Paywall is down now: Rick Wilson "Bill Barr Is the Most Dangerous Man in America"

[MelissaB]

Bill Barr Is the Most Dangerous Man in America

Every great authoritarian enterprise comes to its apotheosis more from the soulless, mechanical efficiency of armies of bureaucrats and police than from the rantings of whatever Great Leader or revolutionary firebrand mounts the podium. A four-hour, spittle-flecked speech in Berlin, Havana, Moscow, or Kigali is, in the end, less consequential than the memos and slide decks of competent people given over to the service of evil.

Bad governments don’t start as nihilist terror; they’re the work of people who look like your neighbors. They build anodyne policy directives to justify the acidic erosion of the rule of law. They put the tools of government and administration to darker and darker purposes while compartmentalizing inevitable excesses in the name of political expediency.

... snip

William Barr’s tone was calm, but his agenda was clear: His job is to protect Donald Trump, no matter the prerogatives of Congress or any consideration of the rule of law. Bill Barr is not the attorney general of the United States. He is the Roy Cohn whom The Donald has craved since become president; an attorney general who sees his duty as serving Trump.

... snip

Barr is also openly weaponizing the Department of Justice to potentially sully the future public, private, and legal testimony of members of the DOJ, FBI, and intelligence community who have seen the damning data on Trump and his claque. The goal is to intimidate anyone who would investigate Trump’s vast portfolio of corruption and obstruction of justice, both before and after he took office. It goes far, far beyond the Russia probe; it is an investigation that by its nature aims to terrify all future witnesses and whistleblowers into silence.

More: https://www.thedailybeast.com/william-barr-is-the-most-dangerous-man-in-america?source=twitter&via=desktop

It's was difficult to choose which paragraphs to choose for this one. It is a short, excellent read.

[MelissaB]

1. pic/tweet

Link to tweet

[triron]

2. Ominous to say the least.

[calimary]

27. No kidding.

[Scarsdale]

34. He looks like

Elton John!

[smirkymonkey]

3. K&R

[trev]

4. From the article

"The fact the Democrats aren’t already in court to get the full, unredacted Mueller report is exactly the kind of behavior that happens in nations slipping from democracy to authoritarianism."

This is the real problem facing us. We not only refuse to look banal authoritarianism in the face, we fail to do anything to stop it. I have to repeat what I've said several times on here: Plato warned us that democracies always turn into tyrannies. We are already 40 years along the road towards this. It won't be long before we reach the destination.

I know I sound bleak, but I've been engaged in this battle for 20 years, and IMHO we have never done enough to stop this march to death. It is frustrating to me, and frightening.

[Iliyah]

5. Ummmmmm, this should be a "joint" issue.

Republican politicians know that t-rump, Barr, Rosenstein, Nunes, Graham, McTurtle, Paul Ryan, and many other Republicans are breaking the law. The only way Nixon resigned was because of the pressure was put on him to or he would be impeached. The Senate Republicans, with McTurtle in the lead will not do that.

Democrats know what they are doing. Things like this takes time, especially when you are dealing with people who put themselves first, party, and truly doesn't care about this country, except for draining it's money.

Plus Wilson helped over the years for this madness.

[trev]

6. I just want to see a stronger pushback from the Democrats.

It drove me crazy during the G W Bush years that the Republicans were engaged in agitprop while the Democrats continued to behave as if things hadn't changed since 1974. I still feel our representatives are too weak in their responses to what is happening. We need more AOCs--and we need them in the Senate.

[CaptainTruth]

15. The GW Bush admin committed war crimes & were not, in any way, held responsible.

That was a dangerous precedent, allowing that "the president is above the law" GOP thinking to go unchallenged.

I would argue it laid the foundation for the lawlessness we see today in the Trump admin.

[susanna]

25. I am with you there, Captain Truth.

Was just going through my archives. I'm a writer, and a political person in general. I still have in my possession an unbelievable amount of commentary about the start of the Iraq War (post-9/11) and the torture that occurred during the resulting war.

It's lost down a memory hole for many, but not for me. Or you, obviously.

There was even one article that flat out said "G. W. Bush is against the rule of law" in regards to the torture that occurred on his watch. I was kind of shocked to see it, as hindsight, but began making those same connections you have.

Is it surprising we are here now? Not to me. Not to you. This is what happens when people ignore history as it happens.

[trev]

35. "This is what happens when people ignore history as it happens."

My argument exactly!

I'm also a writer, and I like to use my skills to present the realities that exist in our country. Been doing this for 25 years now.

We must deal with these issues, or everything will be lost.

[OldBaldy1701E]

16. Yes indeed!

Beam more like her into Congress posthaste! Bring extra starships to engage more transporters!


remember... Millionaires in America-5%
Millionaires in Congress-58%
THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE

[KPN]

31. Spot on -- including the "since 1974".

[KPN]

30. Things like this take time? Patience and giving things time is what

cements authoritarian regimes in place. The escalation of authoritarian behavior we saw this week was breathtaking. The time to act is now before it is too late. Every inch we give in a moment may take months or years to get back.

We need law suits filed, subpoenas served, and impeachment proceedings to begin — now would actually be prudent.

[trev]

36. "now would actually be prudent"

Now is necessary.

Good points you've made.

[crud]

10. I agree

They don't play by the rules and haven't done so in the last 40 years. They will lie, cheat and steal even when they don't have to. I think impeachment will work only if the vast majority of us citizens want it to happen. But short of that, they should be pushing to build support for it every day. Law suits, Resolutions of censure, demands for resignations, investigate and expose as much as possible.

[trev]

23. "They will lie, cheat and steal"

I remember back in the 1990s, conservative Christian groups were putting out candidates for school boards who hid their Creationist beliefs until they were elected. Then they let out all the stops and tried to change the curriculum to undermine the teaching of evolution--against the will of the voters, who believed their false representation. This strategy worked very well, so they advanced their agenda to include city and state offices. This is where it all started.

[susanna]

26. So true.

Been watching it happen over the last few decades like the slowest motion train wreck ever. Everyone discounted my warnings back then. Now they are like, "how did you know?!"

And so here we are.

[c-rational]

33. Completely agree. The blowback should be immediate and forceful.

[spanone]

7. K&R... and why aren't democrats in court fighting to get the entire report?

TODAY. RIGHT NOW.

[pangaia]

9. TELL ME ABOUT IT !!!!!!!!

[Lucky Luciano]

18. Sure.

So, there have been a significant number of criminal actions by the current presidential administration. The results of this corruption (that truly goes beyond the pale) really needs to have consequences. The corruption runs deep - to the extent that the Republican Party will protect the corruption for the sole purpose of retaining power. That nothing is being done is a disgrace and dishonor on all that is good and something must be done. It is hard to get anything done due to apathy, the odious white wing, and the contemptible republicans that have absolutely no shame or morals.

[HootieMcBoob]

14. Exactly

You know if it was the other way around Republicans would be screaming bloody murder 24/7! I don’t hear or see any sense of urgency from Democrats!

[KPN]

32. This week I called my two senators and

Congressman to express exactly that. We should all be doing that. The need to hear our sense of urgency, they need to hear our encouragement to act decisively and aggressively, and they need to know we all have their back.

[link:https://upload.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=11999383|

[duforsure]

8. He could easily become

The third AG that may face charges , and a possible prison term .

[SunSeeker]

11. K & R

[DownriverDem]

12. Every day I have the same question

What can we do?

[madamesilverspurs]

13. That top billing as "most dangerous"

is shared by Mitch McConnell, whose machinations made Trump possible.


.

[gapaddy]

17. How the Attorney General of the US is impeachable

.

"...At the federal level, Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 of the Constitution grants to the House of Representatives "the sole power of impeachment", and Article I, Section 3, Clause 6 grants to the Senate "the sole Power to try all Impeachments". In considering articles of impeachment, the House is obligated to base any charges on the constitutional standards specified in Article II, Section 4: "The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors."[2] (Full text of clauses Wikisource has information on "Constitution of the United States of America&quot ...

...Senate

...The Constitution requires a two-thirds super majority to convict a person being impeached.[4]..."

per wiki

[Wednesdays]

22. We need seventeen GOP senators to convict

I'll bet you couldn't name five.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

19. Heart-chilling read.

I’ve tried for decades to get the point across to conservatives, one conversation at a time, when the opportunity arises ....but i doubt I’ve had that much impact, to be honest.

Now we’re so far down the slippery slope, it looks like there isn’t anything else I can do besides just hold the fort down here.

[MasonDreams]

20. We are even losing the argument in the Public square

The Pentagon papers went public in '71. Watergate broke in '72. Senator McCain was released in '73. How easy would it have been to point out to Meghan McCain that a rigorous enforcement of the First Amendment saved her father's life. She was so adamant about Julian Assange belonging behind bars, she could not have been more wrong.

[DallasNE]

21. Barr Is A Clear And Present Danger

Do not be deceived by the calm sounding tone - the words are horrendous.

On Barr's charge that the Obama administration "spied" on the Trump campaign Barr said "There is a basis for my concern, but I'm not going to discuss the basis". That kind of innuendo is exactly the kind of innuendo employed by Joseph McCarthy.

But Barr later said that there is not a significant difference between spying and survelliance. That is like saying there is not a significant difference between first degree murder and manslaughter. It is obvious nonsense. Yes, it leaves in place the innuendo that spying took place. Slick and sick. And nobody picked up on it so, yes, Barr could well be the most dangerous person in America. At least as long as we have a compliant press that fails to pick up on the danger.

[susanna]

24. I share zero policy agreements with Rick Wilson.

And never have. After all, I am a Democrat, and he is not.

I do think he has emerged as the most eloquent voice against his own party's standard bearer. I listen carefully to what he says, whether I agree with all of it or not.

I will go back to being full-bore enemies with him later. Right now he is saying things that are important and that need to be said, and I will listen.

On edit: punctuation

[calimary]

28. Whenever this is over, I suspect most of 'em will find their way back "home".

Back in the embrace of the most miserable, godless, and most thoroughly un-American excuse for a legitimate political party that there has ever been.

[susanna]

40. I hope his resolve holds...

and that he does not.

However, I am no starry-eyed idealist and admit you are probably right.

[mnmoderatedem]

29. you got THAT right

of all the on air republican pundits that are disavowing themselves from the trumplicans, and there are quite a few, Wilson is probably the least democrat friendly of any of them.

But of all of them, I gotta admit I like Wilson the best. Has a special talent for calling out the trump davidians on their endless bullshit, in his biting, effective manner. Really like listening to him.

[susanna]

38. He has a way with words.

I grudgingly respect that alone

[octoberlib]

37. Rick Wilson , like a lot of neocons, is a social liberal. Pro-immigration,

believes in climate change, pro gay marriage, pro legalization of marijuana. Where we'd likely disagree is on the economic side of things, and even there, Wilson thinks Trump's tax scam and deregulation went way too far. He's tweeted his disgust over Trump's deregulation of
mercury, asbestos and other things. Wilson does talk about limited government and all the other bs conservatives whine about, though.

[susanna]

39. He does talk about those things a lot.

He reminds me of a more old-school pre-Tea Party conservative. And though I disagree with those types of conservatives on economics and most social policy, I could still debate them.

That is why I listen.