CommentsMY TURN-There have always been diverse differences between liberals and conservatives. However, in the past, conservatives had an agenda that seemed to be more fiscally-driven, with a hint of religious undertones.
There is no doubting that the name we attach to “Republicans” today doesn’t even resemble those of days gone by. Today, they have crossed every possible line of sanity and decency and have seemed to go bonzo crazy.
One might wonder what has driven these people to the edge of sanity and there may be two answers to this question. First, they know that they are a minority and have devoted years to patiently trying to manipulate voting via gerrymandering and voter suppression. Secondly, they saw the potential of the fruit of their efforts being dangled in front of their faces and while they are known for being “greedy”, they jumped at the chance of being all-powerful with the help of foreign government investments (aka Russian oligarchs and the Saudis).
If you follow the real news (and that doesn’t include Fox), you will find that the media is reporting a litany of the pieces that are showing that trump and the GOP are so embedded in foreign money that they are blatantly and unabashedly displaying it. A July, 2018 Washington Post article covers just a FEW of the validation points, but it ends with the following statement:
“It may be because they’ve convinced themselves that no tactic is too repugnant, no alliance is too distasteful, and no moral compromise is too loathsome when you’re serving the lofty goal of keeping Democrats from power. Or it may be that they’re terrified that their rabid base will decide that they are insufficiently devoted to the cult of Trump. Whatever the reasons, they’ve traveled a long way down this road already, and it doesn’t look like they’re turning back.”
We saw the start of their cray-cray behavior with the entrance of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Right. During that entire saga, many of the conservatives seemed to be embarrassed but, just lived with it. The attitudes changed once the Tea Party took over and, like an episode of The Twilight Zone, Republicans walked through that doorway and decided to embrace the insanity. All semblance of decorum, moral compass, and logic was thrown out of the window as they began to push their white pseudo-Christian beliefs on the entire country. Add into this the very likelihood that the entire Republican Party took Russian money that was laundered through the NRA, and this is now a situation of treason.
(Image Source: A little left of center)
There are No Boundaries for the Right
Once conservatives crossed the line, there was no coming back. What continues to be a question is why are those that are “common sense” conservatives still supporting them? Why are they saying absolutely nothing as our country has become a laughing stock? Why are they silent as trump and his cronies line their pockets at every turn and reject any hope of an ecologically positive future for the U.S.? Why are they turning their backs on voter suppression, sexism, hate, bigotry, and racism? Why are they not standing up to say that shoving their version of their religion down everyone’s throat goes against the Constitution?
With the exception of Putin and the Saudis, leaders around the world are shaking their heads at the absolute idiocy of trump and the Republicans that are placating him. The U.S. may be invited to the party, but they know that unless something changes, America will be leaving early. Our allies are making plans for the future without us and in the meantime, the GOP is ignoring them as they dance deliriously with power.
The New York Times published an article this year entitled: Are Republicans Covering for Trump, or for Themselves? If the N.R.A. was compromised by Russia, the whole party’s in trouble.
“It is not surprising that Republicans would want to protect the N.R.A. According to an audit obtained by the Center for Responsive Politics, the N.R.A.’s overall spending increased by more than $100 million in 2016. “The explosion in spending came as the N.R.A. poured unprecedented amounts of money into efforts to deliver Donald Trump the White House and help Republicans hold both houses of Congress,” the center wrote.”
Historians around the globe recognize what this is, and many refer to it as a “Banana Republic.” No one wants to come out and say it, especially not our media that seems to tap around so many of the controversial topics, but the United States experienced a “coup” in 2016. The government was taken over, lock, stock and barrel, and the Democrats remained only as figureheads for those that actually THINK we have a voice.
In the Politico article, How the GOP Became the Party of Putin Republicans have sold their souls to Russia. And Trump isn’t the only reason why”, the author includes:
“I should not have been surprised. I’ve been following Russia’s cultivation of the American right for years, long before it became a popular subject, and I have been amazed at just how deep and effective the campaign to shift conservative views on Russia has been. Four years ago, I began writing a series of articles about the growing sympathy for Russia among some American conservatives. Back then, the Putin fan club was limited to seemingly fringe figures like Pat Buchanan (“Is Vladimir Putin a paleo conservative?” he asked, answering in the affirmative), a bunch of cranks organized around the Ron Paul Institute and some anti-gay marriage bitter-enders so resentful at their domestic political loss they would ally themselves with an authoritarian regime that not so long ago they would have condemned for exporting ‘godless communism.’
Today, these figures are no longer on the fringe of GOP politics. According to a Morning Consult-Politico poll from May, an astonishing 49 percent of Republicans consider Russia an ally. Favorable views of Putin — a career KGB officer who hates America — have nearly tripled among Republicans in the past two years, with 32 percent expressing a positive opinion.”
Yesterday’s Pre-WW II Germany is Today’s U.S.A.
I remember as a child sitting in history class and watching the videos of the horrors of Nazi Germany. All of the kids asked the same question “how could the people let this happen?”
We had both a school system and parents who were adamant about ensuring that we were aware of what occurred, how so many ignored the problems, and then later how so many supported what became the Nazi regime.
All of what happened then is the same that is happening now. Fascism has familiar characteristics and the only difference is we have more technology to deliver them today.
The desperate and the stupid are easily brainwashed and since they lack critical thinking, they will believe anything.
Some may say that the “Nazi-thing” has been thrown around too much, but face it, we are seeing the exact same behavior they did in the past. Conservatives are drunk with power and are willing to sell the country out for a bag of Rubles just to engorge their off-shore bank accounts. They toss around the word “patriot” to their followers when they are anything but.
Now that the Democrats are in control of the House, we may have a glimmer of hope to overturn the travesty of the insanity that the conservatives have inflicted on us.
The resulting blow has always been and will be the release of the evidence from Mueller and his team. The GOP will not be able to hide from it and their insanity will be exposed.
But now that the damage is done, what will Americans do about it?
(S. Novi is a journalist who worked in the media and continues to seek out truth and integrity. A liberal and one who is suspicious of cults and empty promises. Her posts originate at Medium.com. She is a contributor to CityWatch.) Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
