US Attorney General Merrick Garland is dragging his feet. However, he claims to follow the January 6 commission hearings assiduously. Trump’s criminality is now blatant: he is a sociopath with a mob-like demeanor who runs a criminal enterprise, the GOP. We already knew that. Now it’s confirmed.
Garland can’t leave the coup attempt by Trump and the GOP without consequence.
He is said to be afraid of doing anything that might look like a partisan attack on the previous administration. He should look to South Korea, a democratic country where dishonest presidents have been prosecuted.
Yes, I know, there is a real threat of violence instigated by the Trumpists who will protest the impeachment of their beloved leader and, later, his conviction. But by not acting, Garland is encouraging the divisions that are tearing the country apart. The rule of law is currently endangered by a neo-fascist political party and partisan judges in its service.
Grant immunity in fact to Trump and his co-conspirators will confirm the opinion of those who believe that in the United States, laws and rules do not apply to the rich and powerful. Trump has managed to avoid answering for his crimes because he is wealthy. His gold generally takes precedence over justice, as demonstrated by the thousands of legal confrontations that have marked his life.
A clear and immediate danger
The battle that begins is not between Republicans and Democrats, but rather theocratic authoritarianism (the deceptive religious fanatics) against democracy.
The far-right hotheads who dominate the Republican Party want to impose their ideology on the country now that they have the Supreme Court on their side for decades to come.
Will the country be able to avoid, in the coming years, violent disturbances and a possible rupture? The Constitution and the American political system are no longer adapted to the vicissitudes of the 21e century. A major rewriting of the founding texts of the republic would be necessary.
Maybe at this point in their history, some sort of confederation like the European Union might be a solution. But can we seriously consider dividing the United States into several groupings of states? Such a refoundation of the republic is impossible to imagine at present.
A new leader for the Democrats
The United States is in serious danger. They lack an energetic and determined leader to stop Trump and the GOP from destroying democracy. Joe Biden is not the man for the job. He must absolutely not represent himself.
Rising star of the Democratic Party, the current governor of California, Gavin Newsom, seems to me to be the ideal candidate to beat the Republicans in 2024, whatever their candidate. He is preparing for it.
Newsom has repeatedly warned Democrats recently that they need to take on Republicans more aggressively in the culture wars he thinks his party is losing.