“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

“We are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue, and then, when we are finally proved wrong, impudently twisting the facts so as to show that we were right. Intellectually, it is possible to carry on this process for an indefinite time: the only check on it is that sooner or later a false belief bumps up against solid reality, usually on a battlefield.” – George Orwell

Suddenly, everything is starting to look fragile and shaky. Our sense of normalcy, checks, balances, and steady processes have so far proven to be more of a house of cards than a fortress. The Trump administration, intent on dismantling the federal government, isn’t just snipping at the edges. The balance between Congress, the Supreme Court, and the White House is turning into a bit of a spectacle.

It used to be dogma that if the Executive Branch overreached, Congress would whack it back in line. If the courts saw a lawless approach, they’d bring down the gavel. Today, we are seeing something else: an Executive Branch unleashed. The House ducks and takes cover; the Senate looks the other way; the Supreme Court hides behind a robe and a docket. Meanwhile, the Trump administration steers the ship with a “steady” hand on the rudder and a notepad full of executive orders.

If you think that’s what the Founders intended, then you might as well also believe in the tooth fairy. The American political machine has always run on an engine of compromise—now it’s choking on the absence of it. The two-party system has been glaringly exposed by the extreme factions of both parties increasingly setting the agenda. All of this happens while most of us are wondering when the price of eggs is finally coming down.

George Washington warned about allowing one faction to run amok. Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about the military-industrial complex quietly taking hold of government’s levers. We heard it from journalists, historians, and statesmen who saw that a rogue disruptor could gain traction if we weren’t careful with our democratic routines. They talked about the threat from inside: corruption, demagoguery, the slow rot that sets in when people become complacent and apathetic. The kind that arises when a president decides to treat the entire federal apparatus as a personal toolkit.

Trump is becoming more and more unhinged every time he tweets, and he has yanked the curtain open on how delicate our government structure is when it rests on loosely defined norms. Those norms, once upheld by respect for power balance and democratic traditions, will vanish if ambition collides with fear, laziness, or complicity.

The U.S. is no doubt heading toward a period of isolation. The unthinkable notion of NATO feeling unsure about American commitments is destabilizing. The post–World War II global order that always looked to the United States—sometimes begrudgingly, sometimes with relief—has faded. Now, realpolitik dictates that the world doesn’t need or want a caretaker. China considers the possibilities in an emerging power vacuum. Europe argues among themselves, as always, wondering whom to trust. The White House shrugs and looks the other way.

Ukraine will be left to fend for itself. So will Taiwan. And, as the real estate developer Trump has always been, he has decided to remove two million Palestinians and build luxury condos in their place.

What can possibly go wrong?

We’ve shifted the focus away from identity politics for a moment because the drama labels brings with it has soared to a national identity crisis.

Where does that leave us? Maybe it’s local and state governments stepping up. Or maybe it’s more than half of our citizens voting? There’s no easy blueprint for how to maintain governing balance, but it starts with recognizing that the old design might have needed an update anyway.

America’s march toward isolation has triggered diplomatic question marks around the globe, and our internal tug-of-war doesn’t help. We used to speak about compromise as if it were a civic virtue, but now it’s a dirty word. Realpolitik is here, and America is flexing its muscles, saying what everyone already knew: “We got the power and we can do whatever we want.” That kind of power is intoxicating. Thing is, we can keep on drinking ourselves senseless or choose to wake up and face the worse hangover known to man. Your guess is as good as mine.

How this will end is anyone’s guess, but we are seeing old rigid power differentials reemerging—less consensus, more intimidation and quid pro quo. We’ve been here before, and perhaps I’m naive, but I’m still hoping for the best.e House is turning into a hollow spectacle.

It used to be dogma, that if the executive branch overreached, Congress would whack them back in line. If the courts saw a lawless approach, they’d bring down the gavel. Today we are seeing something else, an Executive Branch unleashed. The House ducks and takes cover; the Senate looks the other way; the Supreme Court hides behind a robe and a docket. Meanwhile, the Trump administration steers the ship with a “steady” hand on the rudder and a notepad full of executive orders.

If you think that’s what the Founders intended, then you might as well also believe in the tooth fairy. The American political machine has always run on an engine of compromise. Now it’s choking on the absence of it. The two party system has glaringly been exposed by the extreme factions of both parties increasingly setting the agenda. All of this, while most of us are wondering when the prize of eggs is finally coming down.

George Washington warned about allowing one faction to run amok. Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us against the military-industrial complex quietly taking hold of the levers of government. We heard it from journalists, historians, and statesmen who saw that a rogue disruptor could gain traction if we weren’t careful with our democratic routines. They talked about the threat from inside, corruption, demagoguery, the slow rot that sets in when the people become complacent and apathetic. The kind of when a president decides to treat the entire federal apparatus as a personal toolkit.

Trump is becoming more and more unhinged every time he tweets and he has yanked the curtain open on how fragile our government structure is when it rests on loosely defined norms. Those norms, once upheld by a respect for power balance and democratic traditions will vanish if ambition collides with fear, laziness or complicity.

The U.S. is no doubt heading towards a period of isolation.The unthinkable notion of NATO feeling unsure about American commitments is having a destabilizing effect. The post WW II global order that’s always looked to the United States (sometimes begrudgingly, sometimes with relief) as a consistent presence is no more. Now, realpolitik dictates that the world does not need or want a caretaker. China considers the possibilities of an emerging power vacuum. Europe argues among themselves as always wondering who to trust. The White House shrugs and looks the other way.

Ukraine will be left to fend for itself. So will Taiwan. And as the real estate developer Trump always will be he has decided to remove 2 million Palestinians and build luxury condos inn their place.

What can possibly go wrong?

We’ve shifted the focus away from identity politics for a moment because the drama has soared to a national identity crisis.

We were warned. Throughout history, voices cautioned about the rise of demagogues, about how liberty can wither in the face of fear. They told us tyranny doesn’t usually march in wearing boots of steel. Sometimes it comes wearing a friendly grin. Abraham Lincoln mentioned that the dangers to the American experiment might come from within as a result of a deep, toxic national division. History has proven him right.

Where does that leave us? Maybe it’s local and state governments stepping up all over America. Or maybe it’s more than half of citizens voting? There’s no easy blueprint for how to maintain governing balance. But it starts with recognizing that the old design, might have needed an update anyway.

America’s march toward isolation has triggered diplomatic question marks around the globe, and our internal tug-of-war doesn’t help. We used to speak about compromise as it were a civic virtue, but now it’s a dirty word. Realpolitik is here and America is flexing its muscles and says what everyone already knew.

” We got the power. ”

How this will end is anyones guess, but we are seeing old rigid power differentials reemerging . Less wide consensus and more intimidation and quid pro quo. We have been here before and perhaps I am naive, but I am still hoping for the best.

By 2ndrevolution.org