We the People: Losing Democracy
“Signing of the US Constitution” (1940) by Howard Chandler Christy, US Capitol Building (PD as work product of federal govt.)
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”
–John Adams
Beginning in the 1920s, the Brownshirts, a Nazi paramilitary group, used violence and intimidation to suppress opposition and sway German public opinion [1]. Ultimately, Adolf Hitler was able legally to dismantle the German democratic republic in 53 days [2].
Propaganda based on misleading information played a key role in Hitler’s ascension to and retention of power [3][4]. The free press was muzzled or run out of business, and replaced with Nazi-owned machinery [5]. The judicial system was perverted, with the ethics of judges corrupted [6].
Both Russia and China have constitutions filled with high sounding phrases [7][8][9]. Yet both are totalitarian regimes which closely monitor their populations for any sign of dissent.
The United States, too, has a constitution – a document few people other than lawyers ever read [10][11]. It enshrines the liberties on which this nation was founded. Those include freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press.
What makes the US Constitution different is that it has, for well over 200 years, been a living document. We have fought and died over it, in the courts and on the battlefield. We reinterpret the unchanging principles on which it is based in the context of changing times.
But we are perilously close to losing our democracy now.
We have become a divided people, so invested in our divergent political views that we no longer consider our fellow citizens worthy of respect; so invested that we are willing to distort the truth and use any means to achieve our ends, including violence [12].
The Black Lives Matter riots, the January 6th attack on the Capitol, the anti-Israeli college protests, public support for the assassin of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the attacks on Tesla illustrate this radicalization [13][14][15][16][17].
The radicalization applies to both liberals and conservatives. Compare the so called “reporting” on the legacy media CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. Across the political spectrum, opinion far outweighs actual facts. The same can be seen online. Indeed, it is difficult to know whether facts are being reported at all. For the average reader or viewer, the truth has become elusive.
Politicians of every stripe contribute to this distortion of the truth. Power is the only aim, and denial the watchword of the day. Rarely is there an acknowledgment of error, misjudgment, or worse – even after criminal conviction. Better to vilify the judiciary.
The Preamble to the US Constitution begins with the words “We the people…” That assumes a common viewpoint (at least on key issues) and common goals. Neither of these seems to apply any longer.
Words on a page are not enough. High sounding phrases are not enough. Each citizen – from the president on down to the lowliest factory worker – must take the principles of this nation to heart.
Too many who should know better have forgotten them.
—
[1] Holocaust Museum, “The SA”, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-sa.
[2] The Atlantic, “How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days” by Timothy Ryback, 1/8/25, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/hitler-germany-constitution-authoritarianism/681233/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us.
[3] Holocaust Museum, “Nazi Propaganda”, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nazi-propaganda.
[4] Facing History and Ourselves, “Shaping Public Opinion”, https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/shaping-public-opinion.
[5] Holocaust Encyclopedia, “The Press in the Third Reich”, https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-press-in-the-third-reich.
[6] Federal Bar Association, In the Legal Community, “Lawyers and Bar Associations Play a Vital Role in Preserving the Rule of Law: A Study of How Hitler Perverted Germany’s Judicial System Highlights the Importance of Lawyers” by Susan Blackman, https://www.fedbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/legalcomm-sept13-pdf-1.pdf.
[7] Wikipedia, “Constitution of Russia”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Russia.
[8] The Constitution of the Russian Federation, http://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-01.htm.
[9] Wikipedia, “Constitution of China”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_China.
[10] Wikipedia, “Constitution of the United States”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_States.
[11] National Constitution Center, “The United States Constitution”, https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/full-text?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7pO_BhAlEiwA4pMQvEJGowm7723IawvGsB3FUOlYAJ7xhcFNfhGQULi8UaEPIELCrkGHcRoCAN4QAvD_BwE.
[12] Pew Trust, “Americans Hate Divisiveness. We Need to Demand More from Our Leaders” by Susan Urahn and Michael Dimock, 12/12/23, https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/opinion/2023/12/12/americans-hate-divisiveness-we-need-to-demand-more-from-our-leaders .
[13] Wikipedia, “George Floyd protests in Minneapolis-Saint Paul”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd_protests_in_Minneapolis%E2%80%93Saint_Paul.
[14] Wikipedia, “George Floyd protests in Chicago”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd_protests_in_Chicago.
[15] Wikipedia, “Pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_pro-Palestinian_protests_on_university_campuses.
[16] Wikipedia, “Killing of Brian Thompson”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Brian_Thompson.
[17] Wikipedia, “Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Las_Vegas_Cybertruck_explosion.
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A Lawyer's Prayers 
Truth. Thank you.
It broke my heart to write it, Louise.
We are on the same page, Anna. May God have mercy on us all. See https://capost2k.wordpress.com/2024/11/02/is-america-doomed/.
How interesting Anna that you would mention the constitution of Russia and China in this post. Just the other day I was reading China’s constitution!
Everything you said in this post ought to be broadcast on the evening news and on every social media platform. Despite the numerous warnings of like-minded people, we continue marching towards certain destruction of everything we hold dear as Americans.
Of course, there is a much bigger issue at play here, one that involves the coming Antichrist who will rule over every nation, America included. It stands to reason then that the dismantling of our constitution and society is inevitable in the prophetic sense of the nation. Sadly, having been endowed with God’s riches blessings, we have squandered them, setting ourselves up for what is to come. May God have mercy on us again.
You so rightly put all this in context, Ron. We are watching biblical prophecies like the rise of lawlessness (Matt. 24: 12) fulfilled before our eyes.
I couldn’t agree more with you, Anna. It worries me a lot to see what is happening there in the US, and to see China growing stronger. 😑😑
These are perilous times, Anna, for the reasons you state.
There’s an old proverb, “the proof is in the pudding.” If we check the “pudding” of some news sources, there’s a record of reporting lies as fact. For example: 1) Border patrol agents whipping illegal immigrants, 2) Kyle Rittenhouse was a terrorist, 3) Jesse Smollett was attacked by Trump supporters, 4) Michael Avenatti was a hero, 5) Trump created a hateful atmosphere that contributed to the attempted kidnapping of Michigan’s Governor Whitmer, 6) Brett Kavanaugh was guilty of a sexual assault, 7) That Hunter Biden’s laptop is full of incriminating information is just Russian disinformation, 8) A policeman was killed on January 6 with a fire extinguisher, 9) Nicholas Sandmann harrassed an elderly Native American on the Capitol steps, 10) A boy was painted in black face at a Kansas City Chiefs game, 11) A Smith College student was victim of a racist hate crime, 12) Joe Biden is just fine. ALL of these were proven FALSE. Yet how many news outlets apologized? No news source is perfect, but I know of one that’s more careful NOT to tout such stories as truth until the facts are released. When mistakes are made, I’ve heard them apologize. That source is FOX.
You make the point that there have been errors and outright misrepresentations by liberal news media.
I entirely agree, and would add that there are regularly stories aired which are contaminated by bias.
However, the Project on Excellence in Journalism (funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts which does not have a political affiliation) in 2006 found a percentage of stories on both liberal and conservative news stations to contain personal opinions. By far the highest percentage — 68% — was at Fox. See, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News_controversies.
Text messages and emails by Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham (disclosed as part of a legal filing in the Dominion Voting System lawsuit against Fox) indicated they chose not to disclose the truth about the 2020 election results for fear that would alienate Fox viewers. See, https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/media/fox-news-stars-executives-court-documents/index.html. Fox, you may recall, agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million over this.
Unfortunately, no one has clean hands, as far as I can see.
I agree that much of Fox programming is part news/part opinion that definitely leans to the right. We especially appreciate Bret Baier’s program, Special Report. At the end of the hour he hosts a brief debate that includes voices from both sides. Thank you so much for including the links in your comment. I will definitely check these out! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we DID have a news outlet with clean hands?