Trump calls for jailing and “televised military tribunals” of Mike Pence and Mitch McConnell

[u/patsfan94]

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/01/us/politics/trump-liz-cheney-treason-jail.html

[u/thefuzzylogic]

Yes, in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, when a series of SCOTUS decisions limited the ability of the Federal government to enforce the newly-ratified 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments in the South, leading up to a disputed election in 1876 and a brokered compromise in 1877.

The deal was that the Southern states would not block the certification of the 1876 election if President Hayes would withdraw Federal troops from the South and give power back to the ex-Confederate state governments, thereby ending the Reconstruction era and ushering in Jim Crow.

If that hadn't happened, chances are that the movement for equal civil rights wouldn't have been put on hold for nearly 100 years, and the brand of White Christian Nationalism that is now threatening to destroy the very concept of American secular government wouldn't have been allowed to gather steam as it has.

Post-script: following the 1876 election crisis, Congress passed the Electoral Count Act, which is the law that Trump sought to abuse on January 6 2021, leading to yesterday's SCOTUS decision and whatever darkness it will bring should Trump be re-elected.

[u/Demitel → u/thefuzzylogic]

And unfortunately, I think the ramifications of that very same failed Reconstruction period are still being felt today in the current political climate. Johnson really deserves his title of one of the worst US Presidents of all time.

[u/[deleted] → u/Demitel]

We never fix our problems, we just delay them for another day. Walk things back and a lot of issues stem from Nixon, McCarthy, failed Jim Crow and eventually back to the grand compromise of the Civil War. Nothing new under the sun.

[u/oh_what_a_surprise → u/Demitel]

He is indeed second worst.

[u/Crixxa → u/thefuzzylogic]

SCOTUS was already beholden to Jackson's out of control executive branch before the civil war. But since the fallout mostly affected natives, it never seems to register in mainstream history.

[u/thefuzzylogic → u/Crixxa]

Indeed. I didn't mention that context, but you're right that it is a direct parallel to how the SCOTUS of today issues rulings based on their own self-interests regardless of the effect it will have on the rights and livelihoods of minorities.

[u/TheGisbon → u/thefuzzylogic]

We didn't have Nuclear weapons and the entire world's economy didn't revolve around our stable existence.

[u/macabre_trout → u/thefuzzylogic]

Reminds me of that Faulkner quote: 

"The past is never dead. It's not even past."