In 1838, Abraham Lincoln predicted how the US democracy would die as it is about to do under Trump.

[NNadir]

As a young man, Abraham Lincoln tested his developing rhetorical skills by giving speeches at a "Lyceum," which were clubs for making speeches modeled on the Athenium democracy where public issues were debated in a public forum. His 1838 "Lyceum" speech in Springfield represents one of the earliest of his speeches of which we have a record.

Speech to the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield (1838)

He predicted how the United States as a democracy would die:

Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!—All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

There you have it, his prescience.

I added the bold.

[MiHale]

1. Couldn't have predicted the internet...

Gave that step across the ocean a bridge and a short at that.

[NNadir]

10. I was going to offer the 1956 Sci Fi movie "Forbidden Planet" as a rationale for this disaster.

In the movie a party of space explorers land on a planet where a race of highly developed superior beings suddenly goes extinct after developing technology to telekinetically control the physical world around them.

It turns out that they didn't realize that their subconscious impulses cause them to project monsters to destroy one another and they're wiped out.

The internet causes people to project their worst fantasies and beliefs - some of which are outright lies - on to one another in a way to proves quite self destructive.

They are "Monsters from the Id." The fact that Monsters and Magats both begin with M is not the only similarity between them.

[Bluethroughu]

2. Holy smokes, instigated by his own party.

[NNadir]

3. The Republican Party of today is decidedly not the Party Abraham Lincoln helped to found.

Lincoln never supported oligarchy.

[Bluethroughu]

19. No, but somewhere along the way...

The common man thought he too could achieve the keys to the kingdom, and supported those that stole his soul.

[paleotn]

12. In name only.

Republicans resemble the party of Lincoln about as much as Democrats now resemble the party of Jefferson Davis.

[Martin Eden]

4. I've read that quote before; thanks for refreshing my memory

Lincoln had acquired considerable insight while still in his twenties.

I'm horrified that particular insight has now proven to be prophetic.

[markie]

6. suicide

more like murder-suicide

[Blue Full Moon]

7. We are the enemy within but it was them the entire time

They holler socialists. They support socialist countries and dictators. Their heroes are nationalist socialists. They hand out money to billionaires and corporations and then tell average people that it's not for them and make them against their self preservation. So they are the national socialists and we are expected to live by cutthroat capitalism. Once and for all no matter the truth they will always say that the democrats are socialists or communist. We needed to call them out and expose it.

[jaxexpat]

8. Lincoln was younger then. He held high the argument that suicide was not a legitimate expression of personal freedom.

He had not weighed to compare the various substances which drown hope. Nor had he, at that time, judged the power of fear, the uncertainty of death or the weariness of heartbreak. Had he lived to fulfill his term, how much different would the current days be?

As a boy, I was taught the Civil War was "The Great Test" of America's endurability. It was a settled reality which would only grow stronger with age. All we had to do was prevent WWIII. Aside from that, our republic was sacred and blessed by God. Evidenced and proven by our military "invincibility", proven by our supremacy in history's biggest ever contest. My teachers were right about one thing. We must not allow WWIII, but in focusing on that singularity they left us blind to our perpetual vulnerability, our naive and gullible preoccupation with and worship of capital.

[NJCher]

9. Orangecrush used that term the other day

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=19684528

[paleotn]

11. That passage came to my mind this week. So did Yeats, "The Second Coming"

The Greatest Generation gave their lives to protect democracy globally. Now, "The Worst Generation" threw it away in a stupid, pouty tantrum. The ultimate act of self indulgence.

For all our problems, this generation, my generation, is the richest, most pampered, most powerful generation in American history. My parents survived a grinding, global depression and a world war that claimed millions. A far tougher row to hoe than our pampered butts can imagine. Yet, they kept the faith, as other democracies failed, and our Republic came through stronger than ever. My generation, the Boomers, X'rs, etc., just killed our democracy for reasons they can't even rationally articulate. Mostly a pouty tantrum of perceived slights and internet bullshit.

Yesterday I pondered foreign interference as at least a culprit in our Republic's demise. There's no evidence today of any direct interference. But even if there were, they might be just the "undertaker" and not the actual murderer. It's The Worst Generation that made that possible or did it completely on their on. We have so little to be proud of.

Yeats....Second Coming. It's pretty worn and taken out of context a lot, but I think it's fitting for this debacle....

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/the-second-coming

[panfluteman]

13. A Blockbuster Hollywood Movie Also Echoed the Same Theme:

I believe it was a movie called "The Fall of the Roman Empire" which starred Sophia Loren, among others. The guy narrating the epilogue said that no great empire or superpower is ever defeated from without until is has first defeated itself from within.

[oldmanlynn]

14. Bottom line. We are on the right side

The war is still going. We have to find a way to make right and truth prevail.

Through all of this we have to destroy fox news and the 100s of radio and TV stations pushing a warped view of reality. This can be accomplished by overwhelming their word with truth propaganda.

We are on the right side.

[Martin68]

15. I'm worried too, but I believe we can keep at least a small spark of democracy alive until we make a comeback and

let it flourish again.

[NNadir]

16. I'm not entirely discounting that possibility, but there will be much suffering before Democracy can be reestablished.

It is not inevitable that it will be, but our long traditions may bring it back.

I'm not against struggling against democracy's end, but I do not believe it will be restored in my remaining lifetime. It's the kids we've fucked, as usual.

[dweller]

17. I have part of this speech in my fb timeline 11/19/21

--By such examples, by instances of the perpetrators of such acts going unpunished, the lawless in spirit, are encouraged to become lawless in practice; and having been used to no restraint, but dread of punishment, they thus become, absolutely unrestrained.--Having ever regarded Government as their deadliest bane, they make a jubilee of the suspension of its operations; and pray for nothing so much, as its total annihilation. While, on the other hand, good men, men who love tranquility, who desire to abide by the laws, and enjoy their benefits, who would gladly spill their blood in the defense of their country; seeing their property destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives endangered; their persons injured; and seeing nothing in prospect that forebodes a change for the better; become tired of, and disgusted with, a Government that offers them no protection; and are not much averse to a change in which they imagine they have nothing to lose.

Abraham Lincoln
from his Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois
January 27, 1838


✌🏻

[NNadir]

18. Yes, I fully agree. That part of the speech is as well definitely relevant to our time.