If the breakdown of America’s most important institutions is one of the most alarming phenomena a citizen can witness, seeing those institutions work can be comforting and a sign that not all is yet lost.
Ever since the 2020 election, many in the conservative movement have come to develop deep-seated distrust in the institutions that have traditionally been so important to civic life in the United States. They have come to distrust the electoral process, the media, law-enforcement agencies (especially federal ones like the FBI).
All of this has not been without reason. Seeing the media and the courts dismiss evidence of electoral fraud, seeing businesses and churches shut down over Covid-19, seeing Congress certify the 2020 election, seeing the FBI arrest Trump supporters around the country for doing little more than trespassing in the Capitol Building — all of this has taken its toll on the minds of millions.
While it is in many ways good that many Americans now exercise a healthy amount of skepticism about what the establishment tells them, developing exorbitant levels of doubt can become just as unhealthy to the individual and nation as blind belief.
In fact, it could very well be the actual goal of the establishment to make conservatives overly doubt America’s institutions. Because when they do, they are apt to behave in ways favorable to the establishment.
For example, many conservative Americans have lost so much trust in elections that they now refuse to vote at all, including in local and state elections. Obviously, this makes it much easier for the establishment to get its preferred candidates elected across the board.
Also, those who feel that they have no voice in their political institutions are likely to seek change through other means — often through political violence. It is likely one of the goals of the establishment to make conservatives feel so disconnected from peaceful means of socio-political influence that they resort to actions of violence — thus giving the establishment “justification” for cracking down on the entire movement and enacting harsh governmental controls.
Those in the establishment tend to have a deep understanding of human nature and use it to their advantage. They know that when human beings are placed in extreme circumstances, they act in extreme ways.
In part, this is what has fueled the calls for a “National Divorce.” It can be debated whether the breakup of the United States into smaller political entities would be good or bad for the people; but it would at least be prudent to first consider the constitutional solution of nullification as an answer to federal tyranny before throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Ironically, one of the National Divorce idea’s most well-known proponents, Representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-Ga.), has taken actions in recent days that show there may still be enough room to work within the system so that such a drastic step is not yet needed.
As Politico recently reported, Greene is set to lead a congressional delegation to visit individuals who were jailed as a result of J6. While Greene has tried to visit these prisoners before as a lone congresswoman, she now has the full support of House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.).
“We have jurisdiction over Washington, D.C., and there are some members in our conference that want to visit the jail to check on the prisoners, the inmates,” Comer said of the upcoming visit.
As Politico reports:
Greene, in a separate interview, confirmed the plan, saying that she would be leading the trip and is coordinating with Oversight Committee staff and Comer. She visited the jail … with former Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas).
… The trip planning comes as Republicans face a fresh round of Jan. 6-related questions stemming from Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision to share thousands of hours of internal Capitol footage from the day of the violent attack with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson.
Carlson began airing the footage on Monday night, sparking an unusually sharp statement from Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, who ripped him for airing an “offensive and misleading” portrayal of the Capitol siege.
This represents a greater victory than what one might believe at just a cursory glance. While many would certainly like to see swifter and comprehensive justice come to those who have been falsely accused, it is still notable that whereas it was once only lone voices such as Greene advocating for the inmates’ behalf on Capitol Hill, there will now be an official congressional delegation supported by official House leadership.
This demonstrates an important lesson for those who want to make a difference: Political change through the legitimate institutions in a republic can take a long time. It can be grueling. But it is possible. And while it may be tempting to want to burn it all down when you don’t get your way immediately, the slowness of the system and the work required of a citizen are the tradeoffs to having both freedom and civil order.
