What is your line in the sand?

Edit: thank you all for your responses. I think it’s important as an American we take your view points seriously. I think of a North Korean living inside of North Korea. They don’t really know how bad it is because that is all hidden from them and they’ve never had anything else. As things get worse for Americans it’s important to have your voices because we will become more and more isolated.

Even the guy who said, “lol.” Some people need that sort of sobering reaction.

  • jaxxed@lemmy.ml
    0·
    7 months ago

    It is still a democracy, but that democracy is in crisis. You will know over the next 2/years if it will survive, although the next federal election will be the real test.

    • if the judicial and congress still share power,
    • if elections are still fair.

    Democracies can recover if they keep their representation.

    • silly goose meekah@lemmy.world
      0·
      7 months ago

      Elections in the US aren’t really all that fair TBH.

      Researchers at the Brookings Institution agree that the strategic manipulation of our electoral process is largely to blame for the erosion of US democracy in recent years. Brookings says this manipulation takes various forms: the intentional addition of administrative barriers to voting, unfairly drawing electoral maps, the subversion of the election certification and counting process, and the violent coup attempt on January 6, 2021.

      https://blog.ucs.org/liza-gordon-rogers/us-elections-arent-as-free-and-fair-as-they-should-be-heres-how-science-can-help/

      The United States is experiencing two major forms of democratic erosion in its governing institutions:

      • Strategic manipulation of elections. Distinct from “voter fraud,” which is almost non-existent in the United States, election manipulation has become increasingly common and increasingly extreme. Examples include election procedures that make it harder to vote (like inadequate polling facilities) or that reduce the opposing party’s representation (like gerrymandering).
      • Executive aggrandizement. Even a legitimately elected leader can undermine democracy if they eliminate governmental “checks and balances” or consolidate power in unaccountable institutions. The United States has seen substantial expansions of executive power and serious efforts to erode the independence of the civil service. In addition, there are serious questions about the impartiality of the judiciary.

      https://www.brookings.edu/articles/understanding-democratic-decline-in-the-united-states/

      • ButtermilkBiscuit@lemm.eeEnglish
        0·
        7 months ago

        One thing that I think they may have missed in this analysis is erosion from the inside. Our supreme Court overturned or instituted a couple major rules that have allowed corporations to funnel billions of dollars directly to politicians with citizens united decision, then helped erode administrative functions of government by overturning Chevron deference. When you combine that shit with the way we allow corporate lobbying in the US, we’re not even close to “democracy” in this shit hole. It’s a corporate oligarchy masquerading as a republic/democracy. Corporations own this country, the government protects them, that bullshit you hear about the “land of the free” is about corporations not individuals.

  • Monkyhands@feddit.dk
    0·
    7 months ago

    No. I agree with the comment about the electoral system and gerrymandering as fundamental issues. And the current administration does not respect the judiciary branch, that much is clear, and their actions are completely undermining the supposed divisions of power, without which there is no democracy.

  • coaxil@lemm.ee
    0·
    7 months ago

    Not at all, you are just an autocracy now but don’t fully realise it, and as the other commentator had said, not even really a good democracy in the loosest of terms before this entire mess going on ATM!

  • sasquash@sopuli.xyz
    0·
    7 months ago

    Maybe a flawed democracy at best and it’s getting worse every day. At least on federal level, I don’t much about states politics. Not really an expert but democracy can’t really work that well if you are stuck in a two party system. Having more choice would sure help against populists and autocrats.

  • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world
    0·
    7 months ago

    Line in the sand? Going after political opponents. Censoring information. Dismantling media. Abandoning rule of law. Business and government mixing too much.

    USA is speed running these.

  • Propheticus@lemmy.zip
    0·
    7 months ago

    Yes, but a bad example of one very quickly heading towards autocracy. Some characteristics like screwing up your own economy and blaming ‘the foreigners’ rings a distant bell.

  • Destide@feddit.ukEnglish
    0·
    7 months ago

    The next election will tell, my tin hat is on Puting the US into a situation where an election can’t be held so they can have a third term.

    • Kissaki@feddit.orgEnglish
      0·
      7 months ago

      I’m not sure even with a successful election and it going to the democrats we’ll be able to tell. At least from today’s view. It will largely depend on how institutions and the justice/court system can hold out against the current administration right now and during this phase.

      I feel like they may have already created damage that won’t be cleared just from one election or one election period’s fixups.

      At the same time, hopefully, this is the wake-up call for opposition and a transformation one way or another. It’s plainly obvious what is happening now, and I am hoping opposition will become more apparent and prevalent because of it. Not just in citizens, but institutions too.

  • Intergalactic@lemmy.world
    0·
    7 months ago

    Absolutely not. A country where two parties are the only two viable electoral options, is absolutely not a democracy. Doesn’t mean I’ll stop my membership for the PSL.

  • sinnsykfinbart@lemmy.world
    0·
    7 months ago

    I really never did, not a well functioning at least. They’ve practiced voter repression for decades, and then they had fun testing how low they could go after 9/11, doing a lot of unlawful shit, going after citizens who spoke out against their policies and wars.