Free Press Died First, Now It’s the Justice System

Ex-secretary of Labor Robert Reich says it better than I could: Corrupting the legal system is how dictatorships are built.

He’s referring, of course, to U.S. Attorney General William Barr’s dropping the criminal charges against confessed felon Michael Flynn, close Trump friend and ally. 

When the Senate refused to have a trial in which evidence was reviewed and considered after Trump was impeached, my wife (along with millions of others) predicted that he would come back with even more outrageous betrayal of his oath of office, now feeling emboldened to do anything he wanted with complete impunity.  They nailed it.

As despicable as he is, it’s easy to understand where he’s coming from.  He’s proven dozens of times that we the people are incapable of holding him accountable for his criminality.  Whether we want to admit it to ourselves, he is, in fact, above the law.  It’s really no surprise that a man born without a conscience would take full advantage of an impotent American electorate and a feckless congress.

When the press and the justice system are owned by an authoritarian, it’s over.  We’re at the brink, if not way past it.