The good:
When President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as president of the United States inside the Capitol’s rotunda, he will do so facing a bust of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the federal holiday commemorating King’s legacy.
It's
a disquieting contrast for some civil rights advocates who wish to
fulfill the late reverend's dream of non-violent social revolution.
Events
honoring King and advocating for his vision of a just society will
occur across the nation as many in the U.S. observe the peaceful
transfer of power in the capital. The concurrent events have been met
with mixed feelings by civil rights leaders, who broadly reviled Trump’s
rhetoric and stances on race and civil rights during his third
presidential campaign.
But
many leaders, including King's own family, see the juxtaposition as a
poignant contrast and a chance to refocus the work of advancing civil
rights in a new political era.
“I’m
glad it occurred on that day because it gives the United States of
America and the world the contrast in pictures. Is this the way you want
to go — or is this the way you want to go?” said the Rev. Bernice King, the late King’s youngest daughter and CEO of the King Center.
“It’s
not a day that he can be the star, which he loves to be,” King’s
daughter said of Trump. “He has to contend with that legacy on that day,
regardless of how he manages it and handles it in his presentation. I
hope those around him are advising him well to honor the day
appropriately in his speech.”...(our emphasis)
It's a contrast that will be almost certainly be lost on the MAGA mob (or maybe they see it as a victory over "diversity, equality, and inclusion" and other "woke" principles), but it's only the third time in 40 years that an inauguration has coincided with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. Not much else "good" about this day.
The bad:
On Monday, the three wealthiest men in the world—Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos,
and Mark Zuckerberg—are scheduled to be at the Capitol as honored guests
for Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, seated where four years
ago Christian nationalists, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, militia
members, and other extremists, incited by his brazen lies about the 2020
election, violently attacked Congress to overturn American democracy
and keep Trump in power. This transition—from brownshirts to
billionaires—encapsulates what has gone wrong. It is a clear signal that
the United States is broken. [snip]
Accommodation—that’s what an authoritarian craves and needs. From business leaders, from the media, from influentials, and from voters. Trump’s army at the Capitol four years ago were radicals and fringe right-wingers. Now his squad comprises moguls and the Big Tech barons he and his followers once excoriated. A white flag of surrender should be flapping next to Old Glory. They are broadcasting a dangerous signal—resistance is futile—when a healthy democracy demands the opposite.
The American political system could not rid itself of Trump, and now the powerful, scared magnates who seek to protect and advance their own interests flock to his side and bolster his status and position. In doing so, they intensify the threat at hand. They make a dark day for America even darker. (our emphasis)
We hope the Democrats' "toned down opposition" to the MF we've been reading about doesn't mean our "leaders" and "influentials" are going to turtle and find "common ground," because if that's the case, they need to fire their political consultants and pollsters, then find another occupation themselves. This is an awful time in our nation's history. We need to fight the fascists, not accommodate them, and Democrats who won't fight are not just useless, but dangerous. See also this.
The ugly:
President-elect Donald Trump and his team have drafted a slate of pardons for people convicted for their role in the January 6 Capitol attack to be issued on Day 1, shortly after Trump is sworn in as president, two sources familiar with the plans told CNN.
Trump has repeatedly said he planned to swiftly pardon
people who were convicted for their role in the January 6, 2021, attack
on the US Capitol. During a December interview with Time Magazine, Trump
said: “I’ll be looking at J6 early on, maybe the first nine minutes.”
The extent of the initial pardons is still unclear; however,
one of the sources described them as enough to be seen as “delivering
on his long-held promise.” About 1,270 people have been convicted of
January 6-related crimes, and the vast majority of those defendants
pleaded guilty. Only a couple hundred are currently behind bars.
Vice President-elect JD Vance said in an interview last week
that rioters accused of violence shouldn’t be pardoned, while also arguing there was a “bit of a gray area” in some cases.
Several Republican allies of Trump have said they expect him
to approach the pardons on a case-by-case basis, but two key GOP
lawmakers on Sunday refused to rule out Trump potentially issuing
pardons for some of the roughly 174 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon against police officers. (our emphasis)
Those 174 are his truest MAGAt believers. He'll be awfully tempted to pardon all or many of them to be used as trusted thugs in the future, even if a majority of Americans disapprove. Sic transit gloria, America.
