end well especially since the opposition thinks they are winning. Your Trump supporting relatives and neighbors are your enemy.

[saidsimplesimon]

21. Alea iacta est (" The die is cast ")

This quote was attributed to Ceasar when he crossed the Rubicon. A civil war followed. The Con must hope to repeat the performance in order to become dictator for life.

I am resisting like my life depends on it, because it does.

[workinclasszero]

27. Yes Trump and the republican party

crossed the Rubicon long ago.

The die is truly cast for a generation at least.

A super fascist unified state of Putin's Russia and Trump's Amerika is at hand folks.

Call it the Republic of Gilead if you will, but this nightmare is real.

Babies are being stripped by force on our borders and locked up in cages while King Dump builds concentration camps all over the US on military bases.

See you all in the Gulag. If only people would have voted................................................

[bdamomma]

49. and Bannon is preaching out in Europe

giving the alt right to do what they please to do and to be proud to be called racists. I mean WTF. This will not go down well, if we must fight literally and figuratively we must do this. Again this is our country. 40% are into the tRump cult, and we all know what happens to cults, correct?

[world wide wally]

22. The thing that makes this all possible is that we have a President with no heart or soul.

Strictly an eye for greed and personal profit.

[Cosmocat]

33. More to the point

we have a country where 40 percent of the our family and neighbors are inflicted to the point where the darkness in their souls is such to support him ... He would not be there if this country was not that sick in the first place.

[Amaryllis]

63. THe reason they are infected is their media propaganda; Faux, Breitbart, etc. BRainwashed.

[blue-wave]

23. Malcolm

as usual is outstanding! A modern day Paul Revere. Now if only enough Americans are listening, we could correct the course of the ship.

[FSogol]

26. "If we turn out this year like it was a presidential election year, then we will win in a phenomenal

landslide."

[Cryptoad]

29. On the cusp??????????

wake up and smell it burning! This why we are in teh ddep shit we find ourselves in! Time we accept the train is coming, we have been run over by it!

[lancelyons]

39. If we democrats dont get out there and vote in HUGE numbers and at minimum take back the house, then

If we democrats dont get out there and vote in HUGE numbers and at minimum take back the house, then its fairly clear that the bulk of Americans prefer what is going on.

I cant imagine they prefer what is going on and the gender gap and enthusiasm seems to point to voting in huge numbers coming but it all about VOTING.

Get out and VOTE.

Join a phone bank and make calls.

Work on the district identified in swing left.

VOTE VOTE VOTE.

[onetexan]

45. second that

and have people you know who are sane sign up to vote!

[bdamomma]

51. as an incentive

what happens if they take away the Internet (rather a extreme thought) but would that get people especially young people to get out and vote.

[standingtall]

58. If they were to go as far as to take away the internet it will take more than voting

we are talking Egyptian spring under those circumstances.

[Ilsa]

46. K&R. nt

[GoCubsGo]

54. Malcolm also says they're not going to get away with their crimes.

I believe him.

[Hekate]

60. Went out and bought his book after reading this.

Makes me want to oil up the old flintlock, you know?

[Honeycombe8]

62. This is frightening. I'm not given to conspiracy theories, but I gotta say that this rings true.

It's possible, since we KNOW some facts about Russia and Trump and his family, and the connections among them all. That's what makes it entirely possible. Maybe probable.

[zentrum]

65. I don't think we're on the cusp.

I think we've been tipped over.

This is a soft coup in about ten different ways.

[BigmanPigman]

66. As a native Philadelphian, I agree with you Malcolm!

100% We are in a war right now, a war to save our country from two enemies...from Russia and from the GOP traitors.

[UCmeNdc]

67. Agree 100% with Malcolm Nance

People need to get mad and challenge Trump's leadership at every opportunity!

[bdamomma]

68. Malcolm Nance

on Stephanie Millers show.

This is a red alert. He is angry.

[Blue_Tires]

69. Don't look at me; I tried to warn everybody...