A few days ago I read a funny anecdote in the book "Is God a mathematician?" about the great logician Kurt Gödel. In order to be naturalized as a US citizen, he had to take an exam for which he prepared himself very carefully. So he also studied the American Constitution, and he told his friend Albert Einstein that he had found logical contradictions in this Constitution that would allow a man to establish a fascist regime and become a dictator completely legally.
Einstein advised Gödel not to mention this in the exam.
On the day of the exam, Einstein accompanied Gödel, who was quite jittery.
The following dialogue took place with the examiner:
"Now, Mr Gödel, where do you come from?"
"I am from Austria"
"What kind of government did you have in Austria?"
"It was a republic, but the constitution was such that it was finally changed into a dictatorship"
"Oh! This is very sad. But this could not happen in this country"
Gödel: " Oh, yes, it can, and I can PROVE it!"
Einstein and the others present gasped, but the examiner did not go into it.
Well, if Gödel was right, Trump's lawyers might have found this "flaw" in the Constitution - and Trump could legally destroy the American democracy from within (if he has such an intention, maybe he just wants to play, so that he's more of a showman than a wannabe dictator)
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Fortunately (or unfortunately) that dictatorship led to a war. It took a major war to get Austria back on track. It could happen here and a civil war can erupt. Right now that war is being fought but with words, procedures, laws and, in the end, votes.
JackPedigo
Level 9
Feb 17, 2020
1
I think he’s playing and enjoying the limelight. If Trump actually started being a dictator he’d be ousted with bipartisan support. Remember, the same sorts of things were said about Obama.
WilliamFleming
Level 8
Feb 17, 2020
0
And Bush before Obama. Now there's "experts" who make a good living preaching "We're turning into a dictatorship!"
And here is that flaw! If you listen to the podcast, it’s bone-chilling...
Gmak
Level 7
Feb 17, 2020
1
Fascinating! She says the weakest spot is the area in the Dept. of Justice where protection from political interference is normative rather than statutory. Wikipedia says:
Normative generally means relating to an evaluative standard. Normativity is the phenomenon in human societies of designating some actions or outcomes as good or desirable or permissible and others as bad or undesirable or impermissible.
Here's a curious little piece from Plato's Republic about the rich and powerful:
In the first place, he is thought just, and therefore bears rule in the city; he can marry whom he will, and give in marriage to whom he will; also he can trade and deal where he likes, and always to his own advantage, because he has no misgivings about injustice; and at every contest, whether in public or private, he gets the better of his antagonists, and gains at their expense, and is rich, and out of his gains he can benefit his friends, and harm his enemies; moreover, he can offer sacrifices, and dedicate gifts to the gods abundantly and magnificently, and can honour the gods or any man whom he wants to honour in a far better style than the just, and therefore he is likely to be dearer than they are to the gods. And thus, Socrates, gods and men are said to unite in making the life of the unjust better than the life of the just.
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