They Got That Right.

He nailed right on the button!

How democracies slide into authoritarianism

Securing control of the courts is the most significant step

Ft. Myers NewsPress

By Howard Simon

July 16, 2023

Democracy isn’t inevitable.

It can slide into authoritarianism when leaders are allowed to consolidate power, capturing or marginalizing independent centers of thought and dissent that could challenge their authority.

There’s a formula wannabe authoritarians follow:

    • Reduce the legislature to a rubber stamp;  (Check that box in Florida!)

    • Secure control over schools and universities; (Who would have thought that a Florida governor would dictate what can be said -- and not said -- in a classroom or read in a library?)

    • Limit oversight by the media by blocking access to information;

    • Curtail protests.

But securing control of the courts is the most significant step.

American democracy depends on an independent judiciary to check executive and legislative powers -- in no small part to be guardians of minority rights.

We are experiencing a legal revolution in Florida in which constitutional values that have been taken for granted are being trashed. These changes could last for years. I don’t think we are prepared for what’s coming.

We are about to lose our right to privacy

Given our state Constitution’s guarantee of privacy, previous legislative efforts to restrict access to abortion were “presumptively unconstitutional,” as one former Florida chief justice said.  But the Supreme Court is now considering a 15-week abortion ban, with a 6-week ban ready to be imposed depending on the court’s decision.

[…]

Legalized gerrymandering

By 2010, Floridians had enough of the Legislature’s manipulation of elections, and added the Fair District Amendments to the state Constitution to end partisan and racial gerrymandering. The Constitution now prohibits the drawing of legislative and congressional district maps that “diminish(es) the ability (of racial or language minorities from electing) representatives of their choice.”

But following the 2020 Census, Gov. DeSantis pressured the Legislature to adopt a redistricting plan that diluted the Black vote in two congressional districts. Diminishing the ability of Black voters to elect representatives of their choice was DeSantis’ whole point. Nevertheless, the court looked the other way and allowed use of the gerrymandered map during the legal challenge.

[…]

It’s not looking good: the governor suspended the twice-elected Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren, claiming that he neglected his duty and displayed incompetence. Following a trial that reviewed all the evidence, a federal judge found that to be a pretext for DeSantis’ opposition to Warren’s efforts to bring greater fairness and especially greater racial fairness to the criminal justice system.

You have to wonder if DeSantis dreams of being another Mussolini, he is leading Florida down the road to Fascism. Maybe his grandmother told him tales about how great Italy was under Mussolini when he was little and he dreamed of being on a balcony and pounding his fist and the crowd yelling “Il Duce,  Il Duce,  Il Duce!”

One of the comments on the Yahoo News website was...

The difference we have been seeing between parties =

Democrats and Independents attach greater importance to equity, education, reproductive rights, freedom of choice, diversity, social and community responsibility.

The Republicans attach more importance to their gun rights, banning abortions, banning pills, banning personal choices, violating the Constitution (10 commandments/prays in school), banning books, fear mongering tactics, voter suppression, pushing anti-transgender laws, enacting laws that undermines and deters Americans, limit oversight by the media by blocking access to information; wasting taxpayers money by pulling political stunts, prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools, and white washing our history so their children can remain ignorant.

Voting is like driving.

To go backwards, choose R.

To go forwards, choose D.