There are no rules based paths that will get us out.

[WestMichRad]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/24/2324082/-There-are-no-rules-based-paths-that-will-get-us-out

First, the main stream media has been corrupted. (Discussed further at link.)

Second, guardrails against election cheating get continuously weaker. Citizens United created a space where unlimited funds could be dumped into any race by Oligarchs. This money creates a vastly uneven playing field where a few rich individuals can blast their message across a friendly MSM far out of proportion to their votes. Further, Republican legislatures have gerrymandered control where they can including several states which should be evenly divided but instead now have significant GOP majorities. Combined with voter suppression and a clear willingness to break the law to achieve political power elections are no longer close to being fair. It will take a massive pro-Democracy vote just to break even.

Third, all components of the executive branch have been, or are in process of, being fully corrupted to Republican control. There is no independent FBI, Justice Department, or any other federal oversight which is not under Republican sway. ICE has become the institution by which people are disappeared. The FBI has removed all of their anti-Russian counter-espionage efforts. The Russians are free to continue to meddle in our elections, steal our secrets, and spread their poison.

Fourth, the independence of the courts is being whittled away. People like to point out that we are “winning” in the courts. But what I see is a long slow delaying of the inevitable and zero progress towards an active solution. Such delay can be useful provided there is something else coming to change all the rest of the dynamics. So every case which goes our way is a positive. But the courts have yet to use their Contempt Power and I personally believe that is because they know it is not a power that can be enforced and so they don’t wish to advertise it. What we need is a judge willing to cite Pam Bondi with contempt and then attempt to put her in jail. They have plenty of cause to do this so it would not be on thin legal ground. But a judge who does this will quickly show that Pam Bondi will never end up in jail under contempt charges. That is obviously not good for us in many ways, but demonstrating this to the country will at least prove to everyone just how bad things are. Meanwhile we have no constitution. There is not a single part of the Constitution that the conservative SCOTUS won’t gut if they feel like it and they are not constrained by logic.

Further discussion at link. Very worthwhile read.

“We will not be rid of the Republican menace (merely) through voting.”