Politics and History

We all talk about how we would have handled the big moments of history had we lived through them. But, to be cliché, hindsight is 20/20. No one really knows how they will act in the big moments in history because we cannot recognize them in the moment.

We can only teach ourselves, and our progeny, a set of morals that can allow us to respond in at least a decent way as history unfolds. This is part of the problem addressed in my last post. If we consciously choose to forget history, we forget our moral values. Life becomes relativistic. It is how dictators control the masses. They erase community history, thus, they erase community morality.

We, as Americans, have never agreed on our community history, thus, our community morality has always been open to interpretation. We are, in many ways, a Machiavellian society with no actual concept that Machiavelli was writing satire when he wrote, “The ends justify the means.” We take it literally without any real thought into the underlying philosophy.

Trump is the personification of everything that is bad in our society. He is unintelligent. He possesses zero intellectual curiosity. He feeds and stokes the fear in segments of our society. In some cases, he creates that fear so he can stoke it.

His followers listen. Why? Because the ruling and political classes in our society have long encouraged a more jingoistic view of our supremacy that does not require we actually be supreme. It is easier to control an electorate that is uneducated, especially in the function of the societal contract.

Every man for himself is encouraged. We use platitudes like, “self-made,” and “pick yourself up by your bootstraps.” Any actual thought of a society that cares for all it’s members is called evil. If you think our society should be equitable for all, you are labeled a socialist. As if that is a bad thing.

The ruling and political classes have divided us by teaching us “otherism.” We are us. Everyone else is “other.” Other is bad. The corporate overlords who give away your jobs for profits are not the evil in our society. The “others” who are given your jobs are the evil.

A divided populace is easier to control. We started early. Plantation owners told the poorest white man that he is better than the richest black man. It fed a fear. It worked so well that millions were convinced to fight a war to defend a system that provides nothing for them. In fact, the plantation system is part of what kept the poorest white man down because the plantation owners created a built in work force that kept poor whites from finding work.

It did not happen overnight. It took a generation. We are seeing the same seeds bloom again. It happened when one group of the political class defined themselves as “real Americans” while everyone else was the “liberal elite” that needed to be defeated.

The problem is that they lost control of the monster they created. It is how we find ourselves with Trump. He knew how to manipulate, and for a time control, the beast.

Now, the beast is awake and the bulwark that could protect our currently fragile democratic experiment is playing ostrich to the possibility of the danger. We cannot admit to ourselves that we are on the brink of a new schism that will irreparably split us this time.

We forget that “the pen is mightier than the sword” does not mean we can bring a ballpoint to a knife fight. Trump, however, understands just how well words can motivate. He knows as well as any other dictatorial-minded tyrant has known how to turn a crowd into a mob. He has shown it time and time again since he entered politics.

This week, he fully admitted that he tried to overthrow the rightfully elected government of the United States. Nothing meaningful will be done. Half the political class will continue to protect him.

Why? Hubris.

In the back of their minds, they still think they have some level of control over a deal they made with the devil. Those that know they don’t, are still betting that the devil will win and they would rather be pets than cattle.

It will not end well for anyone. The devil only cares about his own power and comfort.

Book Banning

I forgot to post this yesterday. Forgive me if it seems a bit disjointed. I am still finding my voice again after the break in posting.

There are a lot of discussions as to why ‘Maus’ is being banned in Tennessee. I believe people with an actual thought process can agree it is not for the reason that the McMinn County Board of Education states. Their argument is nothing more than the cut-and-paste debate used by authoritarian-minded people throughout history.

An argument from the anti-ban side is that ‘Maus’ is being banned because it is being told from a completely Jewish perspective. There is some truth to this debate. The viewpoint of the story makes it an outlier to the average Christian American.

It is not because it is about the Holocaust. There are plenty of stories about the Holocaust. The problem is that this does not have the “necessary” Good Christian Doing Good Things to make people feel better about something completely horrible.

It also doesn’t end the story before the horrible thing needs to be talked about so people can make it a narrative about the bravery of the protagonist(s). Instead, it tells the complete, unvarnished truth about what is probably the most horrific event of the 20th century.

Again, this is a valid viewpoint. But, it is only one tenet of a larger picture… and problem. Let us begin with the debate of Critical Race Theory. It tells an unvarnished truth. It is a truth that many people don’t want to hear.

The narrative on slavery in the United States has always allowed white Christians to feel good about some role they can claim to have played in the ending of the institution. This has always been the problem with history in the United States. White (Christian) Americans have to be made to feel good about the bad situations they create.

Programs that fall under Critical Race Theory tell the unvarnished truth. Good (White) Christians Doing Good Things are not included in the story. Therefore, it must be stopped because, now, white people have to feel bad about their history.

‘Maus’ takes it a step further. It completely eliminates Christians from the story. In a certain worldview, that can never happen.

But, even this is just a part of a bigger problem. When I was a child, I remember a skit in my school that discussed the horrors of authoritarianism. In the 70’s, the authoritarian regime in question was the Soviet Union.

The rise of authoritarianism does not just happen. We do not live in a democracy one day and under an authoritarian government the next day without a war being fought. To use the overly used Nazi comparison, Germany didn’t go from a democratic government to concentration camps right after the Nazis took power.

It is the frog in boiling water analogy. If the water is heated slowly, the frog sits still until it dies. In our case, as long as the authoritarian-minded (read: the GOP) people go slowly, the hope is that we will just take it. So far, this has been true.

The United States has always had a sketchy history with our own… history. We have never been able to critically think about the blemishes of our past. We couch it as protecting our children. It is never about protecting our children.

The difference is that now, instead of being weaponized to protect triggered white Christians, now it is being weaponized to overthrow democracy. If we really want to protect our children, we need to teach them the truth about history. If that is uncomfortable, so be it.

I’m back…

It was not my intention to pick this blog back up, however, we are probably in the most dangerous time in American history since the Civil War. In reality, we are already in the second American Civil War. So far, it is just a cold civil war.

We are so far gone that one of the two major parties in this country no longer has a platform that they use to attract voters. Instead, their strategy is to ensure anyone not likely to vote for them cannot vote. If a vote does not go their way, they cry foul. They are not afraid to resort to political violence.

We are now a country where obstructionism is the norm. We are a country where politicians egg on sedition and then try and cover it up as “no big deal.”

So, I will pick up this blog again. Silence is violence.

Democrats are Perpetual Victims

While Donald Trump is ranting and raving about how he will never give up trying to prove election fraud, we can already feel the air around the Democrats. They know they have won, so they have only one thing left to do. Hand a victory to the Republicans.

Our political system is an abusive relationship. The GOP beats the Dems around for as long as they can. They gaslight. They verbally abuse. They slap us across the face in blatant disregard for the rules they create. Then, when the Dems score some form of victory, the GOP plays the victim and demands the Dems play nice with them while they work through their emotions.

In the meantime, the GOP is just using that time to plan their further abuses. The Senate approval of Cabinet postings has long been considered a political formality, so long as the candidate is just plain not qualified. However, Mitch McConnell has already stated that he plans on dictating who he will accept even in these positions. I am fairly certain that he will only consider Republicans acceptable. It is just another way the GOP, and McConnell personally, has held the country hostage for well over a decade now.

Do the Dems fight back? No. An abusive boyfriend is better than no boyfriend at all, apparently. In fact, the Dems are already trying to find ways to give the GOP a pass.

Today, I read an article that suggests we should forgive the GOP and then work to help them build their self-esteem through building up their economies. In this way, they will stop being taker states and start becoming giver states, and they will feel better about themselves. The article uses the rebuilding of Germany and Japan after WWII.

However, the article completely leaves out the insanely germane fact that, before there was rebuilding, there was a reckoning. We (the Allies) imprisoned and, in many cases executed, the leaders of both nations. We also held to account the most egregious actors in each country to account. Only after this happened did we help rebuild their economies. In this way, both countries have been staunch allies ever since.

But, the Dems say things like, “heal the nation.” They use words like “unity.” They give the GOP a pass. The GOP doesn’t even pretend they won’t do it again. But, for some reason, the Dems cannot accept that the whole ‘hug your bully’ strategy has never worked in the history of the world.

What the Dems seem to be glossing over is that the next autocrat that takes power in the GOP will be much worse than Trump. Why? Because they will be smarter than Trump. Power will not come by accident. This person will learn from the mistakes of Trump.

Our democracy cannot survive the next attempt.

Bye Don

I did not want to really get into anything during the vote. The whole point of this blog was to remind people of who Trump really is. I asked myself if I wanted to continue with this, and the answer is yes.

Aside from anything else, Trump will be in office for the next almost three months. It is safe to assume that the interregnum will be the darkness before the dawn. There is nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal.

First, Donald will NEVER concede the election. He will fight it, tooth and nail, until he is dragged from the White House. Do not doubt for one minute that he will pack up and leave voluntarily. Ironically, I expect Melania to leave long before Jan 20th.

The biggest problem right now is that Trump was not truly excoriated by the nation. In fact, Trump may well have won this election. Fully half the nation seems to still be behind him. I can only imagine that, without the pandemic, he may have won a second term by a landslide.

Because of this, a large percentage of his cult-like followers will never accept that he lost this election through anything but cheating. We have all seen the protests at ballot counting stations. Chants of “stop the steal” echo in every location.

These political zombies have also turned on Faux News since they called Arizona for Biden. Even the Proud Boys have announced that ‘stand by’ is now over. So, there is a very strong possibility that we will descend into violence in many areas of the country.

Even with all this, Trump is stoking the fire. He is doing everything he can to delegitimize the election. I never thought I would live in a country where the President worked to damage democracy and our democratic institutions.

I could talk all night about this, but I don’t want to bring down the joy. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the President and Vice-President elect. This is a good start.

Celebrate for now. But, be ready for what comes until inauguration day.

VOTE!

There is little more I can say at this point that has not been said a million times. Today’s column is going to be short and sweet.

Tomorrow is our official election day. VOTE!

Do not be intimidated by the fake Trump poll watchers. They will try. If, for some reason, you are denied the ability to vote, ASK FOR A PROVISIONAL BALLOT TO FILL OUT. GET A RECEIPT.

If you can, take someone else to your polling place so they can vote.

Finally… Breathe. There is nothing more we can do at the moment.

Maybe, go to the grocery store and stock up for a couple of days. Violence is probable. Stay home on November 4th.

May the odds be ever in our favor. See you on the other side.

Here, There Be Dragons

In two days, the actual election day will be upon us. I used to look forward to election day. It filled me with excitement for what may come. Honestly, that stopped sometime around the Clinton administration. I finally had to admit that I was voting against someone instead of voting for someone.

This year is no different. I am voting against Donald Trump. I have discussed this before, but, Biden is not meant to be a fix to our national problems. He is just supposed to return us to our previous course. It is easier to fix a corrupt democracy than it is to fix a corrupt dictatorship.

But, before we get there, we have to move past the election. We will not move past the election without violence. The violence has already begun. Anus Tangerinus is absolutely encouraging it.

It starts with him calling for his supporters to “poll watch.” What he wants is for armed militias to show up at the polls to intimidate Biden voters. There was actually a security company that was recruiting military veterans to “guard” the polls. Luckily, that was shut down.

But, it has not stopped Trump from his rallying cry. There are militias that are flat out stating that they are currently training to bring harm to non-Trump supporters and voters. Believe them when they tell you what they are trying to do.

This is all political violence. Psychological violence. But, the stakes are raising. A convoy of vehicles in Texas attempted to run a Biden campaign bus off the road on its way to a rally near Austin. At least one Biden campaign vehicle was damaged when a Trump supporter’s vehicle collided with it.

Then, a large group of Trump supporters shut down a highway in New Jersey with a road block. I find this ironic considering they have previously spoken out against BLM protesters shutting down roads. I suppose it is just another case of do as I say and not as I do.

Early voting is over as of today. This means we have one day to gird our loins and prepare for election day. I expect voter intimidation. I expect violence. More violence. We cannot forget police officers who pepper sprayed a crowd of voters who were marching to a polling place in an effort to encourage voting. Several arrests were made. Why? Who knows?

Trump will not go quietly into that good night. Trump has a new plan to declare victory on election night. This will do nothing but create more confusion and violence. This is what he wants.

When Biden does not acquiesce to this, Trump’s supporters will riot. It will only get worse as numbers begin ticking towards Biden as votes are counted in the days after. There will be calls that the election is being stolen. An election is not over until all votes are counted.

As well, Trump has an army of lawyers who will challenge any result that is not positive for his campaign. In this, he hopes to put the election into the court system. This way, he is banking on a conservative Supreme Court to hand him back the presidency. Biden has his own army of lawyers, but this would all be fraught with peril.

We must all be ready for this. We must be ready for the violence. We must be ready for the intervening months between the election and the inauguration of, hopefully, Trump’s successor.

How does Trump happen in the first place?

It is a question that countless Americans have been asking themselves for four years now. The answer is multi-pronged, but not complicated at all. The short answer is because Americans are really prone to mob mentality. As we all know, IQ’s lower as mobs grow bigger.

As voters, we are a fickle bunch. We no longer understand the process. We insist on a candidate who gives us everything we want right away. Compromise is not an option. If we don’t get our way, we threaten, and in many cases follow thru, with not voting.

How many times have we heard a friend say, “My candidate did not get nominated, so I am not voting.” We have forgotten that politics are not a sprint. It is a marathon. As long as the needle is moving in the right direction, we can keep pushing for what we want.

When we decide not to vote, either out of spite or disinterest, the needle moves the wrong way. How much damage has Trump done that will take forever to fix? How far back has the needle gone in the wrong direction?

How else does a Trump happen? Let’s talk about that disinterest. How many times have we heard someone say, “Politics are hard.” or “Politics are boring.”?

This is what politicians want you to feel. If you do not show interest in politics, they get to do what they want. They get to corrupt the system. When we don’t care enough to pay attention, massive wealth is transferred to the rich and powerful. Corporations are declared people. Wages stagnate and the middle class dies.

Finally, at least for this article, a Trump victory happens because we are just plain gullible. EVERY SINGLE DAY, I see someone sharing the Facebook equivalent of the chain letter. In a few cases, the same stupidity gets shared year after year because people recycle it. I think we all remember the Facebook post that has circulated 2-3 times a year about how all your posts and photos will become Facebook property unless you post a nebulous statement saying they can’t. It lists a UCC code and the Rome Act, both of which have NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with this stuff.

The same people post the statement over and over again. Each time you point out the bullshit, they say, “Well, just in case.” Just today, a scam involving Lebron James went out. Somehow, by answering an easy and stupid question, he is going to give you $10,000.

Sometimes, I check these out just to see what the scam is. In this case, it is a phishing scam that tries to get you to provide personal and bank information to the scammer. How many people are going to lose their savings because of this? Or the Nigerian scam? Or any phishing scam? But, we do it… just in case.

And that is how Trump wins. Remember when he said, “What have you got to lose?” Democracy. That is what we have to lose.

Y’all Qaeda

If you go to your polling place and you see Chairborne Rangers or Gravy Seals, just remember, they are more afraid of you than you are of them.

That is why they had to bring their dick extensions… erm, assault rifles… to the polling place.

Make them feel better. Smile and laugh at them so they know that voting should be a festive activity.

These men are very emotionally fragile, as well, so maybe approach them and say, “Sorry about your penis.”