The truth is what the majority in power says it is. This can be temporarily the case in the natural sciences - like when the Catholic Church rejected Galileo's assertion that the earth went around the sun, or more recently when cigarette companies and the members of Congress they paid, said there wasn't any proof that smoking was unhealthy. Temporary until the laws of nature resulted in case after case of lung cancer in smokers.
In the social and moral realm, truth is more tightly bound by the beliefs of those in power.
Thus, if the House had had a Republican majority, there would not have been an impeachment.
And because the Senate actually has a Republican majority, there isn't likely to be a conviction.
Much of my day was spent enduring the impeachment hearings. They're very different from the Nixon impeachment. Structurally it was very different and Republican Senators were less bound by ideology and whatever else Trump holds over their heads than they are today. And the Democrats had a majority in both houses.
So, Trump has refused to cooperate on anything that he doesn't see in his interest. Suppose that in November 2020 the Democratic candidate wins, despite all the Republican efforts to suppress voters, spread misinformation, hack into voting machines, and whatever else they might do to win. Imagine, at that point, that Trump claims the elections were stolen by the Democrats. And he refuses to recognize the results, refuses to step down, refuses to give up the reins of office.
What happens then? Does he call up his supporters to take up arms and surround the White House? Who escorts him out of the White House? Does he declare a state of emergency?
And what do the still sitting Republican Senators do then?
I don't think that's going to happen, but I want US citizens to be prepared for that possibility. Because when Trump is acquitted, his belief that he can get away with anything will become the Truth within the current power structure.
I've kept my balance today by spending a fair amount of time with my granddaughter. But being with her reminds me how important it is to stand up and fight this president and where he's taking this country.
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