William Barr and the Project to Dismantle Our Liberal Democracy

In a recent speech before the right-wing Federalist Society, Attorney General William Barr excoriated Democrats for waging war on Trump. In so doing, Barr confirmed that, in defiance of his oath of office, he has no interest in defending and upholding the Constitution of the Untied States. To the contrary, he confirmed impressions he’d given earlier that he is a deeply committed authoritarian. His instincts in that direction are so strong that he is too impatient to wait for a leader who would not seriously weaken American national security. For Barr, any aspiring autocrat in the Oval Office, even a crude and ignorant demagogue will do. 

Authoritarianism is presently a powerful force in this country and throughout the world. A surprising number of rich, well-educated, and powerful people, Barr prominent among them, though they may think little of Trump, have shown themselves willing to protect him because they see in the happenstance of his presidency a rare opportunity to transform our precious democracy into the theologically sanctioned authoritarian state they fervently believe America should be.