June 17, 2021

By Richard Procida

A full-scale attack on American democracy is imminent. We will face an avalanche of propaganda, gerrymandering, and voter suppression that could lead to a fascist Republican regime intent on never giving up power. If we don’t end the filibuster and pass the For the People Act and other necessary legislation, the prospects for democracy are dim. 

We now face a Republican Party that has concluded that democracy is no longer in its interest, and we have a Supreme Court that cannot be relied upon to uphold our constitutional democracy. If the Republicans take power, they will dismantle democracy and enact laws that ensure they remain in power indefinitely.

As of May 14th, the Brennan Center counted “389 bills with restrictive provisions in 48 states.” Recently, over a hundred scholars of democracy have issued a statement expressing “deep concern” over Republican efforts to undermine “core electoral procedures in response to the unproven and intentionally destructive allegations of a stolen election.” These laws, they say, have so transformed “several states into political systems that no longer meet the minimum conditions for free and fair elections.” Some laws allow state legislatures or partisan election officials to overturn the results of elections.

Republicans are determined to undermine public confidence in the 2020 election and are using the Big Lie to pass anti-democratic laws. The failure to confront the causes of January 6th would embolden those who spread disinformation about the election. We must fight the Big Lie and other disinformation with the truth. 

We must counter the false propaganda on the Right with counter-propaganda. It’s an essential part of our messaging to confront the Big Lie and the onslaught of false and misleading propaganda. A lie that goes on unchallenged becomes the truth to the masses and a tool for unscrupulous politicians and authoritarian dictators. It’s essential that we confront the lies. Creating a select committee to investigate the events of January 6th is necessary to fight back against disinformation.

Of course, we would prefer a bipartisan commission where both parties seek the truth, but that’s not going to happen. The Bipartisan committee would have been made up of experts, not members of Congress. This would have shielded it from being discredited. In other ways, however, a Select Committee is better. 

With a Select Committee, there is no requirement for equal representation. The Republicans will have fewer opportunities to obstruct the proceedings. Some Republicans will try to turn the investigation into a circus by ranting about violence at other protests or the groups they label “Antifa.” Pelosi could minimize these tactics by selecting more reasonable Republicans to be on the Committee.

The Democrats will set up and control the Committee. Pelosi will select the members of the Committee. The Democrats will control the length and focus of the investigation. The Democrats will also have unilateral subpoena power. This will facilitate a more thorough investigation. At the same time, however, unbalanced representation could cast a shadow of partisanship over the proceedings.

Ultimately, we need a pro-democracy movement in America similar to those protest movements around the world capable of pulling thousands of people into the streets. To that end, I will be conducting a Democracy Activist Training on June 27th. <https://www.Tinyurl.com/DemocracyStory> It is important to get the truth out and confront the lies or the lies become the truth in people’s minds.  

Rich Procida is an author, attorney, and activist who writes about religion and politics and produces a political ideology podcast called “Bible Study for Progressives.”

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