Thread by @JYSexton

The Trump Administration's freeing of Mike Flynn was a message to the American people that they are beyond the reach of the law.

It's the kind of tactic criminal authoritarians love to use and designed to break the will and spirit of the people.

themuckrake.com/main/flagrant-…

Criminal regimes love flaunting their crimes. They love the opportunity to tiptoe to the brink of being arrested or prosecuted or held accountable.

It gives them an opportunity to showcase their bulletproofness and display their ability to circumvent consequences.

Destroying the system of law and order and engaging in flaunting displays of corruption serves another purpose: it is an assault on the public will.

As Putin has done, continually lying and stealing and getting away with it creates a society of learned helplessness and apathy.

The ideal society for criminal authoritarians is one that is both apathetic to their crimes because they believe there is no ability to fight and one that has lost all faith in public institutions.

Trump and his cronies are dismantling America. It is intentional and flagrant.

Flynn's being set free felt like an offensive maneuver, an act designed to insult our intelligence and sense of justice.

It was exactly that and it was intentional. Trump understands the blow this represents to public faith and public morale. It's designed to demoralize us.

For an example of how this works, look no further than Russia, where Putin's blatant corruption and manipulation has created a sense of frustrated inertia.

By continually flaunting crimes and demonstrating powerful lawlessness, authoritarians like Trump only grow in power.