Schwab: Rule of law protects us from tyranny; if we follow it
It’s time for the Republican Party and its members who continue to support Trump to decide if they believe in America. Seriously. That’s the question, right now, as Trump, Barr and Congressional Republicans are declaring the Constitution of The United States of America inoperative, a meaningless piece of parchment. Is there any Trumpist who can look in the mirror and claim the person smirking back at them would make excuses, were it Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton?
That venerable document explicitly gives to Congress the authority, the duty, to oversee the Executive Branch. In a country founded by people who fled tyrannical monarchy, this is easily understood; a concept to be defended at all costs, lest we find ourselves back in the 17th century, with no way home.
Donald Trump, a duplicitous egoist who’s bullied, cheated and ignored the law throughout his career and who’s demonstrated not an ounce of patriotism beyond that which enriches him, is, without resistance from his party, claiming he’s above the law. He’s demanding his hired help do the same. And he’s getting away with it.
The thing about the rule of law is that, alone, it doesn’t exist. Citizens need to buy into the concept, see it as worth defending, even if doing so might lessen their personal power. Even if it requires sacrificing part of the present to protect all of the future. If it ever did, the Republican Party no longer accepts that premise. We see now how the system fails if people, particularly our elected officials, don’t respect it.
When a “president” refuses to comply with constitutionally mandated congressional oversight requests, when his attorney general unreservedly lies to Congress, while making farcical excuses for Trump’s lawlessness — “It wasn’t obstruction because he considered the investigation unfair.” — how will subpoenas or contempt orders issued by Congress be enforced? Absent belief in the most basic American premises, namely separation of powers, and checks and balances; absent willingness to accede to its requirements, it breaks down. Rules become unenforceable. Which is what, precisely, is happening.
We love seeing him stick it to liberals, say Trumpists. Forget the Constitution! As long as it’s our guy, take the rule of law, the lifeblood of our republic, everything that has, till now, preserved and protected our form of government, and shove it. We. Don’t. Care.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/schwab-rule-of-law-protects-us-from-tyranny-if-we-follow-it/?utm_source=DAILY+HERALD&utm_campaign=55fc1443dd-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d81d073bb4-55fc1443dd-228635337
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