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"Benton Harbor has not had local democracy since last year" (or Running against the State, pt 2)



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This is what a constitutional coup looks like, when an organized cadre takes over the mechanism of the State (in this case, the small "c" state of Michigan) and uses it for its own purposes.

If the cadre can't be ousted and the rule-changes can't be reversed, we're beyond politics. The hammer we're dealing with is the machine called the State.

Maddow (at about 2:50):

[Quoting the "emergency town manager"]: "We [in effect, the State] believe [the radio station] is going to be so much more useful in [the school district's] hands than ours."

More useful? More useful than what? Well, what was it used for before? In addition to news and music, [the station] was used for dissent. For expressing dissent ... about the town being stripped of its democrat rights, for instance.
Watch (to open large in a new tab, click here):



Three points:

(1) The next Republican president will have Michigan and Wisconsin and Florida as a template. Say "Nader-Nader" (whatever that means) all you want; it's just a fact, and smart people have to factor that into their voting decision. (Or not. The good news: the 2012 election is over, as I see it. Time to plan for 2013.)

(2) This is an instance of a coup at a state-wide (small "s") level. The coup at the national level (in my humble opinion) has already occurred; more soon on that.

(3) You really do want to read about Hungary. This is how "Michigan" is done at the level of a nation.

GP

(To follow on Twitter or to send links: @Gaius_Publius)
 


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