What Is Dangerous To A Democracy?

 

Why is it hypocritical to criticize Hillary Clinton for mishandling documents and defend Donald Trump handling of documents?

Let's point out this glaring differences. In the case of Hillary Clinton, thousands of government documents including highly classified information was on her private server. This server had less security than an Gmail account. She was not prosecuted for that. Even after destroying them after she was subpoenaed for them. President Trump said at the time he was glad she was not prosecuted. 

Unlike any other public officials, the President is the only person in the government who can use classified information in any way he likes. You might criticize how he does it but it's not illegal. What is frightening is this glaring double standard between the two cases.

Hillary Clinton did not have the power to declassify material and was not prosecuted. Donald Trump did have that authority and has been subject to an unprecedented and unwarranted armed raid. Then on the other hand, the now sitting president took classified documents as a senator and as a vice president which we know he was absolutely not allowed to do however no one raided his home. This glaring double standard is a danger to our democracy.

We are absolutely correct to criticize, in the strongest terms, anyone who suggests a recourse of violence. That is antithetical to the fundamental principles on which our country was founded. There is unfortunately a lunatic fringe in politics on all sides. It ought to be condemned and marginalized by all sides.

In America we talk out our differences in the arena of ideas. That is specifically what this institution is designed to do. That is the essence of democracy. We talk out our differences without fear of the Department of Justice assigning threat tags to individuals who disagree or being singled out by the IRS for our political views or the DOJ singling out parents who confront school boards that allow CRT and radical gender theory into the children's curriculum. But when this arena has restricted accesses by the captains of internet industry colluding with government entities this is a danger to democracy. Case in point, the Twitter Files.

What is dangerous to a democracy? Trying to establish a Disinformation/Misinformation Governance Board. Who will be the arbiter of what is disinformation or misinformation? The party in power? The Republicans? The Democrats? Then will law enforcement be use to enforce these arbitrary standards? It is the politicizing of our law enforcement agencies. When it’s not about the rule of law and equal justice under the law but based on the political views of their targets.

We just learned and has been pointed out that one of the sources, of the false information, that underpinned the Russian collusion hoax was perpetuated by the FBI. From the Durham investigation we know the FBI lied to the FISA court in order to obtain search warrants against the Trump campaign and spy on them. This hoax was aided and abetted by a federal agency to which we give terrifying powers. These agencies affected two presidential elections and undermined the elected president for the four years of his administration.

We now know that during 2020 election the FBI actively encouraged social media to suppress entirely accurate stories in the New York Post. These stories documented the Bidens family influence peddling with foreign agencies. Later many Americans told pollsters that these stories would have affected their vote if they would've known about it at the time.

The most chilling words that can be said is “the FBI is law enforcement”. The FBI is not law unto itself. The FBI is an agency that we give terrifying powers. These powers can destroy lives. The powers we entrust must be used to defend the constitution and enforce the laws equally and justly. There cannot be a two-tiered system. When those powers are applied to affect outcome of the elections and apply laws differently depending on the political viewpoints of their targets that is something that is lethal to democracy. It is a betrayal of the constitution. It is a threat to the rule of law. Those responsible for the abuse of these powers must be held accountable. We must criticize the FBI's conduct in these and other matters. It is not an attack on law enforcement. The FBI’s conduct that is an attack on the law enforcement must be pointed out. Holding the FBI accountable is a defense of the rule of law, fundamental principles of equal justice under the law and the constitution. All law enforcement depends on this.