Month: January 2017

  • Trump is a Fascist Demagogue and You Should Oppose Him

    Say no to Fascism; Say no to Trump.
    Used by CC permission, https://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenmelkisethian/32294528341/

    I’ve received several emails from people who seem to think I blindly hate Trump because I’m a pinko librul cuck gamma male who wants to prop up the nanny/welfare state and I hate America.

    Not at all! I mean, sure, some of that is true, taking out the alt-right, white-nationalist, stupidity translation. I do support social programs that assist the economically downtrodden. I do support women’s healthcare. I do support people’s right to choose who they marry. I do support anti-discrimination laws. I do support a single-payer healthcare system. I do support more positive engagement with other world powers. I do support higher taxes for the upper income brackets (that’s me, by the way).

    But that is not why I hate that vile pustule of dishonest rage that is our current President. I don’t support his policies, but then I didn’t support a lot of George W. Bush’s policies, either. Did I rant and rave about Bush’s lack of moral founding and ethical bankruptcy? I did not. I would oppose the policies being enacted in any case, but this is a special time.

    This is a time of the fascist demagogue that is Donald J. Trump.

    MerriamWebster’s definition of ‘fascism’ is:

    [A] political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) 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

    And their take on ‘demagogue’:

    [A] leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power

    I oppose Trump in his narcissistic majesty because of all the things he has shown himself to be; things that are not the America that people really want. You might think you want what he’s bringing (damage to women’s health, destruction of overseas relationships, close ties to racist white nationalists, lock-step policies with authoritarian regimes) but I submit that you don’t actually want Trump to be the one doing it because you cannot trust the man. He has demonstrated that he’ll say one thing and do another while lying about what he said the first, second, third, and fifth time. He is the ultimate windsock with about as much substance and less utility; he will blow the way that is best for him and whoever else is named “Trump.” He is the very definition of the fascist demagogue that this country explicitly rejected in 1941-1945. He is showing this to us in his first five days of office. If you support him, you are complicit in a racist, bigoted, sexist, homophobic agenda.

    I oppose Trump because he is a hateful, lying, deceitful sexual predator who has never been confronted with the fact that other people are people, not pieces on a board of Monopoly where he owns the bank. He is unaware that rules apply to him unless he’s brought before the courts and even then it’s just a game for him with money and reputation as the only important counters. He has demonstrated that he does not care about the rule of law or the Constitution, merely his own personal brand and the power he accrues from it. He has shown that he will lash out at anyone he thinks is maligning him and he’s never been taught patience or restraint. This is a recipe for disaster.

    Donald J. Trump is the President of the United States of America, for worse and for worser, until the Republicans decide they’ve ridden his sorry ass as far as they can and throw him out with impeachment proceedings (although I think they might be whistling a happy tune if they think that’ll be a slam dunk—see the most recent election). But while he’s President it’s up to all Americans who want to be on the right side of history to oppose him in every manner possible. Unless you support a fascistic, bigoted, racist, sexually exploitative demagogue.

    That’s your call as an American.

  • Up and Over – 2017

    Jenn, Jacob, Brenda, and Griffin at the Atlanta Women's March
    Jenn, Jacob, Brenda, and Griffin at the Atlanta Women’s March

    For a great number of people I know, 2017 is only going to be better than 2016 because we know it’ll be bad, rather than have it be a surprise. The up-and-over metaphor is both apt—leaping from the trenches to assault the enemy—and inappropriate because we aren’t charging into minefields and massed machine-gun fire, we’re fighting against ongoing, sometimes unconscious, racism, sexism, and bigotry.

    Enough of the right people in the right counties voted to put that pustule of ignorant rage into the White House and it’s only a possible good thing that the Republican’s plan is to ride him like a broken donkey until they can get what they want before impeaching and evicting his ass in favor of the tried and true Republican Christian Conservative that is Mike Pence. ((Personally, I don’t think that’s a settled plan in the Republican Majority because I believe they’re obvious ploy would not go unpunished, but then I thought Trump was an insane candidate, so your mileage may vary.)) The most likely thing is a two-year period of Republican rule with Trump lashing out at every tiny distraction that impinges on his enormous ego. Foreign policy is going to be a wreck because he doesn’t have the knowledge or the caring and domestic policy is going to be a wreck because he’ll think he can just make things happen by throwing a tantrum. Sooner or later he’s going to learn that people can tell him no and make it stick and then he’s going to get really mad, with consequences that I do not look forward to.

    The plus side is that this horrible turn of events has driven people out of their homes and into the streets. The Women’s March had a range of estimated nationwide attendance between two and four million and you know chief executive cheeto heard that loud and clear. People are engaged; Now we have to stay engaged.

    I saw a lot of commentary from Black Lives Matter people criticizing yesterday’s marchers for not coming out before. Those criticisms are not invalid in general, but they need to look forward and keep them (us!) coming. We need to let this administration know, and our local governments, that we are tired of this bullshit and we will not tolerate it anymore.

    The Chief Executive Cheeto of the United States may deny it but we know we’re on the right side of this. He may deny, and lie, and obfuscate but somewhere in that pile of ego and bile he knows that more than half of the electorate voted against him, and a good percentage of those actively despise his behavior. He is the worst of us and we will not let him have a day’s rest.

    It’s time to get out there and make a difference. I don’t know yet what I will do, but you should be thinking about it.  Here’s a good place to start.