Is it really Democracy Trump is threatening or is it civil society?

To ensure that our democracy survives and that violence is not regarded as an alternative to victory at the ballot box, Trump’s conduct must have consequences. Refusing to prosecute Trump and his inner circle would only encourage irreverence to democracy. What a monumental failure of leadership that would be.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/06/22/jan-6-merrick-garland-prosecution-donald-trump/

I get the appeal of trying to paint Trumpism as fascism or Autocracy, etc, but really, once you start encouraging citizens to attack other citizens, even if they are public servants, it seems like you're going way past democracy.

Even Monarchies and chieftainships had laws and mechanisms for state sponsored dispute resolution to keep people from killing each other.

I'm thinking some pre-historic hunt leader, probably told hot blooded warrior/hunters first told folks to not kill each other and submit to some sort of third party judgment, if only to make sure there were enough hunters left to feed the tribe.

Vigilantism and lawlessness isn't just undemocratic. It's uncivilized, imo.

Northwest · M

The fact that the former Governor of Missouri, and currently Senate candidate for same state, thought it was a good idea to produce a video, showing him storming a house, in full battle gear, to hunt RINOs, tells you that the real threat is to civil society.

MistyCee

@Northwest That's what bugs me about this new "Conservatism" which seems to want to conserve practically nothing and convert us back into a state of nature with no respect for each other.

Our ancestors wouldn't have survived with this crap and even dogs and wolves don't kill off their own pack members indiscriminately out of sheer selfishness.

Tigers might do that, but not primates, or even more social predators like lions.

Hobbes always made sense to me.