Never Thought

In my early teens I thought much of current events. I pondered our form of government, how it worked, and how it remained stable for nearly 200 years. I observed elected politicians, their norms and interactions with other citizens, and the protocols kept true in those days. I never imagined things different.

Never.

Until now. Almost 70 years later I watch our system work entirely differently. For different ends, decidedly different processes, and shortcuts unimagined now seemingly the norm.

The president proposes and enacts. Congress is evidently not needed. Only the courts dampen the process. Even then, the courts appear slow to act, diffident even; actions seem limited as well.

My mind races back to recall checks and balances. They remain in place but no longer fully used. Other checks and balances come to mind, the most basic being voters. But those ballots are cast only every two years for some purposes, and four years for the more important purposes.

There is one other check, of course; We The People.

If the people of America resist and do not comply, there is little government can do. They cannot arrest and detain 330 million of us. Even if split, they cannot detain or process 150 million of us.

There you have it. The Trump Coup does not exist if a huge minority of us just say no and act upon it. Let them try to enforce their will against us.

You say they can do away with programs we like and rely on like Social Security? Take that away and watch the banks simply do little to enforce the consequences. There are not enough lawyers to process the complaints and court cases. There are not enough courts to manage the massive onslaught of cases. There are not enough bank clerks to process the paper. There simply is no way to manage an economy where a major benefit program ceases to exist and a huge majority of citizens rely on the dollars to pay for rent, mortgages, and living expenses. The economy would come to a complete halt.

You see, the largest check and balance mechanism is the consent of the governed. Without that, nothing happens. Or can happen.

Ponder that for a few minutes if you need that much time.

I do not support ripping civil rights from women, people of color, gays, disabled or anyone else. Do you? I know I am not alone in this. I do not support erasing Medicare and Medicaid from our safety network. Nor do I support eliminating Social Security. We all paid the taxes and premiums for these programs. Maybe reluctantly at first, but willingly over time. The programs work. They are our safety net. They allow people to take risks and build careers, make investment choices and a plethora of other decisions. That’s what makes our system work in the long run. That’s what capitalism needs to work, risk takers. And we can do that relatively safely if we know that our basics living expenses will be covered if all goes wrong.

Governance is a big thing, a big deal. It cannot be managed by one person, or even a group of like-minded people. It works only with the consent of the governed. That’s you and I.

Did you agree with them? Did you consent? I didn’t. That’s where we are and where we begin.

Resist.

March 14, 2025

 

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