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When They Say "Democracy," They Don't Mean "Democracy"
Kunstler.com ^ | 8 Dec, 2025 | James Howard Kunstler

Posted on 12/09/2025 5:33:44 AM PST by MtnClimber

"Imagine if the US and EU were still aligned on the censorship-by-proxy strategy. Few people realize how close we were to global totalitarianism." —Michael Shellenberger.

Norm Eisen, Lawfare Ninja Supreme

Western Civ is choking itself to death with lawfare in the name of “democracy.” If you think just a little bit past the sale, you will realize that few will say what they mean by “democracy,” including the most ardent “democracy” cultists. What it supposedly means is legal outcomes that the political left wants, not what the law, or the truth, or justice requires.

On the surface, the left pretends to want outcomes that favor their roster of designated victim groups: women, dark-skinned people, and sexual outliers, the familiar cast of characters with its tiresome scripts. But that’s not what they really want. They don’t really care about the “marginalized.” What they really want is power. The “marginalized” are just their clients and shock troops. They want to push everybody around, tell them how to live, and what to think, including the marginalized. If society has to get wrecked in the process, that’s okay — that will just make it easier to “build back better” to their advantage, or so their operating algorithm dictates. The left does not think past its own algorithms.

The “democracy” cultists are foremost against freedom of speech, because speech is what distinguishes human beings among the rest of the animal kingdom, and if you allow it, human beings are liable to develop ideas — ideas being the product of language — and especially ideas that make the “democracy” cultists uncomfortable. For instance, the idea that the “democracy” cultists don’t deserve the power they crave because they are dishonest, unscrupulous, and sadistic. Can’t have people thinking that, or saying it out-loud.

Censorship, the outright suppression of expressed thought, is the primary device for enforcing their version of “democracy.” The “democracy” cultists of the USA were especially avid for it the past decade after Mr. Trump came on the scene and offered to oppose the “democracy” cult’s plans to aggregate power. So, under the catspaw president “Joe Biden,” the FBI, CIA, the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, Stanford University’s Internet Observatory, the social media companies, and the White House itself worked sedulously to suppress the free expression of ideas, including the idea that they were all working to suppress free expression.

When Mr. Trump miraculously survived manifold attempts to stuff him in prison via lawfare and then, attempted murder, and managed to get re-elected, he put an end to the censorship shenanigans in government. That, in turn, became inconvenient to the “democracy” cultists in Europe who were, apparently, not busy enough destroying their own countries’ cultures and their economies. They put extra effort into suppressing free expression among their citizen-subjects: serious jail time for mean texts and mere casual statements on the street.

Now they are coming after the international speech platform “X,” liberated by Elon Musk three years ago at a $44-billion price. The European Commission, a body of unelected bureaucrats under the EU, created a so-called Digital Services Act to deal with the threat of free speech. After a two-year-investigation, the commission has leveled a $140-million fine against “X” for a series of specious offenses, such as not meaningfully verifying account authenticity [blue check marks] eroding trust in verified content. Mr. Musk objected, naturally. Veep JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, called it an “attack on American tech.” It’s more than that, of course. It’s an effort to wreck the company, which would eliminate the chief remaining public arena for free speech and genuine news worldwide.

I would expect Mr. Trump to respond shortly, perhaps with tariffs that make it impossible for the Europeans to sell their cars in the USA, or their wine, or whatever else is on offer. He will squeeze them until they drop this stupid crusade to destroy an American company. And then stand by and watch as “democracy” cultists in the USA complain about him defending free speech.

We have enough trouble with the “democracy” cult here at home. The Norm Eisen Axis-of-Evil has enjoyed endless “funding” from the dark money spigots of George Soros, British hedge fund billionaire Christopher Hohn, and Shanghai-based American billionaire Neville Roy Singham. Once the money-flows are turned off, you will see a lot less nuisance litigation aimed at perverting the rule of law and destroying the country. Norm Eisen and his colleagues operate out of a set of foundations and NGOs, chiefly Brookings and the outfit Eisen founded called the States United Democracy Center. They are mere money-launderers.

The federal judiciary is the “democracy” cult’s remaining praetorian guard. The federal judges, especially the Obama and Biden appointed ones, are making sure that Lawfare ninjas won’t be prosecuted for any crimes. The two latest examples: James Comey, case dismissed on procedural issues (for now) on his charge of lying to Congress. And New York AG Leticia James, let off the hook on a mortgage fraud rap by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia, probably a case of “jury nullification” and probably due to race — after the fashion of OJ Simpson skating on murder in 1995.

Unfortunately, the remedy of impeaching federal judges is unavailable due to the 60-vote majority required for removal in the Senate. It’s getting to the point where Mr. Trump might have to go medieval on the whole lot of them, declare the Insurrection Act, and move the action into military courts. Then maybe we’ll see who can handle the truth.


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: avid; catspaw; cult; jhk; leftism; manifold; praetorian; sedulously; skating; specious; spigots; suppression

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1 posted on 12/09/2025 5:33:44 AM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

Our Democracy™


2 posted on 12/09/2025 5:33:55 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: little jeremiah; Carriage Hill; GOPJ; Mama Shawna; notdownwidems; The FIGHTIN Illini; JZelle; ...

James Howard Kunstler ping


3 posted on 12/09/2025 5:34:43 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

They mean it like The German “Democratic” Republic, or the “Democratic” Peoples Republic of Korea.


4 posted on 12/09/2025 5:35:31 AM PST by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: MtnClimber

Its like the democrat party calling itself the democratic party when there is nothing democratic about it.


5 posted on 12/09/2025 5:36:00 AM PST by TonyM (Score Event)
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To: MtnClimber

Redefining Democracy: From Liberty to Control
Historically, democracy meant government by consent, rooted in individual rights, free expression, and constitutional limits. This tradition—shaped by thinkers like John Locke, James Madison, and Alexis de Tocqueville—emphasized liberty, not state control.
But Group A has begun to shift the meaning. In their rhetoric, “democracy” now implies:
• Economic equality enforced by the state
• Majoritarian rule unconstrained by constitutional checks
• Government as provider of outcomes, not protector of rights
This redefinition aligns more closely with collectivist systems than with classical liberal democracy. It echoes the logic of Rousseau’s “general will”, where dissent becomes illegitimate if it opposes the collective vision.


6 posted on 12/09/2025 5:40:53 AM PST by timza ( “Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual" T. Roosevelt)
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To: MtnClimber

he misspelled communist


7 posted on 12/09/2025 6:01:18 AM PST by one guy in new jersey
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To: TonyM

They hate their actual name ever since they figured out it ends with “rat”.


8 posted on 12/09/2025 6:02:37 AM PST by one guy in new jersey
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To: MtnClimber

What they mean by “Our Democracy” is that they are in power, with no accountability.


9 posted on 12/09/2025 6:04:42 AM PST by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: MtnClimber

“It’s getting to the point where Mr. Trump might have to go medieval on the whole lot of them, declare the Insurrection Act, and move the action into military courts. Then maybe we’ll see who can handle the truth.”

Trump is already asking the scatterbrained punk if he feels lucky.


10 posted on 12/09/2025 6:05:36 AM PST by one guy in new jersey
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To: Carry_Okie

They say that they represent the “masses” (whatever that means)


11 posted on 12/09/2025 6:05:42 AM PST by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: dfwgator
They say that they represent the “masses” (whatever that means)

For which they deserve outsized rewards, everybody else being "equal."

12 posted on 12/09/2025 6:07:29 AM PST by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: MtnClimber

To a progressive, Democracy means “Rule by the Democrats”.

That is rule by the elites who control the masses of plebians

Hilary is elite


13 posted on 12/09/2025 6:10:42 AM PST by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Quid Quid Nominatur Fabricatur)
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To: bert

It’s a Big Club, and you ain’t in it.


14 posted on 12/09/2025 6:13:08 AM PST by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: MtnClimber

Bkmk


15 posted on 12/09/2025 6:14:40 AM PST by sauropod
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To: MtnClimber

Their so-called communist “democracy” is an immediate, dire threat to our Constitutional Republic....BIG TIME.


16 posted on 12/09/2025 6:20:32 AM PST by lgjhn23 ("On the 8th day, Satan created the progressive liberal to destroy all the good that God created...")
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To: MtnClimber

Democracy is the code word for communism.


17 posted on 12/09/2025 6:21:26 AM PST by Disambiguator
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To: lgjhn23

A lynch mob is democracy in action...


18 posted on 12/09/2025 6:27:58 AM PST by tet68 ("We would not die in that man's company that fears his fellowship to die with us." Henry V.)
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To: tet68

If you listen to fools, the mob rules.


19 posted on 12/09/2025 6:33:08 AM PST by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: one guy in new jersey; All
“It’s getting to the point where Mr. Trump might have to go medieval on the whole lot of them, declare the Insurrection Act, and move the action into military courts.

But how long is this going to be dangled in front of the citizenry like a carrot on a stick?

20 posted on 12/09/2025 6:34:17 AM PST by AFB-XYZ (( We have two options: 1. Stand up, or 2. Bend over))
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