It IS Happening Here

As Donald Trump and his cronies continue to openly and brazenly flaunt their deep affection for a MAGA inspired, Fascist, Authoritarian United States, we are confronted with a confounding dilemma. Scholars, many of whom are highly respected Conservatives, historians, political analysts and the Gods of Common Sense are all alerting us with flashing lights, alarm bells, and warning signs that our Republic is in peril. The vast majority of witnesses testifying against Trump in his 91 indictments are Republicans, yet, today's Republican Party is now enamored with their this flirtation with the prospect of unfettered control of the levers of power in government. Their fascination with and even defense of authoritarians, tyrants and anti-democratic movements around the world is alarming. Hungary's Victor Orban who has surgically dismantled Democracy in his county is their poster boy, and Vladimir Putin is being give a pass daily in a tacit, and occasionally open embrace as Republicans flatly refuse to support aid to Ukraine. Ronald Reagan's "Evil Empire" is a dim and distant memory. Nothing inspires a Fascist more than an Iron Fist being wielded with no constraints.

The "Seal Team 6" assassination defense for his blanket immunity mounted by Trumps legal team before Circuit Court Judges, Governor Abbot of Texas saying recently "We aren't shooting immigrants because we would be prosecuted", and Roger Stones recently released recording of his plan to "take out" Eric Swalwell is only the tip of the iceberg at the heart of everything Trump and the MAGA movement stands for. It is utterly breathtaking that all of this is only perceptible to roughly half our population. Like Comic book villains who somehow absorb weapons and explosives, only to become stronger, this wannabe tyrant has leads over Biden in numerous polls and is poised to sweep the Republican nomination for the Presidency. Remember when discussions about how we were a deeply divided nation used to be based on lively debates over tax policy, national security and environmental protection? Those were the good old days. Today, America is indeed a "Tale of Two Nations" with divisions that are literally parallel universes, as we stare into the abyss, a dark, black hole where the survival of Democracy itself is at stake. While this is an extremely complex phenomenon, there are two aspects of it, historical and personal that are inextricably linked.

In 1939 23,000 people packed into Madison Square Garden in New York City for a bold, raucous and celebratory rally for Hitler and the ascendance of the Nazi Party. Swastikas adorned the walls with a 30-foot-tall image of George Washington watching over it all. Organizers dressed in SS Uniforms, snappy Nazi salutes all around for this event branded as a "Pro American" rally. Yes, there has been for many decades significant and vocal support for Nazi's in the United States, support we see playing out even today with Nazi marches in our cities, well known Holocaust deniers being frequently retweeted, and holding sway at Conservative events, Nazi symbols, flags and salutes often appearing at Trump rally's. "Good people on both sides." These proof points have gone well beyond isolated incidents and are a discernible pattern we see in Right Wing politics today.

In 1934 titans of industry were furious with FDR for ending the gold standard, and his (Woke) "Communist" Social Security and New Deal policies. They organized and financed a coup, "The White House Putsch" to replace him with a more "business friendly" leader. Enamored by that Mussolini fellow in Italy, and a formidable $300 million war chest, this coup could very well had succeeded had it not been for Retired Marine General Smedley D. Butler who the plotters had approached to "lead the charge for a "New America." His love of America and Democracy prevailed, leading him to expose the plot with his Congressional testimony which saved the day. For that moment in time. Most Americans are oblivious to these events, not an isolated incident as an open embrace of Fascism appears yet again with no shame from Trump and his supporters, many of whom are even touting the desirability of having him as our "Dictator."

A recent text from a friend stunned me, and drove this point home in a way no policy analyst could. It was a widely circulated meme on Instagram showing a Biden supporter extolling the virtues of Biden's Presidency, stating her unwavering support for his administration's success and how we "Need his leadership." After mocking the comment with "Coo Coo Clock" sound effects, the caption read "The people cheering on this administration need a psychiatric evaluation. Liberalism is a mental disorder." At first glance, many would chalk this up to "humor" and dismiss it as yet another innocuous example of the biting back and forth satire and dark comedy between the Left and Right. That is until we again, look back in history and see how labeling the opposition as "mentally deficient" or inferior," note Trump's "vermin" comment, is a well-known tactic in the Authoritarians playbook. Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Franco, and the entire rogues gallery of tyrants are all known to employ this as an effective tool to dehumanize any and all opposition to their political objectives. Hanna Arendt, whose fame and notoriety was once limited by in large to Social Science College students and Philosophers is now referred to often for her seminal work "Origins of Totalitarianism." Her entire thesis encapsulates everything we are seeing and experiencing in America today, and this text brought it chillingly home. Why is that? Arendt coined the phrase "The banality of evil" which is the means by which ordinary people become capable of committing atrocities, participating in the perpetuation of evil because it simply does not feel or appear to be evil. My friend who sent me this text is also a former business associate, a good father, and a respected member of his community. He flatly denies that his participation in the perpetuation of the dangerous message had any ill intent. "It was just a joke" he says, with the "There you go with Libtard foolishness" casually dismissing any possible concern or ill intent. This proves the point.

Trump has succeeded in normalizing incessant, savage waves of ruthlessness, a desire for revenge and retribution from the top down, with resources that would be the envy of any and all aspiring Tyrants, past present and future. The war chest of $300 million ponied up by the ruling elite dedicated to bring down FDR is dwarfed today by the billions of dollars of dark money that has been spent to fuel this anger, contempt, and raw hatred of anything standing in the way of a very clear and concise prime directive. Eliminate, at all cost, anything and everything that threatens their grip on power and profits. Billionaires, Fascists and Oligarchs have become weary of all the talk of inclusion, equity, social responsibility and God forbid, dealing with Climate Change all impinging on their bottom line, and their capacity to live without fear of retribution. Thus, the relentless campaign being waged against "Woke" policies, you know, those that smack of compassion fairness and justice, or even remotely resembling anything Progressive or Liberal.

"It could happen here" is an abstraction, a hypothetical postulated for decades by the experts with most of us old enough to remember thinking it would never actually happen. No longer. The fact that it is happening here, now, is as real as the policy positions openly circulated by Trump and his team. The only question is whether or not Americans' will choose to embrace it as a new model of what our country can and will be or reject it and preserve our nation "For Which It Stands." Democracy is indeed on the ballot this November. We do have "A Republic if we can keep it."