01-14-2021, 12:35 PM
(01-14-2021, 08:30 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: I would just respond to that by saying that each period of strife like this in our country was followed by reforms to help bolster the democratic society we have once we got on the other side of them. In the midst of them, there would have been people fighting like hell to preserve the systems that were in place, just like there have been during the past 4-5 years. Sitting back and saying "it'll all be fine" isn't the approach. Our country doesn't continue without people putting in the work to make it so. Those of us fighting against Trump, what led to his rise, and what has been happening are trying to make sure the bystander effect doesn't make this time different than those others. We're trying to prevent our government from being another Kitty Genovese.
It's not about saying it will all be fine, it's having faith in the institutions and the people who support them. I don't consider posting on a message board as doing anything. While I appreciate the varying points of view I get here, well most of them anyways, I don't consider anything done here as making a substantial difference. I do think that continuing to be part of these institutions and supporting them is very important, which is why I've continued to do exactly that for the past four years, just like all the previous ones. I didn't spend any time lamenting the US as "irredeemably racist". I didn't spend the last four years denigrating the millions who voted for a candidate I didn't particularly like. I also won't spend the next four doing that without great cause.
Interestingly enough, I see some of the items on the "progressive" wish list as far more damaging than anything Trump did, or could have done for another four. DC and Puerto Rican statehood, packing the SCOTUS, universal health care with no private option. The first two are naked power grabs and the second would be, IMO, disastrous. But we shall see.
