On Jan 6, 2021,we witness the epitome of insurrectionists’ hidden desires to invade the Capitol and overthrow the government. A government they have lived under for years in freedom others long for. Those inane and asinine fools shrouded themselves in the lies of their false god, The Art of The Deal con-man Trump**.
Weeks after the Trump** Insurrection, Republicans, who claim to be champions of freedom, once again are cowering under their desks. This time, not from a screaming mob, but from fellow Congressional Representatives Majorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert. QAnon nitwits and 2nd Amendment idiots who want to openly carry their guns in the Congressional Chambers.
Ms. Boebert and Taylor Greene are the ugly spawn spewed from what used to be the Republican party. An unnatural transfiguration from Lincoln’s party to the party of Trump** where dishonor, deceit, and deception are not pushed away but accepted as normality.
Save for a few, a very few, Republicans in the House and Senate have turned their backs on democracy, abandoned core principles, and given up on a constitutional republic. It’s not just those Republicans in DC, but Republicans have been infected with the virus throughout the country. No, not COVID-19. They are infected with the virus of power and the unwillingness to relinquishing it even after losing an election.
So Kevin McCarthy flitters down to Mar a Largo to kiss Trump** voluminous derriere instead of standing up to him and letting him know he is no longer adhering to his baseless claims and demands. McCarthy cares not for the country, only the money he believes Trump** can bring in, ignoring the fact the Republican – the real Republicans – donor class have put a chastity belt on their contributions and will only unlock it with the denouncement of Trump**.
No longer willing to abide by the rules they established decades ago. Republicans, who valued the Federalist Papers and swore allegiance to the Constitution, have discounted the Federalist Papers as misguided writings of weaklings and replace the Constitution with the Ferengee Laws of Acquisition. Modifying the first rule, ‘once you have their money, never give it back’ with, ‘once you have power, never give it up, even if the other side wins.’
This is exemplified by what took place in Pennsylvania when the state senate refused to seat democrat Jim Brewster who had won his fourth term. This isn’t an isolated incident. As the Huffington Post article points out, in other states where Republicans have the majority, they take similar actions against their Democratic counterparts.
Our form of governing depends not on the politicians but also on the people’s understanding of the basic concepts of government’s inner workings. It also necessitates paying attention to zealots of any stripe, not letting them anywhere near public office. People like Boebert and Greene, who partake of the QAnon smorgasbord of racial and radical craziness, are not fit to hold office. They are prime examples of what Hamilton warned us about when he wrote the following:
“It has been often said that the people of this country will decide the important question of whether societies can establish a good government by careful thought and choice. Or whether people are forever destined to be governed only by accident and force. If this is true, the answer depends on our response to the current crisis. And the wrong decision deserves to be considered a misfortune for all of mankind.”
By careful thought and choice will prevent us from being governed by force. It’s hard for me to believe the people who voted for BoeBert and Greene did any careful thinking on selecting these two basilisks to represent them in Congress.
The Trump** insurrections are being arrested, with some in jail, others still roaming free. Their leader’s failure to issue blanket pardons for them before leaving like a scared dog with its tail between its legs. Has given some pause for reflection and now are disavowing Trump** and pleading for forgiveness of their actions. To which I say,
TOO LATE!
People died, and many are maimed and will require long term care for the rest of their lives. Millions of dollars in damages, we will have to pay for. People now live in fear, as they and family members have been threatened.
Overreaching by Republicans to further restrict voting rights not just for black, brown, and yellow people but also for themselves. What? You think restricting mail-in voting will only diminish so-called minorities? No, it won’t. Timothy Snyder in On Tyranny wrote:
“To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.”
We cannot abandon the facts Trump** attempted – overturn a duly constitutional election – on the encouragement of Trump**.
That cannot and should not be allowed to stand. Recompense is justified.