As We Argue About Red and Blue, the Guardrails Are Disappearing

The danger of mistaking constitutional democratic erosion for political disagreement

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The focus on partisanship is distracting from a more serious threat: the weakening of democratic checks and balances.

I have published multiple negative essays and commentaries regarding our current president and the damage done by both him and his appointed band of sycophant grifters, especially in his second incarnation. Those many pieces ended up in various places on the Internet. Recently, I received a kind-hearted message from a person that I did not know informing me that my written work would no longer be shown on a certain Facebook group site. The reason stated was that my positions were too one-sided and appeared to politically favor Democrats. When I wrote the above-mentioned published works, though, I was thinking about this chief executive’s criminality and incompetence. This reflects a major misunderstanding because the labels simply no longer apply, if they ever did.

Our focus on partisan divides and tribal affiliations bearing the logos of either conservative or liberal, Left or Right, Red or Blue has blinded us to the actual problem we collectively face: Our founding instruments are under assault. The rule of law, a key tenet of our republic, has been ignored. Our democratic institutions have been undermined. These are not partisan philosophies or programs. These represent the heart and soul of our nation: Our democracy, rule of law, and constitution are not up for debate.

Rule of Law Trampled

This administration has used a once independent and constitutionally mandated Department of Justice (DOJ) for his personal vengeance: threatening political enemies; firing multiple career FBI agents who legitimately investigated this president’s mishandling of classified documents; terminated several career DOJ lawyers because they assisted in developing two criminal cases against him. He has hamstrung the FBI’s counterintelligence capabilities with regard to Russia and China, and hobbled civil rights in the streets of America. Further, he continually ignores court orders and has promised to pardon those who break the law in his service. This Oval Office knows no rule of law.

The Constitution Under Assault

Having taken the oath to “support and defend,” this chief executive ignored the Emoluments Clauses of that document and accepted lavish gifts, including a “presidential jet” of all things, from foreign powers. He attempted to circumvent Birthright Citizenship through executive order. He authorized mass deportations in contravention of the 5th Amendment pertaining to due process. He took steps to intimidate (muzzle) news media via violations of the 1st Amendment. He illegally established tariffs on the importations of overseas goods. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.

Democratic Institutions Undermined

This president has appointed unqualified sycophants to cabinet positions and fired senior and mid-level civil servants throughout the government, ensuring he will receive no information or expert counsel that runs counter to his personal initiatives. In short, the pre-existing guardrails within the executive branch no longer exist, leaving him free to pursue his authoritarian ambitions without restraint.

This has real-world consequences. To name but a few policies emanating from this chief executive: eliminated vaccination guidelines that led to the first outbreak of measles in decades; initiated tax policies that have raised the national debt, now exceeding annual GDP; engaged in military adventurism in Venezuela and Iran and threatened the same over Greenland; abandoned NATO and other allies who shared our (former) democratic principles in favor of supporting autocratic regimes abroad. The man, clearly corrupt and seemingly at the front end of a serious mental decline, unleashed an utterly unnecessary tiff with the Pope in Rome.

In all this, Mr. Trump is enabled by a congressional majority which also took an oath to support and defend our Constitution. Instead, they have acquiesced to the “Unitary Executive,” compliant while abrogating their constitutional responsibilities as an equal branch of government. Seldom in the history of our nation has one political party been so clearly guilty of cowardice, losing sight of the “common good” and service to country rather than to party.

No, it’s not about Red or Blue anymore.

Robert Bruce Adolph , a qualified Military Strategist, is a retired senior US Army Special Forces soldier. He holds graduate degrees in both National Security Studies & International Affairs and was formally trained as a counterintelligence special agent. Robert also taught university level courses in American Government, US History, and World Politics. Following his retirement from the active military, he joined the UN, subsequently seeing service in Sierra Leone, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Indonesia and more, culminating in the role of Chief of the Middle East and North Africa at UN Headquarters in New York. He is the author of “Surviving the United Nations,” now out in a second edition. He is a member of The Steady State.

Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 400 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of State, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security. Drawing on deep expertise across national security disciplines, including intelligence, diplomacy, military affairs, and law, we advocate for constitutional democracy, the rule of law, and the preservation of America’s national security institutions.