The most dangerous problem in America is an attack on our democracy. It has been going on for some 20 years. Bit by bit and year by year the right wing has been acquiring more power and becoming more extreme. Like climate change, it’s just a matter of time before this shift in political power will be irreversible. Then, only a public revolt or a revolution can save our democracy.
The basic problem is that our great Republican moderates have all but disappeared since the right-wing took over the Republican Party two decades ago. The new party puts itself and wealthy/corporate interests first before America and refuses to work across the aisle or with the other party’s president. It has been noticeably downhill for Congress and America every since.
The new party has concentrated on six ways to gain control of our country, practically all of which must be eradicated by legislation and Constitutional Amendments.
(1) Mapping out state voting districts to dilute the voting power of democrats and grow Republican majorities in state governments.
(2) Using these same maps to win enough seats to control the U.S. House of Representatives.
(3) Erecting barriers to tens of millions of people likely to vote democratic.
(4) Using big money in elections to dilute the voting power of average Americans and influence election outcomes and the decisions that follow.
(5) Allowing big business and the wealthy to pay partial or no taxes and leaving others to pick up the tab for running the country -- a redistribution of wealth.
(6) Seeking a failed presidency of the other party by obstructing, conducting baseless investigations and misinforming the public on issues and on who the president is and what his intentions are.
The new party’s objective is to gain and hold on to power at any cost, regardless of the damage done to other Americans or to America. During the last century, the great moderates of the Republican Party wanted America to succeed no matter who was president. And, we became the world's leader power. Some of these great moderates have Senate buildings named after them and others are on Mount Rushmore. None would qualify for that prestige today.
The shift in political power to right-wing wealthy/corporate interests is creating an income and political inequality for everyday Americans beyond that at any time during the past century. These interests will eventually control our country. Our democracy,now an embarrassment, will be a mockery.
The unaccountable Supreme Court must be removed from politics so that its decisions on political matters are legitimate and viewed as so. Today, Justices will hang around until presidents of their own party can replace them. Correction will not be possible as long as the right wing controls the Republican Party. Three things are needed (1) discontinue lifetime Supreme Court appointments, (2) forbid any activities by Supreme Court Justices in overt political affairs and (3) adopt an ethical code of conduct, as do all other U.S. justices.
There is no quick fix. The way to save our democracy is for the Republican Party to take a big hit in November and 2016. The right wing will then lose power and moderates, like the great ones of the past, can reenter their party. The end result will be (1) two parties working together with an elected president and (2) a consensus government working in Washington for the American people again.
Recovery of our democracy is not within the province of the Executive or the present Congress; only the voting public can make it happen. This dramatic change is possible if voters show up in record numbers in November and 2016 and make their views known. The American people must tell the Republican Party, in no uncertain terms, that it is on the wrong track stealing voting power from everyday Americans and undermining our democracy.
The tipping point is hard to predict. But, if the American people do not show up soon, our democracy may not be recoverable because too much political power will have been transferred to the wrong hands. Furthermore, it will not be possible to pass Constitutional Amendments to undo unwise Supreme Court decisions that opened the flood gates to big money interests in our politics.
When voters walk into their voting booth, they must consider that no matter who the Republican candidate is, if elected, he or she will go to Washington and be beholden to and do the bidding of the fringe right-wing’s new party. This will be good for the new party, but not for America and not for you or your future. It will also put impeachment back on the table, which will again be another major distraction to our country.
Due to the remarkable shift in power politics over the past two decades, Presidents' Clinton and Obama cannot be compared to our great presidents of the past. Earlier ones never faced powerful right-wing opposition from the very inception of their presidencies and the use of a massive misinformation machines to mislead the general public. (See The Right-Wing Threat To Democracy) Nevertheless, both of these presidents cut our deficits substantially, improved our economy immeasurably and used our military power only against real threats.
Restoring our democracy is an opportunity for the people to end partisanship and change Washington. For many years, the right wing has been quietly gathering enough political power to control the direction of our country and it will be too late to reverse it unless the public rises to the occasion soon and says simply "we won’t take it anymore".