Is America still in danger of losing her democracy?

[kentuck]

Is most of it simple hyperbole? Are citizens' distrust and fears legitimate?

A great many thought everything would be much better when Biden was the President .

In some areas, especially those that were of utmost importance, such as the health of the American people, the situation seems to be much improved. The majority of Americans believe the new President has done a great job in fighting the pandemic, under enormous challenges.

The economy was in terrible shape, after many of the businesses were forced to shut down, and many people lost their jobs. It now seems to have gained its land legs, although still wobbly. That was no small accomplishment.

But, in some areas, it seems there is still a threat to our country. It should disturb every American to see what is going on in Arizona with the scam audit. There can be no valid audit, without legitimate and independent watchers, and without strict control of the movements of the ballots. That is a necessity.

Unfortunately, that has not happened in Arizona.

Also, there is increased "concern", with the growing threats of right-wing extremists groups. Some believe it has gotten worse since the present mob, now under custody, attacked our Capitol, and are refusing to accept any plea deals, perhaps under hopes that their Leader will come to save them. (Perhaps one out of the over four hundred insurrectionists arrested thus far?)

They believe they just have to be patient.

Now that the tanking economy and the pandemic are mostly under control, perhaps the DOJ will have time to focus on other pressing challenges and threats? (Such as saving our democracy from the insane radicals that have taken over the Republican Party)

[Hekate]

1. It *is* "much better with Biden as president" -- but Trump had 4 years to wreck the country...

...and it will take quite a bit longer to fix it. If we lose the House and Senate, there will be little Biden can do after that, so let’s make sure to elect Dems.

Take heart. Have courage. GOTV.

[Funtatlaguy]

14. We must continually look for NEW voters to register.

Get them excited about voting.
Pick them up on Election Day or early voting days if your state still has those.
Take them to the polls.
Give them goodie bags of sandwiches and water and convince to stand in expected long lines.

[myohmy2]

2. yes...

...there are no guarantees we'll remain a democracy especially when a third of the population is hell-bent on destroying it...

...I know we're not supposed to think of Republicans as our enemy, but they are...everything we want, think or desire they oppose and they're willing to oppose it violently...how do we coexist with people that don't want to coexist?

...Republicans...

[PortTack]

4. The number is actually much smaller than 1/3. Qgop represents approx 28% of the voting

Populous which is approx 168 million. Not all republicans believe in the big lie or want to see the orange mass and his cronies succeed. So maybe 50% of 1/3 of 168 million. Not 1/3 of 330 million.

[Celerity]

9. your maths are way off

When you add up the QMAGAt penumbra (of age non voters but ideologically similar/even more extreme, and the too young to vote but old enough to already be programmed or well down the start of that path, etc etc) to the 74 million Trump voters, plus a couple milion who voted RW third party, it is easily over 100 million.

It is over 100 million even when subtracting out the 10 to 15% (MAX) of Rethugs who say they do not approve atm of Trump. The your maths yield 28 million, which is ludicrously low. You are kidding yourself if you think that is the threat to democracy tally within in the US populace.

[Elessar Zappa]

18. I don't believe 100 million are MAGA.

Even a lot of the ones who voted for Trump weren’t cultists but Republicans who may approve of him but aren’t diehards. I have four in my family like that and one cultist. We’re not helpless against these assholes. Good people still outnumber them and even with the Senate,EC, and gerrymandering we can defeat them. It’ll take working for, donating to and voting every single election.

[Celerity]

22. Goes beyond just the voters, if we are talking about systemic threats, people who would fall in line

with a fascist white nationalist government down the road, if such a rough beast ever arose. Who knows what events would transpire along that potential path to tyranny.

[Cosmocat]

11. Sorry, its far higher than 1/3 of our total population

First 99% of Republicans have no greater belief in their life than Democrats and liberals are literally the spawn of satan.

So, what all else they may or may not think or believe, they will think and vote R cause its the moral and right thing to do.

Also ... all these people who don't vote. The majority either agree w most of the bullshit republicans spew or are ok with it.

We are on a fairly rapid regression to being a chrisofascist authotitarian idiocracy because the overwhelming majority of the country either wants us to be such or are ok with it.

[myohmy2]

13. "Not all republicans believe in the big lie..."

...I think you're forgetting the Heisenberg uncertainty principle:

"You can believe what a Republican says, but you can't know the truth or you can know the truth, but you can't believe what a Republican says"

...it's political physics...

[patphil]

3. eternal vigilence is the price of liberty.

Damn right we are in danger.

[PortTack]

5. ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

[Crunchy Frog]

6. I'm more scared now than I was for most of FG's tenure.

[NJCher]

7. The internet will have to be

Restructured to prevent these lies. Could take 50 years to do that.

[Celerity]

10. What do you propose? Remember, the US has what is likely one of the long wave,

Constitutionally-embedded, national suicide pacts (some others being the Electoral College, the very construct of the Senate itself, the 2nd Amendment, etc etc) known as the 1st Amendment, which will stifle most, if not all, attempts to cut out the cancer of disinfo/nonlinear warfare/reflexive control.

[NJCher]

17. It can be done

It's already being worked on. There is an academic/technological institute in California that is working on it, among many others internationally. That is where I got the information that it is a longterm solution.

As to whether it will be sued out of existence, I believe that by the time the restructure gets to the point that someone(s) can litigate it, it will not only be apparent, but perceived as necessary. Remember: 50 years and we're not the only ones in this game, meaning it is an international problem/effort.

Having said all that, I like your term "national suicide pact." Galgenhumor.

[Meowmee]

8. Yes

And pandemic is nowhere near over yet.

[Norbert]

12. As long as a lie carries the same or more weight as the truth

there will always be a danger of losing our democracy.

[Boomerproud]

16. You win the thread.

IMWO.

[48656c6c6f20]

15. Well yeah, been like that for a couple hundred years.

[PETRUS]

24. Thank you. nt

[MiniMe]

19. Yes, America isn't a Democracy, it is a Republic

A Democratic Republic.

[Yavin4]

20. And for most of its history, it has not been a democratic republic.

It has taken new constitutional amendments and landmark SCOTUS rulings to get us closer to a democratic republic, and we're still not there.

[kentuck]

21. Is a democratic republic the same as a republican democracy?

They seem to be interchangeable to me.

[Tumbulu]

23. This is my deepest worry, actually

Because these insurrectionists are disproportionately represented within branches of law enforcement and the military. This has been long cultivated by the righteous anti abortion forces wishing both religious and non religious subgroups.

I remain worried that a coup is only a few assassinations away.

[vercetti2021]

25. It is close

But history normally shows that the fascists always lose in the end. If they want to bring a dictatorship, they won't get it without heavy resistance.