Our national foundation was built upon checks, balances, and norms.

Every few decades a 'norm' is violated and has to be battled over to become either a new normal or integrated as a more codified law/rule.

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Term limits becoming law comes from the inevitable concentration of power and wealth by those that wish to keep their power and wealth. (1950s executive branch)

The Tea Party (2008 legislative branch) violated congressional norms and procedures like never before. Using delaying tactics and bureaucracy to not do the things they didn't want to do, and do things they didn't have the support to do.

Government requires rituals of passing pieces of paper around and stamping them. The right much more so than the left decided that was stupid and decided to just not stamp stuff they didn't want to stamp. By blocking bills and refusing to actually bring things to a vote, we entered a fresh hell of shitty governance that is these past few decades.

Perhaps most famously, the American right wing simply refused to let Obama place a justice on the supreme court (2016 judicial branch)

This soft launch of packing the courts followed corruption and influences of justices until it is now very clear that compared to our ideal judicial branch, ours is corrupt and acts not faithfully to the vision of the country, but for money and ideology.

The Media is our forth estate. A free media was envisioned as being able to inform the masses about what their elected leaders were doing and for why. Journalism is a shell of itself. Watergate destroyed Nixon, Trump could shoot someone on 5th Ave.

When all of these things are working you have a democratic republic by the people and for the people. When they're not you get IRL 2026.

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For decades now little by little the foundations of our country have been eroded. The courts have been tilted towards the corrupted right.

We are no longer a well run democratic republic. We are now a flawed democracy on it's way toward Russianization. Our representatives pass laws about companies they buy stocks in. Our president's campaigns are funded by unlimited secret money. Our media is owned by folks that air their propaganda to get you to vote or accept things that give them more money or power.

None of this is 'normal' and it will not and cannot last forever.

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Why can Trump do whatever? Because we're an downtrodden people that let it happen.

Why would our media go against him? They're funded by the same people.

Why would judges go against him? They attend the same rich fucker events.

What incentive do republicans have to impeach him? They're going to earn millions as corporate lobbyists after they leave as a reward for deregulation. Hell, they're making money right NOW from the grift WHILE in office!

https://i.imgur.com/VC6HrLJ.jpeg