One of our nation’s greatest novelists, Sinclair Lewis once wrote that “When Fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross.” Are we soon to be approaching that Rubicon? January 6th, 2021 will go down in American history either as A) The culmination of years of far right wing Neo Fascist mechanisms or B) The awakening of millions of sleeping citizens to this menace. Watching the House and Senate hearings yesterday one must come away with certain finalities. One such being just how completely ‘Off the radar’ many Republican legislators are. Imagine hearing Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar calling Ashli Babbitt’s death an execution. This was the far right wing woman, wrapping herself in MY FLAG, forcing her way into the Capitol building and being shot by a police officer. This was in the middle of an obvious Riot, with many of her co insurrectionists in open combat with law enforcement officers. Meanwhile, Vice President Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer were on their cell phones pleading for help from inside the chambers.
This writer, for those who read my work, knows how I have little political respect for the Republican and Democratic Parties. I went to grade school, junior high and high school with Chuck Schumer. Once he became Senator Chuck veered further and further away from his and my progressive instincts. I can recall, when he was a state representative, how he helped my parent’s tenants association in their battle with the Lefrak Corporation, one of the city’s largest landlords. By the time Chuck was selected to the Senate Banking Committee, he lost that vigor to protect working stiffs. Sad. Pelosi was one of the henchman (or is it henchwoman?) who, when the Democrats took back the House in 2006, refused to allow hearings on the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. Anyone remember Rep. Conyors, holding an Ad Hoc hearing in the basement of the Capitol building in 2006 (the Republicans would not allow any such hearing),? He promised that “Once we are in control of the House, and I become Judiciary Committee Chairman, the first order of business will be to have hearings on the run-up to the invasion and occupation of Iraq.” And one should now wonder why Sinclair Lewis’s quote is seeing fruition? As far as Mike Pence, well, his ‘Chickens Came Home to Roost’ on January 6th. The man who stood by his emperor with no clothes for so long finally got his wake up call… or did he? Who in the hell cares?
Yesterday, while channel surfing I came across a tape of the morning C-Span call in show. The host had an Afro American man on discussing election laws. A caller, identifying herself as a Republican from Texas, referred to the show’s guest as ‘This person’. She could not even call him a MAN during her retort against what he was offering the discussion. Imagine how deep this white supremacist outright racism flows into the heart of this nation of ours? Yes, it was much worse during the 60s when, well, this ‘Person’ would never have even been on a show like this one. I guess the old leftist slogan bears fruit even today: “Nothing good ever comes out of Texas.” Sorry to all those good and decent progressive souls from that state. Any place that would elect AND re-elect a jackass like Ted Cruz (and before him Tom DeLay) needs some adjusting.
Those of us who understand how this ‘American Capitalism on Steroids’ operates realize a few facts. One such being that many of the low and middle income Trump Thumpers are folks who have been getting screwed by this system for generations. They, like with the millions of Germans in the late 1920s- early 30s, just followed the wrong leaders. The very people who did NOT have those working stiff interests in mind became the ordained ‘Heroes’ to these folks. That is always how fascism operates. You find scapegoats to pin the blame on and off you go… right to the poorhouse… or in Germany’s case total destruction. The super rich love fascism, always have. Why? Well, they will always profit from fascist governments, and the fascist governments will profit from, as Mark Twain called them, ‘The crooks and scoundrels’. Then you factor in the religious zealots who only care about keeping control of their flocks, and you have what Sinclair Lewis alluded to. Folks, we are at that precipice now. Time for some soul searching by ALL working stiffs.
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