See this?
This is the scariest part of 2016 for me.
Not Trump. Trump’s scary, sure, but no.
Know what makes this scary?
How small-scale it is. Does that sound confusing? Let me explain.
A party has successfully established de facto, oligarchic control over one of the United States’ fifty states. North Carolina has been so disenfranchised, gerrymandered, and suppressed that the Republicans there are now effectively the state’s rulers. They have packed the Supreme Court. They have acted to severely limit the powers of the incoming Democratic governor. They have used violence and political contortion to achieve their aims.
And per the results? It has been validated as good politics.
The Republicans are not going to stop here. They will try this in other states where they’re strong, to solidify their influence. They will do this under the auspices of taking back their country and making America great again. They will do it from the county level up.
Once they’ve got the counties, they’ll do this in their state-level strongholds, and then they’ll move for the national government, which will be small potatoes at that point. They have a strong presence – and it’ll get stronger, in the next decade or so.
The Republicans can no longer claim to represent democratic values or interests. They cannot claim to represent the people. Why? For the simple reason that they do not practice democracy. They practice oligarchic dictatorship. And they’re getting really fucking good at it.
Trump’s gonna be a big, bright, scary flashing sign. And we absolutely need to pay attention to him, but – this is the stuff that’s going to enable him. This, right here, in North Carolina. This circumvention of American ideals and principles.
And once the Democrats have gotten good at this kind of dirty politics – and the growing response I’ve seen seems to indicate that they will? Changing demographics and probable disgust with Trump’s politics will create an equally frightening – and popularly mandated – backlash from the left, one that sees no issue with authoritarian, uncompromising politics as an antidote to authoritarian, uncompromising politics.
Reagan realigned the United States toward conservatism, and planted the seeds of our present-day division.
Trump’s going to realign them toward totalitarianism and factionalism.
And we’re all screwed because of it.
A Middleground 
