Constitutional Crisis
As of this morning (February 3, 2025), I have been tracking now 98 actions the new Administration has taken since inauguration. At this point in my research and evaluation of them, acknowledging that HOW things are done is equally or more important than what’s intended (therefore leaving everything up to some question) I’m in general agreement with 14 (a thorough evaluation of and implementation plan regarding Government efficiencies just so happens to be one of them), generally ambivalent about 9, concerned about 35, and gravely concerned about the existential threat to our democracy and the well-being of American citizens created by 40 of them. This one is near the top for me at this moment. I’ll say it again, unless your preferred form of governance is authoritarianism and/or dictatorship – this should concern you regardless of what party or not with which you affiliate and/or how you voted!!
I’m providing a link to an article (who's title I disagree with because access was not "given" to them through any official channel in any official way - access was taken, not given) and have researched this across both right, left, and center NON-TELEVISION BASED news sources – and I trust that the details we have are accurate. There are a few sources that I have found that leave out concerning details, but the other sources are all unified. In case you can’t access the link I’ll provide a summary, but here’s a quick personal commentary (opinion).
Imagine a group of people were to break into the electronic files of a major national bank without authorization and no official authority, now gaining access and control of all of the banks (your) money and all of the banks (your) personal information and without any way of any officials or authorities (law enforcement, government, etc.) knowing if or how those individuals were going to use it. This would be, without doubt, a major concern (it has in lesser situations). It would also be considered illegal and those individuals would be held accountable to the highest degree of the law (which they should be if one believes in law and order). Authorities would also be doing everything in their power to stop and arrest them.
Well… this is the same situation that is occurring RIGHT NOW with the Treasury’s payment system! Except – Those with the duty and authority to stop the criminals are being striped of their authority leaving no one to actually protect the American people from this illegal activity.
Though I am deeply concerned about the potential for these actors to use their control of this system and information (that does not belong to them) in ways that damage our country and our people (or other countries and their people), I am less concerned about even that at this point as I am about what IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING.
Elon Musk and 6 very young engineers, with no experience with the information they now control, have no official authority – therefore no authority – granted to them by law or the government to do this. They are not government employees, nor have they been officially appointed to any position. Nor do they have security clearances. It is illegal and it is a literal hostile take over. They have taken control of the American People’s property without the consent of those we have empowered to represent us. Every American’s right to representation (democracy) has been taken from us. It doesn’t matter what the reason is, even if it’s a good one, its authoritarian and anti-democratic, and it’s being not only allowed but encouraged and supported (if not directed) by POTUS.
If we were to be watching this take place in another country, we’d have a word to describe it. It’s a word used to describe when private citizens seize control of established government offices and systems. I believe its called a Coup. Again, I'm not trying to be dramatic.... it's just literally the definition of what has happened. It may be a small one... but when is this ever okay?