The Republican Party appears to be moving toward autocracy. We must protect our government by preventing the party from being manipulated by elite groups or cults. Such influences erode the principles on which the party was built, including inclusion and openness. Deviating from the rules of the game can lead to disastrous consequences at the national and international levels.
When George W. Bush, then governor of Texas, announcement Following his decision to run for president in June 1999, I wrote a letter to Republican Party headquarters. As a first-time voter, I offered suggestions to help the party shed its image of catering primarily to the rich and famous. I hoped and still hope that the party will emerge as a more inclusive party, with doors open to ordinary voters, regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, or social and economic status.
Additionally, I suggested that there are many non-whites and non-Christians who share republican values such as self-reliance, individual rights, and family values. The party should reach out to them.
I received a gracious invitation from the leaders of the Republican Party to serve as one of California’s delegates to the Republican Convention in Philadelphia.
Nearly 25 years later, I see the Republican Party drifting away from its own core principles and drifting toward blind loyalty to an individual, rather than being the guardian of the party’s democratic principles and culture.
Many others believe this is what is happening now. Bill Schneider, professor emeritus at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, writes that Republican leaders aI am under the influence of Donald Trump. The party is currently in the process of carry out purges heretics who don’t worship Trump or accept all MAGA principles. Conformity is enforced by social media, a relatively new institution with the power to mobilize populist energy against critics and opponents.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, professor of history and Italian studies at New York University, says the Republican Party was it’s already okay far from a democratic political culture, but Donald Trump has normalized extremism and anarchy. So, in my opinion, the GOP has become, over these years, truly a far-right authoritarian party. The other big story is that his program and methods continue at the state level. Trump’s influence on the Republican Party has transformed the party’s political culture.
“He transformed the party into an authoritarian party culture. So not only are you tackling the enemies without, but you are also tackling the enemies within. You are not allowed to have any dissent.
This may seem extreme, but ignoring the warning or criticizing the party’s policies should not be considered an attitude against the party.
The Economist Magazine writes that since leaving the White House, shortly after the January 6 attempted insurrection at the Capitol, Trump has been plotting a comeback. He managed to maintain tight control of the party throughout the midterm elections, interfering in the primaries to select candidates who most fervently supported the lie that Democrats had stolen the presidential election .
Returned to the head of the party, the former president prepares to sing after November 8th when the Republicans hope to return to power.
As a member of the party, I believe I should have the right to question the blind faith and loyalty to Trump within the Republican ranks. I have valid reasons to question some of Trump’s current claims and his past behavior.
Trump says he could end Ukraine war in 24 hours, rein in Chicago crime in a few dayswhich the Chicago Sun-Times called false: “Trump, during his tenure as president, never kept his promises that Chicago crime could be solved in days. »
Trump’s plan for Ukraine in 24 hours is simple: encircle Ukraine and hand it over to Putin. His relations with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un did not prevent new missile launches.
The Republican Party’s image is increasingly linked to the culture wars, as well as positions seen as anti-environmental, anti-immigration and anti-abortion, as well as rolling back promises made by previous presidents.
President Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and the United States from the Paris environmental agreement in 2017. More recently, Republicans in the House have strongly opposed for many months to a bill on financial aid to Ukraine. These actions not only hinder efforts to repel Russian aggression, but also tacitly condone Putin’s unjust war against a sovereign nation that wishes to join the community of the free world.
Trump is eroding democratic rules, sliding the Republican Party toward an autocratic system that divides America along racial lines and leads to economic inequality and civil strife. An academic who studies violent conflict, Thomas Homer Dixon, recently wrote: “By 2025, American democracy could collapse, causing extreme domestic political instability, including widespread civil violence. By 2030, or even sooner, the country could be governed by a right-wing dictatorship.”
I’m not that pessimistic, but the warnings must be heeded and dissent must not be stifled. The party must be the guardian of its principles, and remain firm in defending these values both at home and abroad. To maintain and pursue these goals, the party must engage in rigorous self-examination.
If history teaches us anything, it is that nations that unwittingly fall under the influence of sectarian movements often suffer serious consequences. Italy and Germany are striking examples. Mussolini rose to power in Italy and Hitler did the same in Germany, each establishing himself as dictator. We all know the tragic consequences that happened to them.
What I wrote to the Republican Party 25 years ago is still relevant today. The party needs some soul-searching to avoid moving away from democracy.
Constructive criticism of the party is not necessarily anti-Republican. This is part of self-examination and progress, adhering to the principles that truly make America great, not relying solely on an elite group or a single individual.
The Republican Party should begin exploring alternatives to Trump. Without change, we are venturing into uncharted territory.
Lee Drutman, a political scientist at the think tank New America, told the New York Times“I find it hard to imagine that we can have peaceful elections in 2024 after everything that has happened now. I don’t see the rhetoric dropping. I don’t see the conflicts disappearing. … It’s hard to see how the situation will improve before it gets worse.
Wahab Raofi graduated from Kabul Law School and worked at various levels for the Ministry of Justice in his native Afghanistan. He immigrated to the United States and resides in Orange County, California, and worked for over a decade with NATO/International Security Assistance Force as an interpreter in Afghanistan.
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