Part of what goes wrong when former democracies sink into despotism is that the sheer volume of lies becomes so overwhelming that they become hard to highlight, challenge and hold accountable; similar to what happens when invading bacteria overwhelm a body's immune system and produce sepsis. We surely need to hold the line. "Nip the shoo…
Part of what goes wrong when former democracies sink into despotism is that the sheer volume of lies becomes so overwhelming that they become hard to highlight, challenge and hold accountable; similar to what happens when invading bacteria overwhelm a body's immune system and produce sepsis. We surely need to hold the line.
"Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people." -John Adams
With all due respect to one of our founders, since when does a maxim do anything? Even if it’s a good maxim it just sits there until it’s taken to heart and moved on by we the people.
The same with the Constitution; and isolated quotations prove little except that, in many cases, Republicans are misrepresenting the history and the earlier historical mindset of the founders,. The anti-authoritarianism of our founding philosophies was applied shockingly unevenly, yet those Enlightenment Era principles have tacked against the wind into some of the more Woke streams of consciousness that now circulate in our society (End of explicit slavery and "Jim Crow" laws, women's suffrage, rights of workers, responsible sexual freedoms, etc.) that contrast with the authoritarian dark ages Republicans seem eager to restore.
And some strings of words provide a useful shorthand when they seem to hit the nail on the head.
Part of what goes wrong when former democracies sink into despotism is that the sheer volume of lies becomes so overwhelming that they become hard to highlight, challenge and hold accountable; similar to what happens when invading bacteria overwhelm a body's immune system and produce sepsis. We surely need to hold the line.
"Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people." -John Adams
Much squealing, distress and righteous indignation.
Meanwhile it is human lives that are being nipped in the bud.
Lives, liberty, sanity. Worldwide -- especially in Ukraine. So far.
And it is arbitrary power that is out there, among us, nipping life in the bud.
I believe that the wealthy, technologically advanced US still leads the world (or did) in per capita COVID deaths, just for starters.
With all due respect to one of our founders, since when does a maxim do anything? Even if it’s a good maxim it just sits there until it’s taken to heart and moved on by we the people.
The same with the Constitution; and isolated quotations prove little except that, in many cases, Republicans are misrepresenting the history and the earlier historical mindset of the founders,. The anti-authoritarianism of our founding philosophies was applied shockingly unevenly, yet those Enlightenment Era principles have tacked against the wind into some of the more Woke streams of consciousness that now circulate in our society (End of explicit slavery and "Jim Crow" laws, women's suffrage, rights of workers, responsible sexual freedoms, etc.) that contrast with the authoritarian dark ages Republicans seem eager to restore.
And some strings of words provide a useful shorthand when they seem to hit the nail on the head.
Amen!
I stole your line when I posted this LFAA on my FB page. I hope you don’t mind.