Saving a Democracy

 It has been difficult to do effective things about climate change under Donald Trump. He has rolled back many critical things.  But it will be impossible if he remains in office.  Notice I did not say wins re-election?   Because that will not happen.  The polls make fairly obvious that the majority of Americans are ready for a new President.   However, as it turns out between our archaic Electoral College system and a whole variety of other provisions for what to do if there is a close election....which it turns out can be badly manipulated....we are in for at least a months ride.   (Example, news story I just saw says Trump intends to declare victory on election night if he is even ahead- at any point-.   This would be his way of then trying to shed doubt upon an actual Biden victory.   Leading to more battling.)  Almost all the scary scenarios wind up in court, winding their way up to the Supreme Court.   If it was not abundantly clear why they were in such a damn hurry to get a 5th Republican seated on the court before the election, it will now be clear.  Why they "coronated" her the night she was voted in.

If you do not know about DefendtheResults.org look it up.  You will need to know about it in the weeks to come.  It is a network of people coming together to non-violently protect the results of the election.  Van Jones said it well in a Ted talk he just gave.  I will accept the results of the vote of the majority of Americans but I will not accept the election being stolen from the American people.  If even attempted to be stolen it would be for the third time in 20 years that a Republican claimed office without the popular vote.   Why is it ok with a party to rule without the consent of the governed?  But more importantly why is it ok with us the governed for someone to claim office by manipulation, vote suppression and just plain old cheating?

Be not confused, if this election is not fairly determined it will be our last election.  The Republican party has had a long game plan which they have played out over 20 years to get to this outcome, and it has included packing state houses, packing courts and overturning voting right protections.  Each building block was so important that they would cheat for those steps too like saying Obama was not entitled to appoint someone in his last year of office - but Trump is in the month before the election.  (12 presidents have previously appointed court justices in the last year of office.) But the census will be used to redraw districts and don't think a Republican run government will draw a map where a Democrat can get elected again?  (this has already to a large extent happened.)   With a party who will not impeach him no matter what he does (rape, tax evasion, consorting with the Russians, money for influence, etc. etc) and with a court that will rubber stamp whatever he does, and with the end of nonpartisan bureaucracy we are already far down the road to an authoritarian regime.   (This month he published rules that will allow him to fire non partisan staff for any reason - thus allowing public service to become a den of loyal cronies - who serve the president - not the country.)   Hitler was originally elected, and by the time his party started to regret his leadership he had already disbanded the legislature and instill fear of any crossing him by brutally destroying any within the government who disagreed with him.  

So what are we to do?  Refuse to accept any result based upon corruption and manipulation.  Do what people in every country that has non-violently over thrown a dictator has done - acccept nothing less than the will of the people.   Dictators have been brought down by a sea of people in yellow surrounding the palace, to people afraid to take to the street because of the brutal military banging pots and pans at the same time every night till the din became so loud that they came out on the streets and then they stayed on the streets.  Research on the over throw of dictators shows it only takes 3.5 percent of the population taking to the streets and staying in the streets- non-violently to over throw a dictator.

One of Trumps tactics has been to try to stop voters mail in ballots that are not in by Nov 3rd.  First by gumming up the post office and then by court cases which the now packed Supreme Court is backing.  This is particularly critical in swing states.   Watch carefully what goes on in AZ, NV, NH, PA, NA and FA support the demands of voters there to have their votes count.   This is after all the definition of democracy that EVERYONE has a voice - not just the  people who we think will help our side win!

I believe there will be a blue ocean.  I believe that Democrats have been coming out in numbers never before seen...because we know we have to change what is happening.  But this is going to require more than voting - this is going to be require activism, an active renewal of a democracy that was won by acts of non-violent resistance to the English- by acts which should the Revolutionaries have lost would have had Washington, Jefferson, the Adams brothers, Paul Revere, etc all hang.

Government - any government whether a democracy, a king or a tyrant, requires the consent of the governed or it becomes impossible.  The withdrawal of consent can look many ways.