Sheeple Panic/"New Normal" No Way

After deleting a bunch of junk mail, I came across History’s “This Day In History” newsletter.  On October 30, 1938, a very young Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre group decided to air an updated version of H.G. Wells’ book The War Of The Worlds.  They didn’t realize or expect the extreme panic it caused.  More details here.  I learned about it in an independent reading sometime when I was a teenager and my reaction was: how dumb could people be to fall for this?  A few years ago, I saw and episode of Cold Case called World’s End that gave an accurate depiction of the panic.

It seems what happened was radio listeners tuned in to the show late because they’d been listening to another show first.  They thought it was real and totally freaked.  I still wonder about it.  How could so many people not recognize the story?  How many could possibly ignore the parts of the show that clearly indicated this was fiction?

Well, then I thought about tRumpers.  Not the radicalized violent followers, nor the we-know-we’re-lying-but-we-don’t-care Rethuglicans.  I don’t mean them.  I mean your average voter.  They remind me of the people who freaked and panicked in 1938 because they believed what they were hearing.  These voters are swallowing The Big Lie because it’s been repeated to them  so many times it must be true.  They are drinking the Kool-Aid and are wearing blinders as well.  They don’t hear or see the truth and they happily vote against their own self interests. 

They don’t seem to mind when their representatives and favored famous idols say or do something cruel or commit acts of violence. They’re either celebrating over what happened or are silent.  They'll happily accept the "new normal" behavior from their representatives and heroes.

There are not even cricket sounds from our Rethuglican representatives and senators after the vicious attack on Paul Pelosi.  I saw something from Mitch McConnell that condemned the violence but not a single word from the House Rethug leader, Kevin McCarthy.  Some of those folk even have the nerve to mock what happened or, even worse, to celebrate it.  It was a horrifying attack against an innocent victim who just happened to be married to Speaker Pelosi.

The threats against Speaker Pelosi have been increasing.  There are threats against the members of the House Special Committee on January 6^th.  All of them need protective detail…but family members don’t qualify for that protection.  That’s how that tRumper was able to break in and injure Paul Pelosi.  Now family members are being targeted? Even organized families had an understanding to leave spouses, kids and grandkids alone.

Election officials and workers are being threatened.  Armed tRumper violent militia extremists have shown up to intimidate voters.

Is this America or is it AmeriKKKa?

And are we going to accept this as the new normal?  I would think that every Democrat would be loudly condemning this political violence that tRump and his cronies are inciting.  I am so not impressed with the lack of strong responses from the Democrats. 

I am not going to stand for this.  I will get up on my pedestal and holler from my laptop.  What’s happening now is NOT OKAY.  I know there are others who feel as I do.

Here are other columns that I read that tie in to all of this:

Dispatches From A Collapsing State

Raw Story

Michael Moore

Dan Rather

Mad As Hell But Taking Dan Rather's Advice

It all boiled over yesterday after that vicious attack on Paul Pelosi (meant for Speaker Nancy Pelosi), Ke being approved back into Facebook, and the threat implied in Randy Quaid’s GQP tweet.  What happened is very clear proof the coup on our democracy is not over.  And people like Ke and Quaid and are making outrageous disgusting behavior the new norm. And “Christian” nationalists keep dragging God and Jesus into their sorry behavior. 

This is how I feel:

I'm As Mad As Hell

And then I read Dan Rather’s tweet.  Dan Rather is one of the very few journalists I trust for the truth. His advice today makes complete sense to me.  I plan to put aside thoughts, grief, and despair about the evil doings of the GQP, trumpers, and “Christian” nationalists.

Today my daughters are coming for a visit.  I’m planning a nice roast chicken dinner and we’ll visit and then either watch a movie or a Netflix series.

I am going to reread Jane Goodall’s The Book Of Hope.  She said that many times she’s felt anger and despair about what was happening but still kept nourishing that flame of hope that things will get better.  She suggested several things to remember during dark times and now, of course, I can’t remember them all.  Worthy of a reread for sure.

I’m going to be phone banking, encouraging voters to mail their ballots or go to the polls.  Some of the dialers I use have software that will bring up locations for voting and if anyone is unsure where to show up, I can give them answers.  I do feel much better when I talk to voters and share our views.

There will be music almost 24/7 this weekend.  Right now, I’m listening to Tran Siberian Orchestra’s Lost Christmas Eve. Yes, I know we haven’t had Halloween yet.  This music comforts and soothes me. 

And then there’s Country First.

I do have hope in spite of being angry.  I am staying steady.

 

We Are Hawkins

 

If you’re familiar with the popular series Stranger Things, then you know what I mean when I say the vines in the Upside Down grow deep and have been spreading.  If you’re not familiar, let me explain what the Upside Down is and about the vines: it is a place that seems very similar to our world but is sinister and peopled with evil creatures.  The Upside Down has a mind hive and one aspect of its evilness is the vines that grow and spread everywhere.  Hawkins is the town under attack from the Upside Down.

In real life, 45, his cult, his supporters, “Christian” nationalists, white supremacist militias, right wing conservative evangelicals and other extremists make up the Upside Down.  Their corruption is everywhere and easily influenced people fall under their power.  The rest of us are Hawkins, under siege but fighting back.

Another way to look at it is this: is tRump THE anti-Christ?  If he wasn’t so flat out stupid, I might think so as many real Christians have wondered.  But Jesus said that we would suffer through many “false prophets” – many anti-Christs – before THE real thing shows up.  I might be more likely to think Death Santis could be THE one but even he is probably just another of the false prophets.  Could it be Putin?  Possibly.  Jesus also said, by their deeds you shall know them.  It’s very clear now that TFG and all his followers are evil.  Just look at what they say and do.  Who the anti-Christ could be has been on my mind since reading an article in Daily Kos: Is Donald Trump The Anti-Christ?

Most recently regarding TFG, the DOJ has released a redacted affidavit the judge used to sign for the search of Mar-a-Lago by the FBI.  With each release about news regarding all the files tRump stole and hoarded, things just seem more horrifying.  As President, that man never read anything.  He wasn’t interested no matter how much his staff abridged or tried to spice it up.  So why did he take those files, many of which were of the highest security?  One: to use as blackmail.  Two: to sell to foreign agents.  Whatever the reason, they weren’t even secured.  Anyone could have accessed those files. Daily Kos ran an article not long ago wondering who actually packed the files and why?  Who else are involved?  What other “vines”?

Still thinking of those other “vines”, how about the GQP response to all these new evil revelations?  Their response that it sure looks like 45 was a treasonous foreign agent?    First Rand Paul of Kentucky suggested that the FBI planted the files and then called for repealing/doing away with the Espionage Act!

I read in another newsletter piece that TFG isn’t the source of the rot; he’s a symptom.  He didn’t create the racism, white supremacy, and right-wing extremist groups.  He just brought them into the open by embracing them.  There has always been a sickness in this country; we just weren’t so aware of it until tRump ascended.  Just look now at the governors of Florida and Texas and the fascist laws they are bringing to their states.  Look at the conservative right wing of the Supreme Court—all tRump appointees.  The white supremacist extremists and so-called “Christian” nationalists are openly plotting an overthrow of our government and creating a theocracy which is NOT based on the New Testament.  These groups and what is now the GQP/Rethuglicans have embraced violence as an acceptable way to get their way.

The vines have spread to the police and ordinary citizens.  No matter how many times there has been outrage about police violence against a person of color they have in custody, it just goes on and on.  Civility is out the window.  I just read NBC’s article about covid bullies .  There’s always been bullies and trolls online and off who take perverse pleasure in hurting people.  They didn’t seem as prevalent before.

The tentacles have spread far and wide. 

On the up side, there are enough of the Hawkins residents (us) to keep fighting off the Upside Down’s vines.  We just can’t give up because the Upside Down is a truly terrifying place in which to be trapped.

 

The Country of "What's Happenin Now?"

Every time I go to sit down and write out a blog post, like a memory of Woodstock (the concert which began on August 15, 1969), something new and exciting happens.  I am trying to figure out in which direction I should go next.

TFG’s passports have been confiscated and he is whining and screaming about that.  They’re supposed to be returned today, I think Mainstream media and TFG want to see the affidavit that went with the search warrant.  This time, DOJ said nope because release of the affidavit would put witnesses at risk and because it might compromise the investigation.

There’s a lot of information going around that TFG is being investigated for espionage with regard to those files.  I have a column I’ve set aside that explains about an espionage charge.  It’s not always about actual spying.

The threats against the DOJ, FBI, the judge who signed the search warrant, and the entire House Select January 6^th investigation committee are on the rise.  There’s so much civil war/violent chatter going on that there’s a warning out for people to be aware and on the lookout.  TFG sent AG Merrick Garland a vaguely worded threat that the country’s on fire and what can TFG do to turn down the heat?  It’s like he’s saying, what do I get if I call off my killer dogs?  Already there have been attacks on the FBI offices.

The judge who signed for the recent search warrant is Jewish.  In addition to all the other hatred going on, there’s a sharp uptick in anti-Semitism too.  I have a column by Dan Rather addressing that.

Rudy Giuliani now is a “person of interest” in that coup plot scheme to steal votes from Georgia by pressuring the Secretary of State.  Senator Lindsay Graham failed again to get a subpoena for him to testify quashed.  He’ll probably keep on appealing until he has nowhere else to go, although if it gets to present day SCOTUS, he’ll get off the hook.

So, it seems like the shit is about to hit the fan for TFG and his merry band of cutthroat coup plotters, but not just for them.

There is a bunch of violent white ultra conservative supremacists who are foaming at the mouth for civil war.  I don’t go on any of those right-wing platforms but I’ve seen reports about their posts showing up on Twitter and in the news.  If (and probably when) TFG is indicted, all hell is going to break loose.  I hope that we’re prepared for it.  By we, I mean all the loyal police and military still in existence throughout the country.  Things could definitely be worse than what we’ve seen on January 6, 2021.

Having said that, we definitely should not look the other way or be more forgiving in order to keep the peace.  If we did that, there’s no question that vigilantism would rule.  It would mean that our democracy would die a not-so-long or slow death.  Times are very scary right now but the ultra-right-wing poison has been spreading for years now.  Sometimes such a crisis has to get worse before it gets better.  We have to hang in there and hope and pray we have enough democracy-patriots to stop any violence caused by violent ultra-right-wing groups.  Saying my prayers and crossing my fingers!