The target is national security adviser Michael Flynn. There are plenty of reasons to wonder about Flynn’s policies, most notably on Iran. But in Washington, political differences have become war by other means. What Flynn’s views are isn’t even the main issue. Instead, it’s what can be used to take him down only a few weeks into his new post.
Not just Flynn. There is also a concerted effort to take down Steve Bannon. This is really a propaganda war to take down Donald Trump, who is the real target.
This attack is being conducted in part by anonymous leaks from government and the intelligence services in particular.
This is a soft coup being conducted in a representative democracy and it threatens the republic.
Not that a lot of people are not happy with the results of the election and with good reason from their point of view. But how much of that strong discontent has been either enflamed or even manufactured?
Those leading this coup are encouraged by
recent polling (Feb. 10) by Public Policy Polling that shows half the country wants to see Donald Trump impeached. And it is only three weeks into his presidency. This does not bode well for the United States.
The pressure is only going to increase to delegitimize the president and "break him," as Jim DeMint said of President Obama right at the outset of his presidency. And that was preceded by a similar effort to take down Bill Clinton right after he was elected and lasted until he was successfully impeached by the House, but not removed by the Senate.
Conversely, many people never accepted the legitimacy of the George W. Bush presidency that was the outcome of a politicized Supreme Court. Like Hillary Clinton Al Gore had won the popular vote, adding to the indignity.
This is a terrible way to run a country, and it undermines confidence in American democracy and liberalism as a governing principle.
