26 XI 2020: Kill all the prisoners!

Our psychotic President intends, with the help of William Barr, Attorney General and world-class asslicker, to see how many convicts he can exterminate before he leaves office. In aid of this, I should think, Trump is also re-thinking the method of execution: because there has been difficulty purchasing the poison currently used in murder-by-injection, maybe we should bring back the electric chair or even the firing squad. I am amazed at Trump’s uncharacteristically humane ideas for execution. Most dictators prefer to drop people from airplanes or hang them from the end of a crane or behead them.

And I don’t hear the fair-weather Christians, neither Evangelicals nor Catholics, condemning these upcoming murders. Of course, the Trump Base is keen on capital punishment. They say they want take a life in return for the life that was taken. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” they intone, “it’s in the Bible.” Yes, and it is also rejected by Jesus in the Bible (Matt 5:38-42). Will murdering another person make the person murdered feel any better? Will it make the living feel better? Oh yes, they want “closure for the family,” as if the long-delayed barbaric murder of the killer of a family member will wipe clean the family’s slate of sorrow with the sponge of revenge. 

Another pretense of the enthusiasts for capital punishment is that they want to “see justice done,” to see malefactors “brought to justice.” No, what they want is a legalized revenge, not justice. People carry on about justice as if they knew what is just, thus claiming as their own the divine prerogative. These want to be the arbiters of who deserves to live and who deserves to die, while mindlessly asserting their absolute “pro-life” convictions. It is for people like these that Trump, the Man Above the Law, and his hangmen in his Department of Justice are going to put on a show of not one, but five executions.

23 XI 2020: Will Trump issue a “Nero Decree”?

I came upon an article published on the site of The National WWII Museum entitled “Downfall: Adolf Hitler’s ‘Nero Decree’,” with this explanatory note: “Faced with his regime’s collapse, Adolf Hitler chose to destroy Germany’s infrastructure.”

This article reports that when the Russian armies were surrounding Berlin, Hitler turned against the German people: “For the Führer the impending defeat proved that Germans were simply neither strong nor ruthless enough to do what was necessary to achieve victory. Deeming Germany a failure of a nation Hitler prepared a decree that would seal the country’s collapse with catastrophic finality.”

This decree was entitled “Destructive Measures on Reich Territory.” It ordered the destruction of anything in Germany that might be of use to the Allies: mines, factories, docks, railroads, bridges, and utilities. Fortunately, Albert Speer managed to mitigate this decree and prevent the utter destruction of Germany.

I am frightened by the similarities of that earlier tyrant to Trump’s now that he has lost the election. Trump intensifying his efforts to dismantle America’s democratic government by employment of his by now familiar methods: barrages of lies, threats and coercion, appointment of incompetents, refusal to share crucial information. But what I fear more are the acts of sabotage Trump and his staff are going to commit as the will of the people closes in on Trump. I think we will see destruction of records (evidence) on a massive scale, concealment of important data, more abuse of immigrants, further diminution of America’s standing in the world, more accommodations of the Russians and Saudis, and maybe even the beginnings of a war with Iran. For once Trump comes to accept that he has been rejected by the majority of the American people, whom can he blame except the American people? If he feels he has been checked by the lawful functioning of American democracy, will not his antagonism towards democracy be magnified?

18 XI 2020: Guilty of RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT

Merriam-Webster defines “reckless endangerment” as “the offense of recklessly engaging in conduct that creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury or death to another person.” In my view, President Trump should, when he is no longer president, be prosecuted for reckless endangerment, for he recklessly endangered the people of the United States by failing to inform them about the coming danger of COVID19, by making light of it when it arrived, by obstructing and undermining the efforts of public health professionals to contain the virus, by setting a baneful example of indifference to the health and safety of others. I believe governors who behave in a similar way are also guilty of reckless endangerment of the people of their states. The same applies to officials in local government. From the President down to the mayor or county executive, these are guided by the basest of political considerations. 

Ordinary people carry on about their liberty and their rights when they are required to wear masks, when the sporting events of children are curtailed, when occupancy is restricted, when they are inconvenienced in any way by efforts to contain the virus. Business people resist efforts to limit the risk of spreading disease at their premises. Devotees of Trump consider disease prevention a criticism of their Führer and themselves.

All these aggrieved people, for their various motives, bring pressure to bear on elected officials to restrict efforts to contain this plague, and very many officials succumb to this pressure in fear of displeasing the voters, the businessmen, and their demigod, Mr. Trump.

Of course these people conceal their indifference to the common good by alleging that their “liberty” and “rights” are at stake. In these times, appeals to “liberty” and “rights” are too often the first recourse of minorities, like the evangelicals, the “gun rights” community, bikers against helmets, homophobes, misogynists, tobacco companies, in short any who press their own agendas against the will and welfare of their fellow citizens.

Pundits say that America is a nation divided in two, meaning divided into red and blue communities. I agree that America is a divided nation, but divided into many, many factions, parties, PACs, lobbies, movements, families, individuals who insist on their own way only and show their disdain for the common good. Does America have a death-wish?

13 XI 2020: BS from Justice Alito

Justice Alito who has been agitating to deny gays the freedom to marry is now objecting to restrictions on “liberty” arising from the struggle against COVID19. The news report reads: “‘We have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged,’ he said, and added that the pandemic has resulted in ‘previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty.'” I guess Mr. Justice Alito has not read about the steps taken to control the flu epidemic of 1918 nor about the restrictions imposed during WWI and WWII.

Am I wrong to see here the influence of America’s mistaken notion of liberty? If liberty means the freedom to do whatever you may want, however destructive to yourself or to others, then I guess the restrictions put in place to check COVID19 are restrictions on “individual liberty.” But does individual liberty allow us to drive an unsafe vehicle or to drive while intoxicated? Am I being denied my liberty if I’m forbidden to dump sewage into a creek that runs through my own property? Doesn’t regulation of tobacco, alcohol, firearms, and narcotics sharply curtail individual liberty? And what about the Transportation Security Administration that can inspect our luggage and our bodies?

Justice Alito is very worried about what he perceives as threats to “religious liberty.” Again, the report says: “‘It pains me to say this,’ Alito said, ‘but in certain quarters, religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored right.'” Well, I think a lot depends on what one means by religious liberty. So I would pose the same sort of questions. Does religious liberty extend to religious assemblies that endanger the congregants and all with whom they come into contact? Does religious liberty allow snake handling, the “circumcision” of girls, “temple prostitutes,” unrestricted use of narcotics in religious services? Does religious liberty allow me to pay no taxes because I think the government is immoral? Does religious liberty allow me to beat my children if my church believes that the male should rule the family? Does religious liberty allow me to force my peculiar ethics and practices on others? What if my church condemns democracy, as the Catholic church did for centuries? Am I allowed to try to subvert democracy?

I’ve no doubt that Justice Alito was presenting his honestly held opinions. I am sorry that they seem to pander to good old American antinomian license and to the prolonged hegemony of certain religions. He has provided a list of the biases that will require him to recuse himself if the major issues of our time are referred to the Supreme Court.

13 XI 2020: Is Trump doing a Hitler parody?

I’ve read about Trump’s laying low in the White House — no mention of his bunker, but I wonder … Then I see in an article that those around Trump are afraid to tell him that he lost the election. 

I thought at once of the Hitler Rants Parodies on the internet. These insert footage from the portrayal of Hitler’s last days in the movie Downfall into new narratives, e.g., Hitler confronts Trump at Coronavirus press briefing, Hitler’s KFC order disaster, Hitler finds out Kanye West is running for president, Hitler debates Biden and Trump, and so on. The footage from Downfall shown most often portrays Hitler losing it in a furious rant.

I wonder if those close to Trump fear a similar eruption from the President. I read rumors that he has been permanently pissed off since losing the election, so they must be accustomed to his irascibility. But I can imagine that they are coddling Trump for fear of touching off something like what you can see at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH7zn52M_BA

12 XI 2020: Will America die of its own delusions?

Today’s newspaper reports that officials in St. Louis County are considering maybe tightening the restrictions now in place because of our apparent inability even to slow the spread of COVID19. Maybe it will be necessary to reduce the maximum gathering size down from the current number of 49! Are they kidding? And maybe reduce allowed occupancy levels of bars and restaurants to 50%. I find this astonishing, for half-measures like this are unlikely to make a bit of difference. Why not require all to wear a masks, why not reduce the maximum attendance at a gathering to the size of a nuclear family? Why not close bars and restaurants for a while?

But then, in the same article, a citizen attending the latest County Council meeting asked “Why do you insist on spreading fear and bullying the residents of St. Louis County.” Thank you, Mr. Trump! A Republican councilman is quoted as saying “to penalize everybody because certain people chose not to heed warnings is somewhat irresponsible from a policy point of view.” A complete misunderstanding of the COVID19 problem! Another Republican councilman warned that tightening restrictions in St. Louis County would drive people to go to other counties where the COVID19 threat is worse. I think we must read between the lines here: Tighter restrictions might drain off some cash from St. Louis County to other counties that are even more remiss. As always, economic considerations come first!

I would like to ask: Is telling the truth about a grave threat to our national security simply “spreading fear”? Is it bullying, is it penalizing if you compel citizens to do their duty to one another and take steps to protect their health and the health of all around them? 

Not telling the truth is a major cause of the crisis we face today. Our President knowingly lied to us when we might have taken steps to prepare for the onset of COVID19. And then, in an attempt to diminish his responsibility for his public health crime, he continued to lie about the severity of the pandemic and ridiculed the safety measures recommended by honest experts.

We would benefit from a lot more fear. I think Americans have developed a false sense of security due to the government’s control of information and due to the propaganda of the financial and commercial communities that is aimed to make us prodigal consumers. We have been brainwashed into believing that as long as we pay our taxes, spend our paychecks, and keep up our credit card payments we are what no human being ever can be, totally secure. So Americans won’t believe that there could come a plague that would be a real threat to US, won’t believe that there is not some medical magic that will take care of the problem at once, and, of course, believe their President because his lies reinforce their false beliefs.

Any honest appraisal of how great a menace COVID19 is to the US would, I think, make talk of “bullying” and “penalizing” seem ridiculous. If we truly feared COVID19 as much as it deserves, we would not worry so much about cash leaving our County. If we really feared COVID19 and if we really thought of ourselves as a civic community, we would work together, would support radical restrictions, would demand the truth, and would not let this plague continue to kill our fellow citizens.

10 XI 2020: Remember, Trump was crazy already

I read reports of the wear and tear of Biden’s victory on Trump’s mental health, and yes, Trump seems wholly out-of-control. But Trump is not going crazy, he’s simply getting crazier. We’ve grown so accustomed to Trump’s instability, irascibility, pettiness, megalomania, and lapses from reality that it takes his really freaking out to recall to us that our sociopath President is, has been, and will forever be crazy. In fact, I expected rather more uproar and self-pity from Trump than we have seen so far. We must congratulate his psychiatrists for adjusting his dosage to these altered circumstances.

I do want to know whether it was Trump’s idea to risk the nation’s security by appointing his ass-kissers to the Pentagon or something that his “aides” came up with. Trump and Co. will sabotage whatever they can, like the Nazis in retreat, tearing up railroads, blowing up dams, dynamiting buildings, and pausing only to massacre the locals.

Can’t someone stick a pin into Mike Pompeo? Must we still listen to his lies? Can’t Rudy Giulliani’s family have him committed before he becomes a permanent joke? And cannot someone make the Republicans in Congress realize that they are married to a corpse? That they still cower before Trump is so damned degrading! And what about Lindsey Graham? What does Trump have on him? What could have turned a man worthy of some respect into a political pervert?

9 XI 2020: Oh no, I was in the Resistance!

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has asked in a Tweet a very important question: “Is anyone archiving these Trump sycophants for when they try to downplay or deny their complicity in the future?” and predicted: “I foresee decent probability of many deleted Tweets, writings, photos in the future.” I agree. I believe we are going to see a phenomenon here such as occurred in France after the Nazi occupation during WWII. All kinds of people who favored and supported the Vichy regime claimed they only appeared to support Petain, that they never really liked the Nazis, and that they were in fact secret members of the Resistance.

My reference to Vichy France is not outlandish. Support for the Vichy government and the Nazis was not a political point-of-view, but was, rather, a collaboration with evil. That is how I view Trump’s minions and collaborators, like Rudy Giulliani, William Barr, Lindsey Graham, Matt Gaetz, and Ron Johnson., how I view the Republicans in the Senate and the Boys in the House. Those immediately involved in the Vichy Government would be analogous to Trump’s atrocious “political appointees,” figures chosen not for any competence they have, but only for their willingness to collaborate in the subversion of the government of the United States. Trumpism is not a political movement, but a pathology.

Some Frenchmen supported Petain because he promised to “make France great again.” Others backed Petain and the Nazis because they were vigorously anti-communist. They endured willingly the elimination of their civil liberties, rejection of France’s republican past, and alliance with a patently evil regime, an alliance that made them complicit in the slaughter of many patriotic French men and women and the extermination of the Jews. But agreement with the Nazis on one issue, the Bolshevik threat, somehow enabled them to overlook atrocities of every kind.

This too sounds quite familiar. Trump claimed to be “pro-life,” presented himself as a stalwart defender of “religious liberty,” and vowed to be a resolute defender of “gun rights.” Various groups, the myopic Right-to-Lifers, the pseudo-evangelicals who want to be the state religion, and the half-mad throng of gun nuts, were driven by their passion about these single issues to ignore Trump’s ignorance, his amorality, his and his family’s corruption, the corruption of all around him and of the Republican Party. All these American Trumpers, from senators down to people in the street, are responsible for the near destruction of the United States’ democracy. Continuing antagonism would prolong the Trump Era, but the American people must not be allowed to forget the irresponsibility, gullibility, and lack of a civic conscience of these people.

6 XI 2020: Gas on the surface of the swamp water

Sometime presidential adviser Steve Bannon has shown, if not his true colors, at least his true propensity. He is as uncivilized as the Islamic Nation who probably gave him the idea of beheading the two honest members of the administration. Bannon feels that all civil servants should “get with the program,” making clear his assumption that members of the civil service are servants of the President and not employees of the American people.

Bannon is too recognizable (he does love publicity!) to take part in attacks by the Thrugs,* for as in a bog, so also in the bad-boy right wing the more malodorous material rises to the top. I’m sure he is frustrated and disappointed that he cannot get out there to bash, burn, and have a good old Brown-Shirt fling. 

*Thrugs = Trump thugs