Plot twist: Trump issues a blanket pardon for Maxwell, and all the Democrats she names. Whether or not they actually did it, for precisely that reason. If they prosecuted them, then the government have to prove it’s case. But Trump can pardon anything for any reason, even shit he makes up.
That’ll piss off his base because he’s supposed to be the savior, not the swamp or something. They’ll release the “names” and then nothing will happen because, exactly like you said, then they don’t have to prove it.
Public opinion always matters. Even kings needed their people on their side; why do you think they made up all that divine right bullshit and had the churches preach it so much?
Every country has the government that a sufficient number of people are willing to tolerate. Tyranny can only tip the scales, it cannot change the game. If a populace doesn’t want to be ruled, it cannot be ruled. That’s why fascism relies so heavily on the imposition of a hierarchy; because the people who aren’t at the bottom will support the system that gives them someone else to tread on, while the rich and the powerful live it up at the top. But you always need to keep a significant sector of the population on your side. There always has to be an in group who benefit enough from the government to want to keep it.
Governments end when enough people want them to end. Democracy is just a way of doing it politely.
Plot twist: Trump issues a blanket pardon for Maxwell, and all the Democrats she names. Whether or not they actually did it, for precisely that reason. If they prosecuted them, then the government have to prove it’s case. But Trump can pardon anything for any reason, even shit he makes up.
That’ll piss off his base because he’s supposed to be the savior, not the swamp or something. They’ll release the “names” and then nothing will happen because, exactly like you said, then they don’t have to prove it.
He doesn’t need the base anymore. If he holds on to power past Jan 2029, he won’t need their votes to do it. He won’t need any votes at all.
Public opinion always matters. Even kings needed their people on their side; why do you think they made up all that divine right bullshit and had the churches preach it so much?
Every country has the government that a sufficient number of people are willing to tolerate. Tyranny can only tip the scales, it cannot change the game. If a populace doesn’t want to be ruled, it cannot be ruled. That’s why fascism relies so heavily on the imposition of a hierarchy; because the people who aren’t at the bottom will support the system that gives them someone else to tread on, while the rich and the powerful live it up at the top. But you always need to keep a significant sector of the population on your side. There always has to be an in group who benefit enough from the government to want to keep it.
Governments end when enough people want them to end. Democracy is just a way of doing it politely.