Axar.az presents the article “A New Year's Warning” by John Samuel Tieman.

I am reminded of 1787. As the delegates left the Constitutional Convention, a certain Mrs Powell approached Benjamin Franklin. She said, “Well, Doctor, what have we got – a republic or a monarchy?” He replied, "A republic if you can keep it." Here, in two parts, is how to turn our republic into an autocracy. First, there's The Man, then there's The Plan.

First, undermine the ideological basis, and thus the moral underpinnings, of the Republican Party. Turn it into a cult of personality. Traditional conservatism, as expressed by the Republican Party, holds certain principles. Here are a few. A commitment to personal liberty, limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the rule of law. A reverence for Western culture, and traditional social arrangements. Respect for the market as the generator of wealth. Deep suspicion of utopian promises. Those principals are gone now. In the 2020 election, the Republican party did not have a platform, an ideological statement. It left its convention with only its nominee, Donald Trump. Part I, The Man, is in place.

Part II, The Plan, is a work in progress. Preparations for the plan are aided by conditions already realized. According to the Pew Research Center, 63% of Republicans say their party should not be accepting of any elected official who openly criticizes Donald Trump. Pew also reports that 44% of Republicans want to see Trump run in 2024. Right now in 15 key battleground states, of their Secretaries Of State, their chief election officials, only two concede that President Biden won the last election. To a large extent, the electoral process is already subverted. New laws in some states almost assure a Republican victory by making it difficult for likely Democrats to vote. Thus are the preparations made.

In 2022, the Republicans need to win both houses of Congress in the mid-term elections. The Senate is evenly divided. Trump people need to win only one senate seat. The House Of Representatives is almost evenly divided, with Democrats holding 220 seats, Republicans holding 212. Three seats are vacant. Mid-term elections traditionally go to the minority party, in this case, the Republicans.

Trump's people need to become increasingly violent. According to the Project On Security And Threats at the University Of Chicago, 21 million Americans agree that “use of force is justified to restore Donald J. Trump to the presidency.” On numerous occasions, Trump himself has encouraged violence.

There is a myriad of other details. Make sure this year's redistricting is skewed toward Republicans. Ensure that, in the Electoral College, Democratic electors can have their validity questioned. Ensure that the military follows Trump and not the constitution.

That's Part II, The Plan. One other scary possibility is that someone will run who is exactly like Trump only younger and smarter. The possibilities include Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Sen. Josh Haley of Missouri, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, and possibly former U. N Ambassador Nikki Haley of South Carolina. Haley is the least likely. She's not white.

I hope readers consider this column to be a horror story. My hope is that people, who love the republic, will act. As I write, I am reminded of the words of William Butler Yeats. “The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.” Many liberals fantasize that Pres. Biden has restored sanity to the nation. They dream that the next elections, 2022 and 2024, will be normal. They're wrong. Why? We are not approaching a constitutional crisis. We are in a constitutional crisis. The heart of the crisis is Donald Trump, Trump’s followers, and those who exploit his followers. In no small way, the crisis is enabled by those who don't understand that there is a crisis. Never so much as today does the warning of Franklin resonate. "A republic, if you can keep it."