“A republic, if you can keep it...”
The Atlantic has published a fabulous essay from Hillary Clinton, adapted from the upcoming paperback version of her book “What Happened.” It is a must-read. Here’s the link; you should go read it, come back here and then comment if so inclined:
HRC in The Atlantic
In it, she argues that we are in crisis due to you-know-who and his rampant disregard for our American values, the lack of check by a complicit Congress, and a systematic, insidious infiltration by right-wing billionaires who have attempted to set up an alternate reality. She doesn’t name Fox News; she doesn’t need to.
HRC lists 5 main reasons for our current crisis:
1. 45’s assault on the rule of law.
The Founders knew that a leader who refuses to be subject to the law or who politicizes or obstructs its enforcement is a tyrant, plain and simple. That sounds a lot like Donald Trump.
2. The legitimacy of our elections is in doubt.
Russia’s ongoing interference and Trump’s complete unwillingness to stop it or protect us. There’s voter suppression, as Republicans put onerous—and I believe illegal—requirements in place to stop people from voting. There’s gerrymandering...
3. The president is waging war on truth and reason.
(This part probably bothers me the most of all)
When we can’t trust what we hear from our leaders, experts, and news sources, we lose our ability to hold people to account, solve problems, comprehend threats, judge progress, and communicate effectively with one another—all of which are crucial to a functioning democracy.
4. His breathtaking corruption.
Considering that this administration promised to “drain the swamp,” it’s amazing how blithely the president and his Cabinet have piled up conflicts of interest, abuses of power, and blatant violations of ethics rules. Trump is the first president in 40 years to refuse to release his tax returns. He has refused to put his assets in a blind trust or divest himself of his properties and businesses, as previous presidents did. This has created unprecedented conflicts of interest, as industry lobbyists, foreign governments, and Republican organizations do business with Trump’s companies or hold lucrative events at his hotels, golf courses, and other properties. They are putting money directly into his pocket. He’s profiting off the business of the presidency.
5. He undermines the national unity that makes democracy possible.
Trump doesn’t even try to pretend he’s a president for all Americans. It’s hard to ignore the racial subtext of virtually everything Trump says. Often, it’s not even subtext.
She adds this gem as well, which is obvious and more people ought to say it as she does:
Hate speech isn’t “telling it like it is.” It’s just hate.
She goes on to list several things she thinks we need to get us out of this crisis… massive voter turnout, anti-corruption reforms, restoration of the voting rights act, and more, including a repeal of the Electoral College.
It is an excellent summary of what is wrong, how we got here, and how we can fix it. I encourage everyone to read it; she succinctly summarizes a lot of what ails us, and offers some great thoughts on how to proceed. It starts with winning in November!
Please, read the piece.
Let’s keep the Blue Wave moving to wash away the corruption!
Here’s a couple links to help the 🌊🌊🌊:
Act Blue
DSCC
DCCC
Beto For Texas
