In the past week or so, the courts have begun to try to set some boundaries on the Muskā€“Millerā€“Trump administrationā€™s early blitz of recklessness.

. . .

This judicial review provides at least a small reprieve, hope that some of the administrationā€™s most destructive impulses will be stopped. Or at least pared back. But even with the courts stepping up, and even with the reality of the administrationā€™s ineptitude sinking in, this early Muskā€“Millerā€“Trump blitz remains veryā€”maybe irreparablyā€”damaging. Of course, there are a lot of moles to whack: the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are being dismantled at an alarming rate, and the court system is not known for being nimble. The administration is betting, perhaps rightly, that at least some of its thoughtless, lawless efforts will slip through the cracks.

But even if the courts caught them allā€”and even if every court facing each lawless escapade said, ā€œNope, thatā€™s not a thingā€ā€”still the entire process would be doing serious damage to our institutions. Think of it as someone spoofing your identity and going on a shopping spree with your credit cards. Even if the goon gets caught, you still have to go store by store to argue that the fraudulent purchase wasnā€™t legitimate and hope the debt is forgiven. And all the while, perhaps long after all the debts are dealt with, the torrent of uncertainty kills your credit score.

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  • ubergeek
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    3 hours ago

    but what can stand in the way of wholesale dismantling of the democratic process

    An armed, and radicalized proletariat.

    This is a major difference between fall of the USSR Putin, and the US of A today - We have a fucking lot more guns in the hands of civilians than they had in Russia. Remember, anything besides a shotgun was essentially banned in Russia.

    And, historically, when things hit ā€œGreat Depressionā€ levels of badā€¦ We use them, oddly enough, to benefit our comrades in the working class. For example, Deacons for Defense, or Penny Auctions.