AMERICAN COUP

Yesterday, an incredible Op-Ed piece was published (anonymously) in the New York Times detailing a not merely dysfunctional presidency, but a truly dangerous one from which the nation and the world requires protection. When taken in the context of what was contained in other writings, such as at least three books (Robert Woodward’s “Fear” being the last so far), as well as the President’s frequently bizarre and conflicting statements and behavior, the article raises significant questions about whether Trump’s presidency should be allowed to continue, and why not a single Republican legislator is willing to stand against an executive who clearly believes his authority and power are unlimited. If Trump truly can pardon himself whenever he wants, there is nothing to stop him from doing anything he wants, legal or illegal including homicide or political prisons. This would radically alter our form of government from a Republic to a “Constitutional Monarchy” with Trump effectively acting as King Donald.  With all of that said, this piece is not about Trump. People, and history will make those decisions for themselves.

The issue in this article is not even about the call for the author of the Op-Ed piece to identify him or herself; the argument being that if they feel that strongly, they should resign and stand up for their position. Under any other set of circumstances, I would agree, but this is not “any other set of circumstances.” Most people in the United States (Trump’s consistent 36% not withstanding) agree that we need insulation from the excesses of this president and, given that the Republican Congress has abdicated its constitutional role in that regard, the author may need to stay anonymous to do so. While I agree we need protection and appreciate that we’re getting at least some, the content of the article remains deeply troubling.

What is it called when members of the Executive branch not only do not follow the president’s orders, but actively hide documents so that he doesn’t get to act on their contents? What does it mean when the military ignores orders from the Commander-in-Chief and does what they think is right? I have no doubt about their intent to protect our nation and our democratic institutions; their intentions and goals seem good, even noble. Still, there is one phrase that covers such a situation – coup d’état.

We need to change the players in November, and again in 2020, but to encourage a shadow government because we fear the actual one is as anathematic to our Republic as an “Imperial Presidency.” We will survive this episode in our history and, hopefully, learn from it and come out at the other end stronger than we went into it. What we must not do is dilute our republican form of government out of fear. Congress, do your job! More importantly, Voters, do yours. As Plato said, “[O]ne of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”