Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II.
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If you are on the side of American Democracy in the currently unfolding American Civil War II and elections are held, vote for candidates that understand the war and what will required if our side prevails. 10/10
@heidilifeldman it seems to me that the civil war is fed vs states and for the states to prevail it means ending the federal experiment. At least temporarily to implement the necessary purge of laws and personnel. A “de-baathification” of DC. A “de-magafication” I suppose.
In the interim the states will need to replace services and use captured federal income tax dollars.
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I have named necessary features of an American Democracy reconstruction. There may or may not be others, e.g. reform or elimination of the electoral college. 9/
We also - especially the Democratic party - need to understand the 10th Amendment.
In 2024, the impact of Dobbs was overestimated. The promised Roevember did not happen - at least on a federal level. Voters did come out at a state level. Almost every reproductive rights referendum on state ballots.
We need to look to 10th Amendment and states as safeguards against federal overreach.
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We also - especially the Democratic party - need to understand the 10th Amendment.
In 2024, the impact of Dobbs was overestimated. The promised Roevember did not happen - at least on a federal level. Voters did come out at a state level. Almost every reproductive rights referendum on state ballots.
We need to look to 10th Amendment and states as safeguards against federal overreach.
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@msbellows @heidilifeldman @mastoreaderio
Ranked choice to end the 2-party, same equity extortion coin to choose from every election.
Roll back Citizens United and limit contributions to an honest day's pay.
@cmthiede @msbellows @heidilifeldman @mastoreaderio Politicians must have no say in any aspect of elections. They must all be run by a completely autonomous body with power to punish offenders and adapt to innovative manipulations.
Jerrymandering, voter disenfranchisement, voter ID, age restrictions, incarceration restrictions, ballot locations and ballot stuffing are examples of how politicians will manipulate any and every chink in the electoral armor to their advantage.
I would also introduce compulsory voting as a means of tempering extremism and minimising the attack surface for disenfranchising strategies.
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@msbellows @heidilifeldman @mastoreaderio
Ranked choice to end the 2-party, same equity extortion coin to choose from every election.
Roll back Citizens United and limit contributions to an honest day's pay.
@msbellows @heidilifeldman @mastoreaderio
Oh, and a real ban on insider trading by Congress members, not the watered down version they're currently offering, thinking people will only read the title. Lock down the trades when taking the role, open them back upon leaving. Otherwise, it gets turned into a Rubik's Cube and handed to a financial firm on a government approved list, audited by an independent committee.
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I have named necessary features of an American Democracy reconstruction. There may or may not be others, e.g. reform or elimination of the electoral college. 9/
@heidilifeldman Josh Marshall’s list is somewhat more inclusive: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-status-interview-or-how-to-write-up-a-senate-purge-list
Here are some other actions a post-Trump reconstruction government might consider:
- force breakup of media monopolies
- denazify public bodies at all levels of government
- double or triple the size of the House of Representatives
- eliminate or reform the Senate -
Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
Democracy was never meant to be done by election. Athenians knew it would captured by oligarchs. It was meant to be by sortition.
I modified this idea & how it could be structured & why. What I envision is completely different to what we have now. It’s a different democratic model, using a version of sortition. What I envision is practical & develops interdependence, understanding, experience, skills, while solving real problems.
https://mastodon.social/@JoBlakely/110531598480099232 -
Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
@heidilifeldman I wonder if there is a more precise term than civil war, where one or more groups of citizens are at war with each other.
This situation, when the government is waging war with one group of citizens (supposedly) on behalf of another, may not have a commonly used term to accurately describe it.
I think it's an important distinction, because Americans are not fighting Americans, even if some in government would love to change that. We shouldn't help them normalize the idea.
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Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
@heidilifeldman Very nice and informative thread!
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Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
@heidilifeldman Hard agree.
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Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
@heidilifeldman The 1861-1864 conflict wasn't technically a "civil war" because the CSA wasn't trying to take over the whole country - just secede from it. This right now is the first US civil war proper.
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@heidilifeldman Very nice and informative thread!
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Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
@heidilifeldman Okay, it has begun, what is the next step? Is the next step a gunfight between ICE and local police?
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Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
@heidilifeldman Civil war now? I don't think so, not by a long shot. Whether there will be a civil war will depend on whether the midterm elections in November are banned or delayed (very likely).
Everything will depend on whether Trump is allowed to continue with absolute power without the Senate (including Republicans) doing anything.
If you are referring to it as one of the events that led to a civil war, then yes, it is possible to understand it that way.
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Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
@heidilifeldman The South against the north
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Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
@heidilifeldman don’t delete this thread. This is good.
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@msbellows @heidilifeldman @mastoreaderio
Ranked choice to end the 2-party, same equity extortion coin to choose from every election.
Roll back Citizens United and limit contributions to an honest day's pay.
@cmthiede @msbellows @heidilifeldman @mastoreaderio
To equalize the power of donations, limit them to a day’s pay at minimum wage, once per candidate from each donor. -
@heidilifeldman I feel like if we are to be taken seriously by Allies in the future, we will need to also join the International Criminal Court and be willing to hand over any members of the Administration and military who may be brought up on charges there. We need a concrete lesson for U.S. politicians that international law matters. Our issues are not just domestic.
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Historians will, I predict, regard the current situation as the American Civil War II. Certainly we are in a civil war, instigated by the federal government, when it began sending unnecessary and militarized forces into American cities. (See pinned post.) 1/
@heidilifeldman I’ve been saying we’ve been in a LIC ( low intensity conflict ) for a while now. Thank you. This is a well done thread. Appreciate your insight.
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The Department of Homeland Security will have to be eliminated and replaced by smaller, more clearly defined and constrained Cabinet department and subordinate agencies. A host of post-9/11 laws will have to be repealed.8/
@heidilifeldman Agreed and also we're probably getting ahead of ourselves here. First we have to win power.
When that does happen, what do we do about the de facto militia Trump has created?
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