A Free Republican Party in Exile: Succession by Another Name

I’m publishing this series of articles to share and discuss my ruminations on coping with a troubled and messy world. You can “follow” me to never miss an article.

An Op-Ed in The New York Times offers a challenging, but possible way out of the MAGA Domination of the Republican Party. Essentially, it’s to create a Conservative Republican Party in Exile known as the Free Republicans.

The authors mince no words in making their case:

“…most essential, Free Republicans must set their sight on overthrowing the MAGA, not influencing it, partnering with it, bargaining with it, coexisting with it or waiting it out. They must name and explain what Trumpism represents: lawlessness, moral anarchy, conspiratorial thinking and an assault on the Constitution. They must challenge MAGA Republicans in primaries, focusing in particular on state races for governors, attorney generals, state legislators and others. They must be prepared to withstand the hostile machinations of the MAGA Republican Party and the attacks of the Trump movement, which will be relentless. It they do not consistently oppose MAGA, they will be dragged under it.”

In the same issue of The Times, Bret Stephens argues in no uncertain terms that Netanyahu must go. As he writes:

“It’s dangerous for a country to be led by someone the people neither support nor trust. Seventy-one percent of Israelis want Netanyahu booted, according to polls, and 66 Percent want elections called early, which could happen if a handful of members of the ruling coalition defected. Wishing Netanyahu gone is the most mainstream position possible — and one sincere friends of Israel should never be afraid to express.”

Thus, we have the case of two Authoritarians, both of which have control over their respective Parties. The big difference of course is that the Israelis have been slowly but steadily coming to their senses. Without getting rid of Netanyahu and making some serious form of restitution to the Palestinians, Israel will continue to be a Pariah on the World Stage.

Tragically, it may already be too late for both to undo the damage that’s been done.

Ian I. Mitroff is credited as being one of the principal founders of the modern field of Crisis Management. He has a BS, MS, and a PhD in Engineering and the Philosophy of Social Systems Science from UC Berkeley. He Is Professor Emeritus from the Marshall School of Business and the Annenberg School of Communication at USC. Currently, he is a Senior Research Affiliate in the Center for Catastrophic Risk Management, UC Berkeley. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Management. He has published 41 books. His latest is: The Socially Responsible Organization: Lessons from Covid, Springer, New York, 2022.

Image by Tibor Janosi Mozes from Pixabay