Thousands of people across the United States are expected to take part in the “king” protest this Saturday. This is a national day of action against what protesters see as an authoritarian overreach and a concentration of power in the administrative sector.
The protest coincides with a massive military parade in Washington, D.C., which marks the 250th anniversary of the US Army and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. This is a recent AP-NORC poll showing that some people feel the parade, so Army officials say it could cost as much as $45 million, but it’s not a valid use of the funds. In a video highlighting upcoming demonstrations, organizers argued that the parade portrayed President Trump as “behaving like the king of “want””.
The same organizers say their message is simple. America is based on the rejection of a monarchy and must defend the democratic tradition. Some key issues in their attitude include aggressive immigration enforcement, militarization of Los Angeles, and federal employment from recent executive orders.
On the contrary, President Trump and his supporters have dismissed these criticisms, claiming he is simply fighting corrupt facilities and using the tools available as an elected leader. They argue that the accusations are politically motivated and intended to divert from policy issues. The president himself recently said, “I don’t feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get what is approved.”
What is the difference between the rules of democracy and authoritarianism?
The Last King of America
Some signs and chants in future protests are expected to refer to King George III of England, the last king to rule the American colonies. As history shows, his rule ended during the American Revolution in 1776 when he was cast as a symbol of tyranny. The Declaration of Independence lists his crimes, including imposing taxes without consent, disbanding of representative bodies, and obstructing justice.
The British constitutional monarch represents absolute control and colonial oppression for the settlers and King George III. The Declaration of Independence not only marked the birth of the United States as a republic, but it was also a bold rejection of monarchy and hereditary power. In the years following the war, framers of the US Constitution intentionally built a system designed to prevent the rise of another king.
A portrait of George III. (Getty Images)
In fact, when some proposed that General George Washington be the monarch of the new nation in 1782, he firmly refused, as he said at the National Archives. Instead, he chose to serve under the principles of the government of the Republic. His decision helped set the standard. America’s power would come from people, not from the throne.
Fast forward nearly 250 years, and its founding principles once again stumble into the spotlight, but there seems to be an unlikely backtrack to the monarchy.
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