Nonilex6d ago

#GiftArticle

The authors of the #Constitution separated powers for a reason.

by @anneapplebaum

…The #Republicans who lead #Congress have refused to use the power of the #LegislativeBranch to stop #Trump or moderate him, in this or almost any other matter. The Cabinet is composed of sycophants & loyalists who are willing to defend contradictory policies, even if doing so makes them look like fools. The courts haven’t decisively intervened yet either.

#law
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/04/dictatorships-trump-republicans/682387/?gift=guxsrl_dAdXUP9zqbQPWxY6mkr1cwhtnhGKPzVPmmqo&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

This Is Why Dictatorships Fail

The authors of the Constitution separated powers for a reason.

The Atlantic
Show threadNonilex6d ago

No one, apparently, is willing to prevent a single man from destroying the world #economy, wrecking financial #markets, forcing this country & other countries into #recession if that’s what #Trump feels like doing when he gets up tomorrow morning.

This is what arbitrary, absolute power looks like. And this is why the men who wrote the #Constitution never wanted anyone to have it.

#law #SeparationOfPowers #democracy #corruption #autocracy #tyranny

Show threadNonilex

In that famously hot, stuffy room in Philadelphia, windows closed for the sake of secrecy, they sweated & argued about how to limit the powers of the American executive. They arrived at the idea of dividing #power between different branches of govt. As James Madison wrote in “Federalist No. 47”: “The accumulation of all powers, #legislative, #executive, & #judiciary in the same hands…may justly be pronounced the very definition of #tyranny.”

#law #Constitution #SeparationOfPowers #Trump

Apr 10 at 4:53pmWeb
Show threadNonilex6d ago

>2 centuries later, the system…has comprehensively failed. The people & institutions that are supposed to check #ExecutivePower are refusing to restrain #Trump. We now have a de facto #tyrant who thinks he can bend reality to his will w/o taking any facts or evidence into consideration, & w/o listening to any contrary views. Although the economic damage…is easier to measure, he has inflicted the same level of harm to #scientific #research, #CivilLiberties, #healthcare, & the #CivilService.

#law

Show threadMichael Gemar6d ago
@Nonilex The drafters of the US Constitution failed to anticipate/protect against collective political action (or inaction). The notion of political parties doesn’t really appear in the document, and the checks and balances built in presume that each individual in government will act in their own interest, and be checked by others working to advance their own interests. That system collapses when everyone subsumes their interests to one individual.
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBack6d ago

⬆️ @michaelgemar @Nonilex

>> … #checksAndBalances built in presume that each individual in government will act in their own interest, and be checked by others working to advance their own interests. That system collapses when everyone subsumes their interests to one individual.

Or aligns their interests with another individual's.

I wouldn't put it past #Democratic leaders like #ChuckSchumer to have done just that. #DoNothing #Schumer

Show threadauthor_is_ShrikeTron🔠💉x76d ago

@michaelgemar @Nonilex Exactly my thought. This is why I think the drafters were total hacks and Presidential systems are destined to fail. US was lucky for 200+ years, but it still failed.

The Parliamentary System with Proportional Representation (which recognizes Parties) would've at least stopped party-polarization by making Nth Parties relevant. There would've been a no-confidence vote and pulled "Trump" out by now. Not having an Electoral College would help a lot too.

Show threadMichael Gemar6d ago
@ShrikeTron @Nonilex It’s instructive that no other democracy uses the US system, while Parliamentary democracies abound.
Show threadauthor_is_ShrikeTron🔠💉x76d ago

@michaelgemar @Nonilex There's a large number of "Presidential systems" in the world, something like 80 former and current countries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_system

But only one "Superpower".

Presidential system - Wikipedia

Show threadEndymion_Mallorn6d ago

@michaelgemar

@anneapplebaum @Nonilex

Literally what Washington said in his farewell. He told us not to form parties, or we'd get tyranny. They knew it would happen, but couldn't write a law about conspiracy like that which wouldn't lead to too many false positives and put innocent people (like sports teams) in jail.

Show threadMichael Gemar6d ago
@Endymion_Mallorn And there are no systems that can’t be exploited in some way. The only real protection is a strong culture of commitment to the system rather than short-term gain, a respect for the institutions (although that can lead to other problems if it’s unthinking). No laws can prevent their own violation — political systems are ultimately people.
Show threadEndymion_Mallorn6d ago

@michaelgemar

@anneapplebaum @Nonilex

American thought has always been based on short-term, selfish benefits. It's not going to change. So I guess we now just have the leader who best reflects our average mindset.