Republicans the New Fascists

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross,” is a quote often mistakenly attributed to Sinclair Lewis. Given some of his books, “It Can’t Happen Here” among them, it certainly has the ring of authenticity. While Lewis wrote in the 1930’s his commentary on capitalism and politics as practiced in the United States is still relevant today, nearly a century later, and that’s truly sad. When Donald Trump campaigned for a second term as president he quite literally wrapped himself around a flag and kissed it at the Conservative Political Action Committee convention in February 2020. Later that year, in June, after days of protests over police brutality Trump strutted over to the steps of the nearby St.  John’s Episcopal Church and struck several poses holding a bible for press photos.

Merriam Webster dictionary defines fascism as “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition”. Trump has frequently made ugly, racist remarks about immigrants, particularly those from South and Central America while exalting white evangelicals over everyone else. Trump has threatened on numerous occasions to sue or direct the Department of Justice to punish detractors and has only been stopped from doing so by the increasingly fragile guardrails of democratic norms.

As he Republican Party has continued to move rightward becoming an expressly Christian nationalist/fascist party following Trump I fear what may happen if he or one of his clones like Florida governor Rick DeSantis were to win the presidency in 2024. Just look at what’s happening here in Texas and other southern states as women’s right to control their own bodies has been taken away and some counties even creating ordinances to make it a crime to drive a woman across that county in order to obtain and abortion out of state. They’re turning County Sheriff’s and Constables into Gestapo agents.

It’s not just the political leaders to be blamed. Republican voters are complicit as they go along with this anti-democratic behavior. If you doubt this just check the polling results for the Republican primary and you’ll see Trump leading at nearly 60%. Republican voters are willing to give up control of government by the people in order to have a leader that speaks to their bigotry. It didn’t start with Trump although he has given permission to use the ugly, racist language that until recently wasn’t spoken out loud. Look at the language and imagery attacking Barack Obama back during his term as president, it was awful including a photo of the president painted over to look like an African witch doctor and claims he wasn’t born in the United States even though Hawaii recorded his birth certificate.

In 2024 if someone votes for Trump or one of is clones they’re making a statement that they are in favor of the nation being led by a fascist tyrant. If someone tells you they didn’t want Trump or a clone but couldn’t vote for Biden because anything, they’re telling you they’re okay with an autocrat running the country. If a local official runs as a Republican and doesn’t repudiate Trump and his clones then they are complicit in wrecking this country. Whether voters or elected officials if they don’t act to stop Trump they’re as bad as Germans who joined the Nazi party but claimed they just did it to keep their jobs.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - October 18, 2023

False Patriots

When the vote to pass the continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown was held in the House 90 Republicans voted no, 16 of them were from Texas including Chip Roy who represents Comal County. In the Senate, Ted Cruz is one of 9 Republicans who voted no. Cruz and his fellow cranks were perfectly willing to put well over 6 million Americans out of work. 4 million of who would lose out on their pay entirely as they are contract workers such as office cleaning staff, groundskeepers, and others who don’t work directly for federal agencies.

Then there are all the businesses that depend on those employees to spend their money, like the food truck or sandwich shop nearby which then furloughs employees or cuts their hours. In addition, when national parks are closed it isn’t just the park rangers who suffer, there are all the folks who made plans months in advance that would not be allowed visit the park or would be forced to leave early, the hotels they’d have stayed in, the restaurants they’d have eaten in, the gift shop in the park that is also closed so their staff is laid off. The overall economic impact on small businesses is staggering. Most estimates suggest a shutdown costs the economy over $310 million per day in direct costs.

There is also the affect a shutdown has on citizens who have business with federal agencies, often with appointments that were set weeks or months in advance. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) would stop insuring some new mortgages. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) would stop new loan and loan guarantee activity.

All the turmoil and damage to peoples’ lives and a lot of Republicans don’t seem to care at all. Here’s one example, in an interview on C-SPAN Republican Rep. Brandon Williamson of New York said “I don't think you're going to find a huge amount of sympathy, you know, for people that have been furloughed, or early retirement, or laid off, or their pension going bankrupt.”

The big concession that was made to pass the bill to keep the federal government open for 45 more days was eliminating funding for aid to Ukraine in it’s war to eject the Russian occupiers from its territory and protect its people from the murders, rapes, and kidnapping that have been perpetrated by Russian troops. Republicans talk a good game about defending freedom and were big on “fighting communism” but they’re just fine with autocrats invading democracies. The Russian invasion of Ukraine orchestrated by Vladimir Putin was unprovoked and illegal under international law, but Donald Trump and his MAGA crowd including members of the House like Paul Gosar (AZ) and Matt Gaetz (FL), was well as J.D. Vance (OH) among others in the Senate are willing to turn their backs on the desperate people of Ukraine. They are unwilling to stand up to the bully even though no American troops are involved and most European countries are handing over equipment, ammunition, and supplies in addition to providing training for troops and repairs to damaged equipment.

Anyone who thinks that if Putin succeeds in Ukraine he’ll stop hasn’t studied history at all. They should go back and review Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement when Hitler violated the terms of the treaty that ended World War 1. Hint, Hitler invaded Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece in just 2 years.

Republicans are willing to wreck American lives and the economy as well as world peace. Remember that when they claim to be patriots.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - October 4, 2023