Thank you for this very educational article. I wasn't aware of the Powell memo and have been 'blaming' Ronald Reagan for most of the upward siphoning of money from people of lesser means to the increasingly wealthy. I'm sure his role was still great, but apparently he was something of a Johnny-come-lately to this criminal evisceration of our Constitution.
Here are a few of my concerns about you plans.
First, the 2029 election has to be won by the Democratic presidential candidate and sufficient majorities of Democratic Senate and House candidates to steer the ship. I'm a bit more hopeful about this since Orban was defeated resoundingly, but it's far from a sure thing. And we have to keep in mind that Magyar is from the same conservative party as Orban. Will he do more to restore democratic function in Hungary than, say, a Susan Collins would here?
Second, I'm concerned about the many Democrats who take money from corporate PACs and others with nondemocratic agendas, for example, AIPAC. My fiery and much admired NJ Senator Cory Booker takes money from AIPAC. The same concerns about re-election and proving bona fides to various groups in the electorate will persist even in the new environment.
Third, I may have missed it, but how did you propose to unseat the majority of members of SCOTUS? Would that come under emergency constitutional powers?
Fourth, as you are aware, Republicans are going to fight back as if their lives depended on it, which they do, and they won't fight fairly. I think restoring American democracy will take a long time, most likely more than one House cycle and perhaps more than a single presidential term. The 'dirty tricks' people will be fighting constantly to erode Democratic majorities. This doesn't bode well.
Despite concerns, I would vigorously support such an agenda should it come to pass. Would that we had more Bernie Sanders and Jamie Raskins in Congress.
First and foremost, thank you for the comment. I’m happy this has been informative and if you really want to learn more about everything surrounding the Powell Memo, I would recommend reading ‘The Freedom Illusion’ series that is pinned on the front page of the American Manifesto or you can start with the first part here: https://americanmanifesto.news/p/the-freedom-illusion-part-1. You are not wrong to blame Reagan for much of the mess we’re in today, but believe me, he was more of a pawn on the chessboard than some mastermind.
As for your concerns, they are all well founded. Here is how I’d address them:
Yes, Dems have to win the WH first for this plan to have any chance of success. And this could, in fact, be a problem given that if you look at http://realclearpolling.com, you will find the following:
Trump has a net favorability of -13.5.
The Republican party has a net favorability of -15.4
The Democratic party has a net favorability of -20.0
Read that again: the Democratic Party, despite everything going on today, remains more unfavorable than Trump or the Republican Party. This means 2 things: when Dems win the midterms in November (assuming the elections are sufficiently fair), it will not be because Americans trust Dems all of a sudden or think they can solve anything. It will be because they need someone to stop Trump and we only have two parties. If Dems want to have a chance at actually winning and having real power, they must convince the American public that they can actually deliver for them. And this is why I’m putting out this plan now rather than waiting and hoping to do it some time during the 2028 election season. This should be the one plan that Democrats run with. Here’s why: because they can promise the restoration of Roe v. Wade, the Civil Rights Act, the destruction of Citizens United, as well as the other cases mentioned in the plan. Additionally, they can promise medical/student debt relief, a real infrastructure plan that would dwarf Biden’s IRA/CHIPS act, and be more like an FDR style major infrastructure renewal, paid for by proper taxation of the super wealthy. And here’s the beauty of this plan: the GOP has set itself up to be in a position where the plan can be effected, and all it takes is for Dems to grow a spine. Trump has invaded American cities and murdered American citizens on American soil while the entire GOP stood idly by. Trump has threatened genocide of 90 million people while the GOP has stood idly by. Trump has been adjudicated an insurrectionist while the GOP has stood idly by and refused to strip him of the ability to hold office. They have metaphorically built their own gallows, climbed on their stoops and wrapped the noose around their own necks. All that’s left is for Dems to push them over.
Your concern about Dems who take corporate money is well founded and this is another important reason why this plan needs to be spread now rather than later. We need enough time to make it clear to elected Dems that they have 2 choices:
Work for the American people to deliver both accountability against the Republican party for the crimes they have committed and more importantly to restore the rightful place of the American people as the beneficiaries of the American government rather than the few greedy corporations who have essentially bought the government.
See their political careers completely destroyed.
It is time for every elected Dem to choose to be more like Zohran Mamdani or face the fate of Andrew Cuomo. They must understand that there is no longer future for anyone in the Democratic Party whose #1 #2 and #3 priorities are anything but ensure that someone working 40 hours a week gets to live a dignified life without having to prove their poverty or request government handouts, period. Anyone whose priorities is some foreign government, or some corporate interest must understand their political career is doomed no matter how much money AIPAC or any other interest group is willing to spend on their campaign.
Yes, purely emergency powers, in part because Trump was quite literally adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction, and whose finding was then upheld by its state Supreme Court (Colorado) to be an insurrectionist. This finding of fact still stands to this day as SCOTUS never overturned the finding itself, only the remedy (removing Trump from the 2024 ballot). That means Trump is quite literally an enemy of the United States, and the elected GOP allowed him to take office, in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution, and in doing so, making all of them, at minimum, also guilty of insurrection by providing aid or comfort to an enemy of the U.S. In no way shape or form should an insurrectionist be able to keep their political gains, which for Trump, would include the 3 SCOTUS seats from his first term. And that’s before the fact that the 6 Republican justices “decided” to make the president presumptively immune from criminal prosecution for any crimes committed using his official powers. This is quite literally the primary reason the American Revolution against Brittain happened. It is, in many ways, the worst possible attack against the very core of what America is. No foreign adversary/enemy could ever attack America or damage it more deeply. Again, see point #1: the GOP has set itself up to be dismantled by any willing party with a semblance of a spine/patriotism.
Restoring America won’ttake time. It will take a having a spine and standing strong for what America is supposed to mean. Whether that takes 4 years or 40 is only a matter of how long it takes the Democratic base to stop foolishly waiting for their elected officialsto work for them, and instead demonstrate to them that they have no choice if they want to keep their seats. Let Republicans play dirty, it’s time to forget “when they go low we go high” was ever uttered given its total and complete failure. Make it clear for Republicans: if you go low, we will bury you. Watch how fast they clean up their act.
Nullify all their political gains from Trump’s both terms
Charge every elected GOP who has failed to hold Trump accountable for his crimes against the U.S. with treason/insurrection. And like I say in the article, be fair: any GOP member who has taken even a single concrete action to hold Trump accountable gets to avoid prosecution — an incredibly low bar that virtually none of them will be able to clear.
Dismantle the Powell Network infrastructure that has been destroying American for 50 years.
And above all else, actually deliver for the American people so they can live a dignified life. Watch how fast the Democratic party is able to deliver all of the above while still being backed up by the vast majority of Americans.
I think that it depends entirely on the ratio of people in the Democratic base who would put pressure on them to do so.
If the base continues to go out on the street to complain about Trump every few months or so without ever making any concrete demands from elected Democrats to do virtually anything at all, then I’m entirely convinced that elected Democrats would certainly not do any of this. Why would they when there’s no expectation from the base?
I wish we could get 10% of the people who show up for NoKings protests to put pressure on the elected officials who supposedly listen to them in order to set actual expectations for actions with concrete demands that would change the status quo.
Please hurry.
Thank you for this very educational article. I wasn't aware of the Powell memo and have been 'blaming' Ronald Reagan for most of the upward siphoning of money from people of lesser means to the increasingly wealthy. I'm sure his role was still great, but apparently he was something of a Johnny-come-lately to this criminal evisceration of our Constitution.
Here are a few of my concerns about you plans.
First, the 2029 election has to be won by the Democratic presidential candidate and sufficient majorities of Democratic Senate and House candidates to steer the ship. I'm a bit more hopeful about this since Orban was defeated resoundingly, but it's far from a sure thing. And we have to keep in mind that Magyar is from the same conservative party as Orban. Will he do more to restore democratic function in Hungary than, say, a Susan Collins would here?
Second, I'm concerned about the many Democrats who take money from corporate PACs and others with nondemocratic agendas, for example, AIPAC. My fiery and much admired NJ Senator Cory Booker takes money from AIPAC. The same concerns about re-election and proving bona fides to various groups in the electorate will persist even in the new environment.
Third, I may have missed it, but how did you propose to unseat the majority of members of SCOTUS? Would that come under emergency constitutional powers?
Fourth, as you are aware, Republicans are going to fight back as if their lives depended on it, which they do, and they won't fight fairly. I think restoring American democracy will take a long time, most likely more than one House cycle and perhaps more than a single presidential term. The 'dirty tricks' people will be fighting constantly to erode Democratic majorities. This doesn't bode well.
Despite concerns, I would vigorously support such an agenda should it come to pass. Would that we had more Bernie Sanders and Jamie Raskins in Congress.
First and foremost, thank you for the comment. I’m happy this has been informative and if you really want to learn more about everything surrounding the Powell Memo, I would recommend reading ‘The Freedom Illusion’ series that is pinned on the front page of the American Manifesto or you can start with the first part here: https://americanmanifesto.news/p/the-freedom-illusion-part-1. You are not wrong to blame Reagan for much of the mess we’re in today, but believe me, he was more of a pawn on the chessboard than some mastermind.
As for your concerns, they are all well founded. Here is how I’d address them:
Yes, Dems have to win the WH first for this plan to have any chance of success. And this could, in fact, be a problem given that if you look at http://realclearpolling.com, you will find the following:
Trump has a net favorability of -13.5.
The Republican party has a net favorability of -15.4
The Democratic party has a net favorability of -20.0
Read that again: the Democratic Party, despite everything going on today, remains more unfavorable than Trump or the Republican Party. This means 2 things: when Dems win the midterms in November (assuming the elections are sufficiently fair), it will not be because Americans trust Dems all of a sudden or think they can solve anything. It will be because they need someone to stop Trump and we only have two parties. If Dems want to have a chance at actually winning and having real power, they must convince the American public that they can actually deliver for them. And this is why I’m putting out this plan now rather than waiting and hoping to do it some time during the 2028 election season. This should be the one plan that Democrats run with. Here’s why: because they can promise the restoration of Roe v. Wade, the Civil Rights Act, the destruction of Citizens United, as well as the other cases mentioned in the plan. Additionally, they can promise medical/student debt relief, a real infrastructure plan that would dwarf Biden’s IRA/CHIPS act, and be more like an FDR style major infrastructure renewal, paid for by proper taxation of the super wealthy. And here’s the beauty of this plan: the GOP has set itself up to be in a position where the plan can be effected, and all it takes is for Dems to grow a spine. Trump has invaded American cities and murdered American citizens on American soil while the entire GOP stood idly by. Trump has threatened genocide of 90 million people while the GOP has stood idly by. Trump has been adjudicated an insurrectionist while the GOP has stood idly by and refused to strip him of the ability to hold office. They have metaphorically built their own gallows, climbed on their stoops and wrapped the noose around their own necks. All that’s left is for Dems to push them over.
Your concern about Dems who take corporate money is well founded and this is another important reason why this plan needs to be spread now rather than later. We need enough time to make it clear to elected Dems that they have 2 choices:
Work for the American people to deliver both accountability against the Republican party for the crimes they have committed and more importantly to restore the rightful place of the American people as the beneficiaries of the American government rather than the few greedy corporations who have essentially bought the government.
See their political careers completely destroyed.
It is time for every elected Dem to choose to be more like Zohran Mamdani or face the fate of Andrew Cuomo. They must understand that there is no longer future for anyone in the Democratic Party whose #1 #2 and #3 priorities are anything but ensure that someone working 40 hours a week gets to live a dignified life without having to prove their poverty or request government handouts, period. Anyone whose priorities is some foreign government, or some corporate interest must understand their political career is doomed no matter how much money AIPAC or any other interest group is willing to spend on their campaign.
Yes, purely emergency powers, in part because Trump was quite literally adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction, and whose finding was then upheld by its state Supreme Court (Colorado) to be an insurrectionist. This finding of fact still stands to this day as SCOTUS never overturned the finding itself, only the remedy (removing Trump from the 2024 ballot). That means Trump is quite literally an enemy of the United States, and the elected GOP allowed him to take office, in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution, and in doing so, making all of them, at minimum, also guilty of insurrection by providing aid or comfort to an enemy of the U.S. In no way shape or form should an insurrectionist be able to keep their political gains, which for Trump, would include the 3 SCOTUS seats from his first term. And that’s before the fact that the 6 Republican justices “decided” to make the president presumptively immune from criminal prosecution for any crimes committed using his official powers. This is quite literally the primary reason the American Revolution against Brittain happened. It is, in many ways, the worst possible attack against the very core of what America is. No foreign adversary/enemy could ever attack America or damage it more deeply. Again, see point #1: the GOP has set itself up to be dismantled by any willing party with a semblance of a spine/patriotism.
Restoring America won’ttake time. It will take a having a spine and standing strong for what America is supposed to mean. Whether that takes 4 years or 40 is only a matter of how long it takes the Democratic base to stop foolishly waiting for their elected officialsto work for them, and instead demonstrate to them that they have no choice if they want to keep their seats. Let Republicans play dirty, it’s time to forget “when they go low we go high” was ever uttered given its total and complete failure. Make it clear for Republicans: if you go low, we will bury you. Watch how fast they clean up their act.
Nullify all their political gains from Trump’s both terms
Charge every elected GOP who has failed to hold Trump accountable for his crimes against the U.S. with treason/insurrection. And like I say in the article, be fair: any GOP member who has taken even a single concrete action to hold Trump accountable gets to avoid prosecution — an incredibly low bar that virtually none of them will be able to clear.
Dismantle the Powell Network infrastructure that has been destroying American for 50 years.
And above all else, actually deliver for the American people so they can live a dignified life. Watch how fast the Democratic party is able to deliver all of the above while still being backed up by the vast majority of Americans.
How likely do you think it is that a 2029 Democratic administration and Democratically-controlled Congress would pursue any of this?
I think that it depends entirely on the ratio of people in the Democratic base who would put pressure on them to do so.
If the base continues to go out on the street to complain about Trump every few months or so without ever making any concrete demands from elected Democrats to do virtually anything at all, then I’m entirely convinced that elected Democrats would certainly not do any of this. Why would they when there’s no expectation from the base?
I wish we could get 10% of the people who show up for NoKings protests to put pressure on the elected officials who supposedly listen to them in order to set actual expectations for actions with concrete demands that would change the status quo.