In his 1796 Farewell Address, George Washington warned us about political parties: "[T]hey are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government," thereby destroying our democracy.
I fear this may describe today's Republican Party. In the past, the party has prided itself in supporting capitalism, free trade with minimal government regulation, patriotism, individual freedom and responsibility. The party seems to have now wholeheartedly embraced authoritarianism and abandoned its prior principles.
Today, the party appears to be cowed by a reactionary voter base and an autocratic ex-president. By acquiescing to Trump's "Big Lie" and denying the results of a fair and democratic election, has the party completely abandoned its commitment to accept the rule of the majority, the very foundational imperative of our democracy? Has the party totally abandoned the democratic principle of compromise?
In the Donald Trump presidency, we have seen what an American autocracy might look like. We have seen the ways an autocrat and his enablers can frustrate the rule of the majority.
Many radio and television stations and television news channels are controlled by the wealthy with a libertarian political agenda. That allows a constant barrage of propaganda about grievances, culture wars, divisive issues and conspiracy theories that keep their listeners in fear and confusion. Autocrats feed on that. Dark money from hidden organizations buys the elections of state representatives and judges. Political gerrymandering continues unabated.
State Republican legislators across the country are passing bills that limit voting by Black and brown voters and that take over the election process for themselves. Suppression of votes and voters is inexcusable in a democracy. What, pray tell, is wrong with making voting easier in a democratic society? What is wrong with having independent commissions to ensure fair elections and representative congressional districts?
These same legislators are simultaneously passing laws that outlaw even discussing systemic racism in public schools, claiming it is "woke" to re-examine ourselves and our past. If "racism" refers to prejudice held by individuals, then "systemic racism" refers to passing laws and instituting economic systems that perpetuate racial disparity.
Can there be a more onerous example of systemic racism than voter suppression? Identifying and studying systemic racism is crucial because it is so embedded and hard to dismantle.
Elected officials who continue to submit to an autocrat in hopes of garnering favor or position are not serving the people who elected them. Elected officials who serve only their wealthy donors in order to preserve the power of their particular political party and themselves are a danger to the republic.
If We the People continue to keep re-electing them, that may well be the demise of our democracy and our republic.
George Washington warned us.
Dr. George Benjamin lives in Siloam Springs.