Anne Applebaum attempts to explain why Republican leaders have abandoned their longheld principles in favor of loyalty to Trump. She makes comparisons to Nazi collaborators in France, German Communists in East Germany who accepted Russian Communism and authoritarian behavior even when it was incompatible with their beliefs.
Several motives are offered using Lindsey Graham, other Republican Senators, Mike Pompeo, William Barr and Mike Pence. The latter two are particularly interesting. She thinks they are determined to protect the US from abortion, same-sex marriage, and demographic changes as the end times approach.
She gives examples of slippery slope phenomena such as accepting trivial lies like greater attendance at the Trump inauguration than at the Obama occasion. She details how acceptance of the lies has grown to the point where American democracy is at risk.
One detail: a high level Republican said that Graham tells people that he talked to Trump in a way that made him think of a highschool nerd who got attention from the school's star quarterback.
I am not doing the article justice, Russ. I hope you can find a way to read the entire piece.
Frank
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Frank C. Wimberly
140 Calle Ojo Feliz,
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