The Republican revolt against democracy, explained in 13 charts

Wasn't defending the GOP, I was pointing out the hypocrisy. I'm a big fan of nothing getting done in congress. I wish they wouldn't all set aside their differences when it comes to big multitrillion dollar spending bills. I just think it is dishonest to say that the Democrats are just trying to help people and the Republicans are just trying to stop them. It would be equally dishonest to say the reverse. One thing that would be very beneficial to American governance would be a Constitutional Amendment that requires any bill to only do one thing. You want to send out stimulus checks? That is it. You want to raise taxes? That is it. Also, each bill should be limited to a single page, 8.5x11 inch, Times New Roman 12 point double spaced with 1 inch margins.

 

So it would be like wanting an NBA that outlawed... passing. Maury approves.

 

@KingCheetah is a fascist

 

This attitude is exactly how the median black household has 1000% less wealth than the median white houshold and it's all due to homeonership rates shaped by the free market right after ww2 when white people were openly racist not wanting black neighbors in their fresh new suburban homes where the banks followed free market principles denying loans to black families because they would lower the value of bank assets.

Sorry bud but the free market isn't efficient in all aspects of the economy (primarely products and services with inelastic demand).

 

*Monarch

 

Of course, as always, the difference is in the degree. Comparing aid to helping out cities deal with lost tax revenue to removing legal remedies to those who got screwed by their employers is just plain ridiculous. I agree that both sides are playing politics - I wouldn’t expect anything else - but I don’t agree the Democrats are acting in bad faith. They are trying to help the American people (however flawed and pork-laden their bills may be) but the Republicans aren’t trying to do anything but enrich their donors and retain power.

I agree that checks and balances are important but pure obstructionism and antipathy toward any federal solutions isn’t a check - it’s bad faith.

I know you’re a hardcore conservative but even you have to recognize the difference here.

 

almost all of this is straight up lies or an incredible amount of intellectual dishonesty.

The right wing propaganda has their cult fully conditioned to accept an authoritarian government and has them convinced they are still American while doing it.

 

Can monarchs be fascist, or does it go into the despot bucket?

 

Sure

 

You are so blind that you cannot see that both Republicans and Democrats are authoritarian (Democrats a bit moreso), the Republicans just lean more right economically. The Democrats have literally mandated people remain in their homes, close their businesses, wear facemasks, keep tenants who are not paying rent (regardless of ability to pay), buy insurance, perform same sex weddings, and any of a million other things. Republicans are "tough on crime" and put people in jail for drug possession, etc. Both parties are authoritarian right (right being capitalist vs. left socialist/communist). The fewer laws they can pass, the freer the American people will be.

 

DNC revolt against democracy and America explained in one:

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kentucky-bill-insult-police-officer-crime/

In no sane world is the party that has a law enforcement and military fetish less authoritarian.

Stop confusing private companies making market decisions as authoritarian(Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head, Gina Carano etc).

 

The non-partisan CDC issued guidelines to save lives in a pandemic. Many republican governors, including to an extent Abbott of all people, incorporated those guidelines. Many democratic governors waffled on them. We all tried to find a way to keep society running and save lives. Yes, republicans were less interested in the social contract during this horrible time, it's true. (I suppose you would have been proud of your grandparents in WW2 if they ignored coastal blackout orders and Nazi subs kept sinking American freight, right? Happened all along the Gulf of Mexico. People turned their lights off to save lives and save the war economy.)

And "buy insurance"? Are you saying the GOP wants a world of uninsured drivers? Have you ever driven in this site's home town -- you know, Houston?

Just a strange, Hanity-like post. I would avoid (and I do try to avoid) calling other posters "blind." We all have spots where we're not seeing the data clearly.

 

Fair enough. I can agree with some of what you say but stuff like the bill should be limited to a similar Letter size page sound like one of those hokey stunts. As someone who's worked on contracts sometimes the definitions alone take up a few pages. I agree legislation should be simpler but these are complicated issues and vague language can cause a lot of problems too and and is what drives a lot of litigation.

 

There were Republican governors such as Mike Dewine that did also mandate shutdowns. Even Abbott had limits on businesses and gatherings and required face masks. I can agree that Democrats are far more into a nanny state but claiming that Democrats are authoritarian by nature during a pandemic is somewhat misleading. It would be like arguing that Republicans are against free movement of people since the Bush Admin. shut down air travel after 911.

 

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't "law and order" rhetoric by nature authoritarian? I thought that was the most obvious aspect of authoritarian regimes... A heavy emphasis on a aggressive police state so how is the party that has police reform as one of their main agendas "authoritarian"?

 

I mentioned none of those things. You are arguing with a straw man. The Democratic Party is more authoritarian because they want to control more things. They are the party of increased regulations. The Republican Party is, as I said, also authoritarian. They are just slightly less so. If you put the two parties on the political compass, the R's would be a bit down and well to the right of the D's, but both in the upper right quadrant.

I am not making a value argument, I am making a definitional argument. Regardless of whether or not these are good or bad ideas, implementing them in law is authoritarian. If you recommend to people that wearing a mask is good for their health and can help prevent the spread of Corona virus, that is advisory, if you mandate wearing a mask to get into a government building, that is authoritarian. Government control of your actions is authoritarian, as opposed to libertarian - individual control of your actions.

 

No, "Authoritarian" implies a strict law and order nation that idelozes law enforcement and the military.

It doesn't involve regulations on how much toxic sludge you can dump on public waterways or carbon emmisions you release to the air. Those are regulations for public well being and sustainability rather than a desire for a Authoritarian control.

Look at past authoritarian regimes. When was "regulation" apart of their regime? No, it has always centered around a strong militarized police state and authoritarian fascism involves a cult of personality at the center that is worshiped. How many Biden hats do you see around town?

Also authoritarianism often used the hammer if religous doctrine to tame the public such as Saudi Arabia and the Evangelical christian base who believe legislation should be based in religous principle.

 

No, implementing pandemic guidelines is not authoritarian.

The 1918 Spanish flu had many local municipalities and state governments forcibly shut down businesses and schools. We're they "Authoritarian"? And did those pandemic regulations carry over when the pandemic was over? No. It was because there was a public health crisis.