The Ascent of Retribution Politics Will Doom Democracy

 In 2,700 locations worldwide last weekend, more than seven million people turned out for “No Kings” rallies against the policies of US President Donald Trump and his steady implementation of retribution politics by which the hallowed right to free speech guaranteed by the first amendment to the US Constitution is being regularly trashed by the current occupant of the White House.

That amendment guarantees five fundamental freedoms: freedom of speech, religion, the press, the right to assemble peacefully, and the right to petition the government. It says in very clear terms:  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Trump’s response to the outpouring of displeasure by the largest such demonstration in the history of the United States was to post an AI-generated video on his Truth Social network depicting him as a jet fighter pilot wearing a king’s crown and dropping presumed fecal matter on an AI-generated scene mimicking those seven million plus demonstrators.  You can view the disgusting video here if you have the stomach for it…..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uGKtihX1U4

Clearly, the catalyst that brought the crowd together is the ongoing and unnecessary shutdown of the US government in a dispute over ensuring affordable health care premiums for middle-class Americans (and not, as some incorrectly claim, for illegal aliens, which is forbidden under US law).  That, along with the president’s having directed the US Attorney General in an earlier Truth Social posting to find ways to criminally indict public personalities who have previously criticized or were involved in investigations about Trump’s activities during, or previous to, his first term as president.

This practice of retribution politics and its parallel non-compliance with legal requirements and prior precedent, if it continues unchallenged, will surely lead to the death of democracy and the rise of autocracy or worse.

Democracy-based governments can only function when the rule of law is observed both in intent and practice, coupled with the total support of the country’s most senior elected officials.  When those officials themselves begin disrespecting the law the entire foundation of government of the people, by the people and for the people will collapse into dictatorship.

The world has plenty of examples of this phenomenon.  Whether it is Putin’s Russia, Erdogan’s Turkey, Xi’s China, Orban’s Hungary, or any of the other autocratic regimes currently functioning, their descent from democracy (if they ever had true democracy in the first place) is well lubricated by the dictator’s desire for retribution, which is often motivated by vengeance.

Here in Israel, perhaps because of our history of persecution through the millennia, our basic Jewish values or the fear that someday even the god that the atheists don’t believe in will be angry, senior politicians have generally stopped short of fully engaging in retribution politics.

For sure, some have seen to it that people who disagree with them are squeezed out of politics, denied deserved promotions, doxed, or otherwise harassed.  All of that may be unbecoming to those who have been entrusted to lead.  However, we also have a history of bringing some of the worst offenders to justice, having incarcerated a former president of Israel, a former prime minister of Israel, as well as former cabinet members.

Nevertheless, at least in the opinion of this writer, our political history pales by comparison to what we are seeing in the US today.  And for sure, should the day come when we have leadership who may choose to engage in the practice of using the Ministry of Justice to weaponize its operations through retribution politics, it is difficult to believe that our legislators would stand idly by and, by their silence, be complicit in the country’s political demise.

Thomas Jefferson, the thi^rd president of the United States, said: “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”  For democracy to survive, we need leaders who understand the difference and act accordingly lest we return to the chaos of the distant past where living in constant fear was the norm.  We dare not permit that to be the case.