A magnificent commentary, to which I would add that the most worthwhile program on the air in any media is On the Media, which today just tore the scab off of these traitors--and by traitors, I mean the political media, not simply the republicans they favor.
Excellent essay Tom. Although this information is frightening, it has to be said and repeated by us all to everyone. Maybe we can get through to the apathetic masses.
One of your finest TC. I think this is the logical progression of theocrats having embraced dictatorship their entire lives, intoxicated by the bloodshed of their man-made vindictive monotheism.
Yes Tom, that's the way it is and there are too few of us screaming about it. It is important to remember that this is not new in the US. Trump is only their new face. Die Interesantishe Gesellchaft Farben was not prosecuted at Nuremurg and with their corporate billionaire class honchos, have been bideing their time .The Kock and Welch John Birch Society kept the ignorant Baptist rabble roused through the 50s and their progeny are roused as yet and inspired by the new face, the orange one. The US nazis are as active as ever. Their coup in 1939 was thwarted, but the are using the evangelicals as their new storm troops. The Army of God is on it's way to Texas. Preparing for the Rapture. Phone calls to the White House are in order. Thousands of them, to urge Biden to quit the polite legal path and kick butt now, and Federalize the Guard.
Thank you for helping us to learn the lessons of history so we hopefully will not be doomed to repeat it. It has occurred to me that many magnuts are holocaust deniers just as they are Covid deniers.
Today I saw a picture of tfg manbaby with a very orange face and it made me think of this: Simon and Garfunkel 1964. Sounds of Silence. And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made… listen to it on YouTube or take it off your shelf. 🎃🤡💩
Dare I say, even more striking than the original, and that's saying a lot, since almost never is a cover equally or more powerful than the original version.
The other exception so far to that opinion is Johnny Cash's version of Nine Inch Nails/Trent Reznor's "Hurt" is equally poignant, especially with his video: https://youtu.be/8AHCfZTRGiI?si=42liaVobIbyQ3fd7
Netflix has a series on Jeff Sharlet’s “The Family”. I watched it several years ago and it was very disturbing then. Now with the escalation of christo-fascism in this country it’s much more than disturbing.
Thanks for sharing! I have to wonder if this organization is behind the destruction of the United Methodist Church? In my small town, it ceased to exist as a church and is now just a country club of old white people who hate the "other."
Who’s prepared to take up arms is a very interesting and scary question. Lots of folks will not engage if faced with others pointing weapons back at them, but many of these MAGA folks have military experience. On the other hand, I’m hearing more and more people in other camps talking very quietly about arming themselves. It’s likely to get much, much uglier than it has been.
Without honor, information, or an actual ideology, the armed magas will shoot to make noise. They have never bothered to truly know their enemies and will be forced to hide in fear because maga guy has no interest in protecting them (He proved that during Nam and the way he talks about soldiers and veterans.), and they won't know whom to trust. Are they going to go nextdoor and shoot their neighbor who has a Biden bumper sticker on his car, the neighbor who drives their kids to school and practice every other day and with whom their kids or grandkids play and whose tools they borrow? When we get down to deciding that, it's time for Mexico and Canada to close "their" borders and watch and wait until we put ourselves out of our national fascist misery.
I did a quick search on the internet of the total number of people who attended any of Trump’s rallies on Jan. 6.. The highest estimate I could find was 120,000. That’s certainly a very large number of people in one place, and the subset who violently attacked and invaded the Capitol was more than enough to wreak havoc, kill Capitol police, and miss killing members of Congress and Mike Pence and deranging our democracy by a few yards.
Suppose we assume that 1 in 4 of the Magats who felt really strongly about Trump’s lies actually went to DC that day. That ups the number of conceivably potentially violent Magats to 480,000 nationwide. The World Population review says that as of 2018, there were 19,495 cities and towns in the US. Call it 20,000 for easier mental math. That means that if we spread the Jan. 6 total protesters and insurrectionista and wish-I-had-gone’s evenly across all the cities and town in the country, that’s still only 24 people per city or town if I did the math right. Even if all of them picked up guns and began running amok, yes they could do some terrible and tragic damage wherever they struck. But is that enough people to overcome those in the local police, national guard, etc. who still support the rule of law and who would immediately mobilize to put down what would appear to be a local band of armed lunatics?
I have zero military or law enforcement education or experience. I’ve fired a gun a few times at a range. I have zero expertise in thinking about actual violence and how it could play out. I’m hoping people on this forum who actually are qualified to speak about such things could comment on whether a large number of Dump supporters taking up arms is a realistic possibility, how many there would be, and what would be the chances they would actually prevail anywhere. Okay, anywhere outside Texas?
Excellent review of the history that is staring us in the face, rhyming like mad.
As a tidbit: A fascinating account of the background of Zyklon-B is found in the first chapter of Benjamin Labatut's "When We Cease to Understand the World." The book is a series of fictionalized considerations of various scientific controversies, but chapter 1 hews pretty strictly to fact. It is also a marvelous example of what I call "worm ouroboros" writing, where by the end it is eating its own tail.
"The question is: how many in MAGA will be willing to take up arms for this belief, should those whose job is to count the votes come up with the "wrong" answer? Will that be fascism?"
Thanks, TC. This is chilling. I have often quoted here the book, They Thought They Were Free: 1933-1939 Pre War Germany, Milton Mayer.
Also scary; also us!!
Am sitting in a hospital awaiting my turn for a cardioversion for my A-Fib. As I hope for my own change of heart rhythm, I am hoping our country wakes up to it's own wildly, erratic heartbeat! It will, as in my case, probably take a direct shock!!!
T.C. I am wondering if you have read Rachel Maddow's book "Prequel "? I have not read it but have heard her be interviewed twice about it and how it has comparisons to present day Magas. I think I will have to read it.
A magnificent commentary, to which I would add that the most worthwhile program on the air in any media is On the Media, which today just tore the scab off of these traitors--and by traitors, I mean the political media, not simply the republicans they favor.
Excellent essay Tom. Although this information is frightening, it has to be said and repeated by us all to everyone. Maybe we can get through to the apathetic masses.
One of your finest TC. I think this is the logical progression of theocrats having embraced dictatorship their entire lives, intoxicated by the bloodshed of their man-made vindictive monotheism.
Yeah, that's it.
Yes Tom, that's the way it is and there are too few of us screaming about it. It is important to remember that this is not new in the US. Trump is only their new face. Die Interesantishe Gesellchaft Farben was not prosecuted at Nuremurg and with their corporate billionaire class honchos, have been bideing their time .The Kock and Welch John Birch Society kept the ignorant Baptist rabble roused through the 50s and their progeny are roused as yet and inspired by the new face, the orange one. The US nazis are as active as ever. Their coup in 1939 was thwarted, but the are using the evangelicals as their new storm troops. The Army of God is on it's way to Texas. Preparing for the Rapture. Phone calls to the White House are in order. Thousands of them, to urge Biden to quit the polite legal path and kick butt now, and Federalize the Guard.
Do you get through to the White House by phone? The only way I know of is to use the contact form at whitehouse.gov. Please share that info.
Ps. The DOJ has contact info on its website.
Whew, that's a lot of history/contemporary affairs all in one essay. Well done, Tom. Thank you for stating the real issue so eloquently.
Stupid has a lot of acceptance these days. Fighting elitism is a daily aim.
Thank you for helping us to learn the lessons of history so we hopefully will not be doomed to repeat it. It has occurred to me that many magnuts are holocaust deniers just as they are Covid deniers.
Today I saw a picture of tfg manbaby with a very orange face and it made me think of this: Simon and Garfunkel 1964. Sounds of Silence. And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made… listen to it on YouTube or take it off your shelf. 🎃🤡💩
Watch and listen to this song on YouTube done by the group Disturbed. It’s powerful.
Dare I say, even more striking than the original, and that's saying a lot, since almost never is a cover equally or more powerful than the original version.
The other exception so far to that opinion is Johnny Cash's version of Nine Inch Nails/Trent Reznor's "Hurt" is equally poignant, especially with his video: https://youtu.be/8AHCfZTRGiI?si=42liaVobIbyQ3fd7
Trent's version: https://youtu.be/Ty-bLdf8Bsw?si=W6YWHCMuOJlTMSP2
Your point cannot be exaggerated; great piece, thank you. And Jeff Sharlet is required reading.
The Family should be required reading for any one running for office, though might give them evil ideas.
Netflix has a series on Jeff Sharlet’s “The Family”. I watched it several years ago and it was very disturbing then. Now with the escalation of christo-fascism in this country it’s much more than disturbing.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/jesse-moss-and-jeff-sharlet-family-yngksh/
Thanks for sharing! I have to wonder if this organization is behind the destruction of the United Methodist Church? In my small town, it ceased to exist as a church and is now just a country club of old white people who hate the "other."
Sad...
Home run, TC. Unfortunately. You point out how truly imperiled we are.
Who’s prepared to take up arms is a very interesting and scary question. Lots of folks will not engage if faced with others pointing weapons back at them, but many of these MAGA folks have military experience. On the other hand, I’m hearing more and more people in other camps talking very quietly about arming themselves. It’s likely to get much, much uglier than it has been.
Without honor, information, or an actual ideology, the armed magas will shoot to make noise. They have never bothered to truly know their enemies and will be forced to hide in fear because maga guy has no interest in protecting them (He proved that during Nam and the way he talks about soldiers and veterans.), and they won't know whom to trust. Are they going to go nextdoor and shoot their neighbor who has a Biden bumper sticker on his car, the neighbor who drives their kids to school and practice every other day and with whom their kids or grandkids play and whose tools they borrow? When we get down to deciding that, it's time for Mexico and Canada to close "their" borders and watch and wait until we put ourselves out of our national fascist misery.
I did a quick search on the internet of the total number of people who attended any of Trump’s rallies on Jan. 6.. The highest estimate I could find was 120,000. That’s certainly a very large number of people in one place, and the subset who violently attacked and invaded the Capitol was more than enough to wreak havoc, kill Capitol police, and miss killing members of Congress and Mike Pence and deranging our democracy by a few yards.
Suppose we assume that 1 in 4 of the Magats who felt really strongly about Trump’s lies actually went to DC that day. That ups the number of conceivably potentially violent Magats to 480,000 nationwide. The World Population review says that as of 2018, there were 19,495 cities and towns in the US. Call it 20,000 for easier mental math. That means that if we spread the Jan. 6 total protesters and insurrectionista and wish-I-had-gone’s evenly across all the cities and town in the country, that’s still only 24 people per city or town if I did the math right. Even if all of them picked up guns and began running amok, yes they could do some terrible and tragic damage wherever they struck. But is that enough people to overcome those in the local police, national guard, etc. who still support the rule of law and who would immediately mobilize to put down what would appear to be a local band of armed lunatics?
I have zero military or law enforcement education or experience. I’ve fired a gun a few times at a range. I have zero expertise in thinking about actual violence and how it could play out. I’m hoping people on this forum who actually are qualified to speak about such things could comment on whether a large number of Dump supporters taking up arms is a realistic possibility, how many there would be, and what would be the chances they would actually prevail anywhere. Okay, anywhere outside Texas?
Excellent review of the history that is staring us in the face, rhyming like mad.
As a tidbit: A fascinating account of the background of Zyklon-B is found in the first chapter of Benjamin Labatut's "When We Cease to Understand the World." The book is a series of fictionalized considerations of various scientific controversies, but chapter 1 hews pretty strictly to fact. It is also a marvelous example of what I call "worm ouroboros" writing, where by the end it is eating its own tail.
"The question is: how many in MAGA will be willing to take up arms for this belief, should those whose job is to count the votes come up with the "wrong" answer? Will that be fascism?"
1. ALL. 2. YES.
I don't know. My neighbors huff and puff a lot but they've seen me shoot ( bad) snakes.
Can I be your neighbor?!
I would love it! Hell, you can have the upstairs!
Putting up a very brave front??
Thanks, TC. This is chilling. I have often quoted here the book, They Thought They Were Free: 1933-1939 Pre War Germany, Milton Mayer.
Also scary; also us!!
Am sitting in a hospital awaiting my turn for a cardioversion for my A-Fib. As I hope for my own change of heart rhythm, I am hoping our country wakes up to it's own wildly, erratic heartbeat! It will, as in my case, probably take a direct shock!!!
I've got a friend having a procedure done today for that. I'll pass on some of the good wishes I sent him, to you.
Yes, They Thought They Were Free is really excellent.
Procedure went well. Thanks, and good wishes to your friend!
T.C. I am wondering if you have read Rachel Maddow's book "Prequel "? I have not read it but have heard her be interviewed twice about it and how it has comparisons to present day Magas. I think I will have to read it.
I have it and have read it and you should definitely get it.
I thought this was a very fine summary comparing the past and present. Thanks, Tom!