Why Federal Law Enforcement Will Not Save American Democracy
The second coup attempt that Republicans are currently carrying out is especially dangerous because it is entirely based around state legislators abusing their power to warp election law in their favor. Through election rigging tactics such as voter suppression, gerrymandering, and refusing to certify election results at the state level, Republicans are on course to corrupt our electoral system to the point where it becomes impossible for Democrats to ever hold federal majories despite representing far more of the population.
Because this undemocratic coup is technically legal, federal security forces will be entirely on the side of the coup government. Rather than protecting democracy from this all out assault, federal law enforcement will be tools for carrying out the Republicans authoritarian will. Donald Trump's mass deployment of federal agents in the streets of Portland is a pretty clear window into what this may look like. If that’s what Republicans were willing to support in the run up to an election, just imagine what horrors they may try to unleash when they no longer have to worry about elections.
Federal law enforcement agencies have a long history of brutally repressing American social movements of all kinds. But the good news is that through strategic nonviolence, populations can respond very effectively to most of these oppressive efforts. In Portland, it took hundreds of Trump’s well equipped goons to defend a single federal building from a crowd of ordinary citizens armed only with umbrellas, leaf blowers, and shields made from garbage can lids.
Even incredibly violent security forces can be overcome with large enough numbers and good strategy. In most countries where a popular anti-authoritarian resistance campaign is taking place, at least some government security forces will also start to defect or intentionally work inefficiently as well.
In times of crisis, it is natural for people to look to those with power for help. However it would be a grave mistake to think federal law enforcement will do anything to help protect American democracy in this situation. With American democracy slipping away and no help expected from congress, the courts, or any other institution normally relied on to safeguard democracy, it will likely be absolutely necessary that the American people take bold nonviolent action in large numbers to resist permanent Republican minority rule. Too often is it forgotten that the people themselves are America’s final and most powerful safeguard against tyranny. The article below discusses what such a pro-democracy resistance movement could look like.
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