29 XII 2022: George Santos: like father like son?

I suppose it would be stretching things if I were to claim for George Santos direct descent from Baron Munchausen. But I have heard it said that perhaps he is one of Donald Trump’s unacknowledged sons. Santos claims Trump as his model in the politics of mendacity, and if one considers his behavior and contempt for the public, Santos does seem to be a con off the old grift.

I suppose theorists might describe Santos’ campaign of lies as just another manifestation of Americans’ drive to re-invent themselves, in the old song from westward expansion: 

What was your name in the States?
Was it Murphy, MacDonald or Gates?
Did you hold up a bank as a juvenile prank
And pack up the money in crates, my friend,
What was your name in the States?

But in the case of Trump and Santos it is not a matter of escaping a former identity, but of polishing it up, or, “embellishing” it. Brazen liars of the past tried to conceal a history of crime, these politicians are trying to conceal a history of hum-drum and failure.

25 XII 2022: What kind of sandwich to eat during insurrection?

Kayleigh McEnany’s testimony to the Jan 6th Committee is consistent with what we have earlier seen of her. She reported learning of the attack on the Capitol while she was eating lunch (a turkey sandwich, she reported) in her office. Her response to this news did not seem as prompt and energetic as one might expect, so Rep. Cheney asked her: “And you were just eating a turkey sandwich and just didn’t – didn’t register?” To this Ms McEnany replied: “I definitely reject the characterization that I was just eating a turkey sandwich and would ignore a text about Capitol Hill office buildings being stormed.” She continued: “I in no way, shape, or form would eat a turkey sandwich if I thought Capitol Hill was being seiged.”

If she would not eat a turkey sandwich if she thought Capitol Hill was under attack, I wonder what kind of sandwich she would have been eating if she did think Capitol Hill was being “seiged.”

20 XII 2022: Ethics Committee, conspirators

The Jan 6th Committee is going to refer Scott Perry, Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs, and Kevin McCarthy to the House Bipartisan Ethics Committee because they refused to comply with the Jan 6th Committee’s subpoena. This is, of course, a naive gesture, for these four representatives probably don’t know what ethics has to do with it, and if they do, I’m sure that they would deny that ethical restraints apply to them and their behavior: “We don’t need no stinking ethics!”.

This referral by the Jan 6 Committee is like complaining because an alcoholic takes an extra sip of cough syrup. These four men are co-conspirators with Donald Trump, and, as such, they are criminals. When Oh when are people in public life going to admit the dimensions of the Trump coup and the grave guilt of all who were involved in it.

8 XII 2022: Comparative coups

News comes today of the thwarting of a planned coup in Germany. We can see here similarities to our Jan 6 experience, and at least one notable difference.

Similarities:

The plotters, who call themselves the Reichsbuerger (= “Patriots”), long for the return of the old German Empire and/or the late Nazi regime.

They plan to install Henrich XIII Prinz Reuss as leader of their new state. Prinz Heinrich, has been working as a real estate developer in Frankfurt.

Those arrested include right-wingers, COVID deniers, and extreme nationalists who deny the legitimacy of the modern German state.

Prosecutors have found that the conspirators are guided by deep state conspiracy theories put forward by these Reichsbuerger and QAnon.

Difference:

The German authorities have acted promptly and decisively to conduct raids and make arrests all across Germany, for they realize the danger of this unanticipated right-wing plot against the German state. Compare this to the sluggish and constrained reaction to the plot to overthrow the American government. The politico-hooligans of Jan 6th are, as all know, only the public and naive manifestation of an extensive plot that included the presidency and associated low-lifes, Republicans, big business, right-wing media, and enthusiasts for racism and fascism generally. Locking up the street-fighters is only the first and easiest step towards bringing this still thriving American conspiracy under control.

5 XII 2022: Our own little soldiers of fortune

I read online about an event in Florida (of course) of the self-styled Patriot Freedom Front, that was a fundraiser for people jailed for attacking the Capitol. Trump made a video for the event in which he lamented the plight of these criminals as “a very unfair situation.” I’m not sure what he means by unfair, but I think it has to mean, in the context of Jan 6, that these poor dupes were sent to jail and Trump is still running his mouth in complete freedom. That’s unfair.

This report also described the speech of one of the seditionists, Robert Morss, delivered via telephone link from the D.C. jail. Morss described himself as an “American political prisoner.” If he planned to be a political prisoner, why did he show up at Jan 6 dressed in a military-style costume? The report mentions that “Morss wore camouflage and tactical gear as he joined the mob on Jan 6.” Shouldn’t he claim to be a prisoner of war?

Morss was only one of many at the Jan 6 riot dressed in “tactical,” that is quasi military clothing. “Tactical” is the preferred fashion of domestic enemies of the United States, and it has been taken up by gun-nuts and wannabe outdoorsmen generally. I recently looked through the catalogue of a military surplus firm that sells a host of items of clothing and equipment that are not of military origin, but have a certain style and are always called “tactical.” 

“Tactical” does not mean the attire and equipment of real soldiers, but is describes the kinds of costumes one sees modeled in magazines, TV, and movies by soldiers of fortune, bounty hunters, et al. People like Mr. Morss who parade in camouflage and tacticals show that they are trying to live out their boyhood fantasies.

23 XI 2022: How is Marjorie Taylor Greene a “true blood”?

MTG, as she is known by her intimates, invited another perennial liar, Juanita, to her house, saying: “We will call our gathering ‘Pure Bloods and Politics.” There has been some disturbance on the internet about her use of the expression “pure bloods” because it recalls preoccupations with the racial purity that is required for white supremacy. Her use of these words troubles me for other reasons also:

I assume MTG knows that she is a “pure blood” because other white supremacists have told her so or as a result of her test with Ancestry. But how can we be sure of this, and how does she know that Juanita is “pure blood”? Some fact-checking is in order here. We need to see the results of MTG’s Ancestry test or her KKK certificate, and Juanita must take that test or provide some equivalent proof of her “pure blood” bona fides.

Or did MTG mean “pure Bloods,” claiming that she and her pal Juanita are full-fledged members of the celebrated gang? That would be a truly historic achievement for Republican women.

22 XI 2022: Pause the vendetta

Alabama’s Governor, Kate Ivey, is seeking a pause in Alabama’s series of signature executions because they tried three times to execute their latest offender and the bastard just wouldn’t die. Gov. Ivey is quite upset and is demanding a pause in planned executions so that there can be a top-to-bottom investigation to learn what Alabama is doing wrong, saying “For the sake of the victims and their families, we’ve got to get this right.”

Her indifference towards the candidates for execution is, I suppose, only to be expected in Alabama. And her concern for “the victims and their families” is quite revealing. Does it matter to the victims and their families that a criminal survives repeated efforts to kill him? We encounter this sort of thinking often enough in death-penalty cultures. Of course, the “victim” is usually dead, and unlikely to be affected by the execution one way or another, but “the family,” the unidentified kinfolk of the victim, must be satisfied, as must the state of Alabama, with “justice,” that is to say, with their revenge.

In this light, capital punishment may be seen as state-sponsored vendetta.

6 XI 2022: Where is the courage we need?

The people who are supposed to be protecting our government are afraid to defend us. I have reached this conclusion as I see the fomenters and leaders of the sedition getting off scot-free. Unprecedented to put an ex-president on trial, harumph, harumph. Can’t prosecute people in office. Can’t prosecute people running for office. Can neither punish nor remove from public life any seditionist who will be patient enough, for they know America so easily forgets.

Rudyard Kipling asked:

Shall we only threaten and be angry for an hour?

   When the storm has ended shall we find

How softly but how swiftly they have sidled back to power

   By the favor and contrivance of their kind?

We must act now. Trump and all of the Big Liars are neither heroes nor buffoons. They are dangerous criminals who are well on their way to going unpunished.