[Serious] The Rehabilitation of President Richard M. Nixon

[Jehanne]

It is the cornerstone of American democracy that the losers ADMIT that they lost and graciously accept the peaceful transfer of power.

Trump's actions & behavior are completely unique in the history of the United States of America; no other President has behaved this way with respect to an election loss.

I’m not sure that accepting defeat qualifies Nixon as a ‘patriot’, since every losing presidential candidate (bar Trump) has done exactly that. It’s just business as usual, nothing special. It’s like declaring someone a patriot for driving a car or having running water.

Boru

At the end of the Revolutionary War, many people in America and Europe thought Washington would retain the reins of power to become the leader of the new nation, or even king. When told by the American artist Benjamin West that Washington was going to resign, King George III of England said "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."

Maryland State House -- George Washington's Resignation

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I’m not sure that accepting defeat qualifies Nixon as a ‘patriot’, since every losing presidential candidate (bar Trump) has done exactly that. It’s just business as usual, nothing special. It’s like declaring someone a patriot for driving a car or having running water.

Boru

At the end of the Revolutionary War, many people in America and Europe thought Washington would retain the reins of power to become the leader of the new nation, or even king. When told by the American artist Benjamin West that Washington was going to resign, King George III of England said "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."

Maryland State House -- George Washington's Resignation

Dafuq has that got to do with my post?

Boru

[Anomalocaris]

Nixon laid the foundation of what will become the party of trump.   Reagan made the substances that will be its walls.

Neither intended to achieve the specific end result that is the party of trump today, but both exhibited in plenty the reckless political opportunism that foreshadows both trump and the party of trump by taking things down in this direction that had broad consequences predicted right from the beginning, for tactical political gains.

Nixon believed the president must outwardly diligently protect how mechanism of the republic but can cheat to defeat the intent of the mechanism in order to keep and expand his own power. 

Reagan inculcated the spirit in the GOP that moderation and respect for loyal opposition is a quaint anachronism unsuited to the contemporary spirit of moral self-righteousness.

[Jehanne]

Maryland State House -- George Washington's Resignation

Dafuq has that got to do with my post?

Boru

I can't imagine Trump doing what Washington did, which I am sure that Jefferson, Adams, Taft, Lincoln, etc., would have (eventually) also done, if any of them were in Washington's shoes.

The peaceful transition of power is unique to American democracy, and if other nations have such, it's because they got it from Us. Dick Nixon also respected this foundational principle of Liberty.

[Anomalocaris]

Dafuq has that got to do with my post?

Boru

I can't imagine Trump doing what Washington did, which I am sure that Jefferson, Adams, Taft, Lincoln, etc., would have (eventually) also done, if any of them were in Washington's shoes.

The peaceful transition of power is unique to American democracy, and if other nations have such, it's because they got it from Us.  Dick Nixon also respected this foundational principle of Liberty.

No, peaceful transition of power occurred far more times over a longer period of time in the Roman republic than in the American democracy.

They sure as hell didn’t use a time machine to get it from us.

American Republican institution is nowhere near as strong, nor as well constructed, nor as Uncompromised, nor as pioneering, as those who dearly wishes to rationalize American exceptionalism would like to believe.

[Jehanne]

I can't imagine Trump doing what Washington did, which I am sure that Jefferson, Adams, Taft, Lincoln, etc., would have (eventually) also done, if any of them were in Washington's shoes.

The peaceful transition of power is unique to American democracy, and if other nations have such, it's because they got it from Us.  Dick Nixon also respected this foundational principle of Liberty.

No, peaceful transition of power occurred far more times over a much longer period of time in the Roman republic than in the American democracy.

They sure as hell didn’t use a time machine to get it from us.

American democracy is neither as strong, nor as well constructed, nor as pioneering, as those who dearly wishes to rationalize American exceptionalism would like to believe.

Rome was a Republic that turned into an Empire, which, as an Empire pretended to be a Republic. In any case, how many civil wars did Rome fight? How many has the United States fought?

[Anomalocaris]

No, peaceful transition of power occurred far more times over a much longer period of time in the Roman republic than in the American democracy.

They sure as hell didn’t use a time machine to get it from us.

American democracy is neither as strong, nor as well constructed, nor as pioneering, as those who dearly wishes to rationalize American exceptionalism would like to believe.

Rome was a Republic that turned into an Empire, which, as an Empire pretended to be a Republic.  In any case, how many civil wars did Rome fight?  How many has the United States fought?

The Roman republic avoided civil war for its first 370 years, about 130 years longer than the United States had existed, much less the 4 score and five the US actually manage open civil war.

United has been turning into an empire as soon as the rival superpower fell leaving the US in hegemonic position.      It took Rome 80 year from gaining hegemonic power over Mediterranean world to her first civil war on the path to toppling traditional Republican distributed power structure, and 170 years before the transition to monarchical empire is complete.   United States is also bidding fair to both it in less.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Dafuq has that got to do with my post?

Boru

I can't imagine Trump doing what Washington did, which I am sure that Jefferson, Adams, Taft, Lincoln, etc., would have (eventually) also done, if any of them were in Washington's shoes.

The peaceful transition of power is unique to American democracy, and if other nations have such, it's because they got it from Us.  Dick Nixon also respected this foundational principle of Liberty.

There’s a difference between a general officer (Washington) resigning his commission and Trump not accepting election results. Your link wasn’t about Washington the president, but about Washington the general. 

As such, it has nothing to do with the topic of the peaceful transfer of power.

Boru

[Jehanne]

I can't imagine Trump doing what Washington did, which I am sure that Jefferson, Adams, Taft, Lincoln, etc., would have (eventually) also done, if any of them were in Washington's shoes.

The peaceful transition of power is unique to American democracy, and if other nations have such, it's because they got it from Us.  Dick Nixon also respected this foundational principle of Liberty.

There’s a difference between a general officer (Washington) resigning his commission and Trump not accepting election results. Your link wasn’t about Washington the president, but about Washington the general. 

As such, it has nothing to do with the topic of the peaceful transfer of power.

Boru

Most historians, I believe, would disagree and would instead view as significant Washington's voluntary resignation of his commission. In not making for a clear power grab, Washington would later on, as President, establish the"only 2 terms as President" precedent, which was honored until the 20th-century. In resigning his commission, Washington helped established the principle of the peaceful transfer of power.

[Jehanne]

Rome was a Republic that turned into an Empire, which, as an Empire pretended to be a Republic.  In any case, how many civil wars did Rome fight?  How many has the United States fought?

The Roman republic avoided civil war for its first 370 years, about 130 years longer than the United States had existed, much less the 4 score and five the US actually manage open civil war.

United has been turning into an empire as soon as the rival superpower fell leaving the US in hegemonic position.      It took Rome 80 year from gaining hegemonic power over Mediterranean world to her first civil war on the path to toppling traditional Republican distributed power structure, and 170 years before the transition to monarchical empire is complete.   United States is also bidding fair to both it in less.

Time will tell, I suppose.  Here is a list of the Roman civil wars & revolts:

Wikipedia -- List of Roman civil wars and revolts

In terms of per capita loss of life, I think that we have done better.  But, again, time will tell.