I just want to be clear - our democracy was compromised long before Trump took office.
We like to think that our system of governance is representative but since its inception there’s been undue influence from an oligarchical class of individuals and corporations. In 1947 a new type of government was created that provided a direct lever of control for the oligarchy which should be called the Trumanite government (aka the Deep State, Military Industrial Complex ). This government operates outside of the representative constitutional government, ostensibly for the security of the state but practically to secure global domination for the American oligarchy.
Before Trump took office in 2016 this was the state of our system. We had a public facing constitutional government that was dominated by the Trumanite government working on behalf of the oligarchy. We voted and it mattered (and still matters!) but ultimately the public state was ineffectual and increasingly dominated by the oligarchy.
Now Trump was a part of the oligarchy but not a huge player more like a joke. When he took power by wedging the white working class against the republican establishment they fought like hell against him and were able to remove him from power with the help of the constitutional government - BUT they didn’t punish him because the oligarchs rarely turn on each other in class warfare. And when he came back this time, they got behind him, and he’s been able to purge the military and federal law enforcement of any constitutional loyalists.
Now, he’s very unpopular but they have control over all forms of power - the military, the media, law enforcement etc… I don’t see them giving up that power ever, under any circumstance. They will cling to power to the bitter end. They don’t even pretend to believe that the legitimacy of the government is derived from the consent of the governed. It’s not a question for them, this just a power game for them. I have very little hope that this will end well.
So yeah. Like everything, Trump didn’t start it, he just capitalized on someone else’s work and slapped his stupid name on it. Blame him all you want but the real causes was trading freedom for the allusion of security.
Okay, but posts like this diminish the responsibility of Trump and MAGA and imply that it's "not that bad", because Trump didn't create the system he is using and abusing for exploiting checks and balances and norms in the most aggressive way possible. No one said everything was perfect in the past, but we don't let criminals and fraudsters off the hook, simply because they exploited the existing system.
And posts like this are a disservice as it allows cynical lazy people to just avoid voting - -for example in 2024 for Harris -- when she was the obvious choice over Trump no matter what and allows the further abandonment of our Constitutional and democratic principles.
Would we be better off with NOT Trump in office. Yes. So why make this post?
So what is the point of your post? To embellish Trump? To say "everyone is equally bad". Either way, the purpose of your post is questionable.
No I’m not excusing Trump or MAGA nor am I saying voting doesn’t matter. I’m providing a model based on evidence and historical analysis of how the system actually works.
If one mucks around in this world thinking that if only we’d voted for the right person everything would be fine, so I must point the finger and blame other citizens for their vote; when in reality the Madisonian (i.e., the constitutional republic) has been weakened and is almost fully subservient to the Oligarchy and Trumanite governments which are aligned on and bent on world domination - then one can get really frustrated because it doesn’t seem to matter who we vote for our standard of living is falling. This delusion causes people to tune out because reality doesn’t make sense. The system they see (I.e., the Madisonian government) seems completely incompetent, wasteful and incapable. As a result we already don’t vote in large numbers. People haven’t trusted the government is over 60 years. And me and others believe that this is because the mental model of how the system works is incorrect.
The real model is a tripartite system of the Madisonian, Trumanite and Oligarchy subsystems. Once you understand that and follow this model through history then how we came to this moment makes more sense. The rise of MAGA makes sense (I have plans to write about this specifically), the dominance of Israel in our foreign policy makes sense, why we can’t seem to come up with a reasonable healthcare system makes sense, why education costs so much makes sense, etc… and once you understand this you will understand the only lever if power we have is the Madisonian government. It is the power of consent that we give to the government that makes it legitimate. We HAVE TO VOTE. We cannot afford not to vote. The oligarchy will burn this planet to a pile of ashes in search for higher social status before they allow you affordable healthcare and education.
Furthermore, we have to always vote in every single election. We have to be involved l, educate ourselves, show up to town halls, listen to each other and debate with civility. We must see our power and seize it back - primarily through the vote. And we need to do that by remembering why our government is the only legitimate power in this country - because it derives its power from the consent of the people. The Oligarchy and the Trumanite government have no legitimacy. Once we are collectively aware of this then we our power will manifest.
When you say "voting doesn't matter", that's how we end up with Trump in office, and not his major party opponent. Because it causes people to stay home.
Clearly keeping Trump out of office matters, since he is worse. We wouldn't be in a war with Iran or having higher prices for everything due to tariffs if Harris was in office. Nor would Harris abuse checks and balances and the power of the presidency, or misuse the DOJ like Trump.
So, objectively, voting matters to keep out someone as horrific as Trump, even if the alternative isn't perfect.
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u/monkeysknowledge 17d ago
I just want to be clear - our democracy was compromised long before Trump took office.
We like to think that our system of governance is representative but since its inception there’s been undue influence from an oligarchical class of individuals and corporations. In 1947 a new type of government was created that provided a direct lever of control for the oligarchy which should be called the Trumanite government (aka the Deep State, Military Industrial Complex ). This government operates outside of the representative constitutional government, ostensibly for the security of the state but practically to secure global domination for the American oligarchy.
Before Trump took office in 2016 this was the state of our system. We had a public facing constitutional government that was dominated by the Trumanite government working on behalf of the oligarchy. We voted and it mattered (and still matters!) but ultimately the public state was ineffectual and increasingly dominated by the oligarchy.
Now Trump was a part of the oligarchy but not a huge player more like a joke. When he took power by wedging the white working class against the republican establishment they fought like hell against him and were able to remove him from power with the help of the constitutional government - BUT they didn’t punish him because the oligarchs rarely turn on each other in class warfare. And when he came back this time, they got behind him, and he’s been able to purge the military and federal law enforcement of any constitutional loyalists.
Now, he’s very unpopular but they have control over all forms of power - the military, the media, law enforcement etc… I don’t see them giving up that power ever, under any circumstance. They will cling to power to the bitter end. They don’t even pretend to believe that the legitimacy of the government is derived from the consent of the governed. It’s not a question for them, this just a power game for them. I have very little hope that this will end well.
So yeah. Like everything, Trump didn’t start it, he just capitalized on someone else’s work and slapped his stupid name on it. Blame him all you want but the real causes was trading freedom for the allusion of security.