I’ve had my issues with President Obama over his 7+ years in the White House, but I’ve always wanted him to succeed.  I’m thankful he’s the president right now and neither Mitt Romney or John McCain managed to defeat him in either one of the last two presidential elections.  It’s like there’s “an adult in the room” regarding the mega issues facing America in today’s messed up world.  And, in my view, the most serious issues are not defeating ISIL, but instead defeating the RIGHT WING extremists in America who are pushing this nation closer and closer to a fascist state.

Many people I know think a person is crazy when the idea that America could become a fascist state is broached.  They think anyone comparing our leaders to those of past generations leading fascist governments (ie Mussolini or Hitler) are way off base.  However, I’ve been following the disintegration of the republican party since the days of Ronald Reagan and I’ve been reading book after book on what is REALLY happening in this nation, and the reality does not look good.  In previous posts I’ve given examples of the definition of fascism – mainly focusing on what I call the “Mussolini line” – which is the corporate/government partnership.  It’s hard to deny that America is trending dangerously in this direction already.  I started clamoring the warnings within days of the Supreme Court’s dangerous and divisive decision titled “Citizens’ United” – which was the work of Mitch McConnell and his “ilk.”  That happened around the time President Obama was elected and by now most “progressives” understand how very dangerous that decision is.

At a time when one of our two political parties is more focused on the “FAILURE” of our president than the SUCCESS of our nation, it’s hard for me to understand why so many in our nation, and more particularly in our “liberal media,” don’t understand the gravity of the problem.  As I watch the political scene while the republicans are “ginning” up hate and fear in an atmosphere where that’s EXACTLY what our so-called “enemy” would want them to be doing, I have to wonder if the person who’s got me more concerned about the U.S. devolving into a fascist state, Donald Trump, isn’t correct.  I’ve heard him claim on more than one occasions that “The American public is STUPID.”  Each time I’ve heard him say that, almost by the next day his poll numbers go UP!  Go figure.  He accused the voters of Iowa of being stupid (apparently because he had temporarily fallen to #2 in the polls at the time) and the next day his “numbers” were up.  (Of course, I only had to think of the lady Iowa elected to the Senate last year to realize he’s more than likely correct).

In my naive, optimistic heart, I can’t bring myself to believe the people who are supporting the “Tea Party” and Donald Trump really understand what they’re supporting.  I’ve got friends who, well, it’s been a couple years since our discussions, when I pointed out the racist nature of the “Tea Party”  and they were unable to understand this.  They consider themselves “conservatives” and somehow were identifying with the “Tea Party” with what I called “selective vetting.”  They were unable to connect all the racists signs and hate signs that appeared at all the anti-Obama “Tea Party” rallies – before President Obama had done more than take the oath of office – as racist induced.  I’m not sure what they’re thinking at this time (if you’ve ever had a conversation with someone who considers what they hear on Fox “news” as actually being “news” you know what I mean when I say it’s difficult to even have a conversation with them about politics) but Donald Trump is a bit less covert than the usual republican racist candidate.  (If you’re not old enough to remember, Ronald Reagan – the messiah to the right wing – [and, I’ll have a lot more to say about him on a soon to be posted rant – had his “kick off” to his presidential campaign – the first successful one] – in Philadelphia Mississippi – most of my “conservative” friends are still, to this day, unable to understand the significance and the imagery sent to racists of that choice for a political “launch pad.”   For a “counter example,” President Obama launched his campaign in Springfield Illinois at the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln.)

Let’s consider Trump here for a bit – and, remember, something like a third of the “likely republican voters” are supporting him at this time, and the other “candidates” (are there really any candidates?) say they will support him should he manage to gain the nomination.  Trump started his campaign with a vicious attack on Mexican Americans and claiming he, if elected, will round up 11 MILLION “illegals” and deport them from the country.  (Of course, when asked how he will do this his answer is something along the lines of “it’s a secret,” or “I’m smart,” or – honestly – I’ve got no idea how he’s going to do this.)  He is also going to end (so he says – I’m really curious if “we the  people” will let him) “birthright citizenship” – meaning, if you’re born in America that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a citizen.  I’m really not sure what he means by that, but my suspicion would be he wants to maybe take away President Obama’s citizenship – as he’s been at the forefront of the so-called (and disgraceful) “birther” movement.  But, that’s not all!

Donald Trump, of “The Donald” as some refer to him, will “register” all the Muslims in America.  Not sure what he’s planning to do with this “registry” – but, is this even starting to remind you of anything?  Have you studied any recent world history?  Do you know anything about the Third Reich and the rise of Hitler in the 30’s and how he came to power?  I know it sounds far fetched – but, I’m just saying – if it looks like a duck, call it a duck!  And, how do you think he’ll get “rid” of ISIL?  If “we the people” should allow someone like this to even gain a nomination to our nation’s highest office what kind of message do you think this would send to the rest of the world?  We’re already in the process of destroying ALL the good will we EARNED through the defeat of Germany in the two “World Wars” – through the actions of previous republican presidents (ie – Reagan and GW Bush/Cheney) and the despicable rhetoric that permeates the present day republican campaign “trail.”  (It’s not just Trump)

Of course, while I’m writing this post I hear that now Trump has proposed blocking America’s border to ALL Muslim’s “until our leaders figure out what the hell is going on.” (or something along those lines)  I even heard him say (which, supposedly he later “backtracked” a bit – it that’s possible for Trump) that American citizens who worship the Muslim faith and who are traveling abroad should not be allowed back into the country.  Supposedly, he’s going to propose some kind of religious “test” for people going through customs who are legally coming into this country.  (Of course, Jeb Bush proposed something similar, only it was to let in the Christians!  What’s with these guys – do they really not understand what they’re proposing?)  And, what about the members of our military who are Muslims?  Will they be prevented from coming into the country from, say, fighting in the Middle East?  When discussing all this Trump even likened his thinking to the internment camps Japanese Americans (another part of our shameful history) were placed in during the second World War as being an option for Muslims.  You know, good enough for FDR, good enough for Donald Trump – I guess!

I’ve been pointing out for years that the American republican party and their “cohorts” (ie – Fox “news,” Rush Limbaugh – and his underlings – yes, I’m talking about you Lars Larsen – and, all the paid “pundits” who will espouse the so-called “talking points” for money) have been practicing Joseph Goebbels’ “Big Lie Theory” for years.  That is, if you publicly repeat a lie often enough (and in enough different settings) people will believe it’s the truth.  That’s how they’ve managed to turn the word “liberal,” for example, into a somewhat toxic word in the American political discourse (when EVERY good advance in our history, that benefits “we the people” has come from liberal activists).  They’ve succeeded in brainwashing the American public to believe that our corporate media (owned by right wing corporations almost entirely) is “liberal.”  Now, they’re hammering “we the people” that our president, Barrack Obama, is “weak,” while Donald Trump is “strong.”

When you put all this together, and you consider that Karl Rove, for years, has been proclaiming the forthcoming “permanent republican ‘majority,'” – I hope you can see where we’re going here.  I really don’t think the republican “establishment” will allow Donald Trump to gain the nomination (although a fitting conclusion to expelling him from the party would be he would run a “third party” campaign – wouldn’t that be interesting?) but, the reality is that the other “candidates” aren’t a whole lot better.  From my vantage point, these people (including the financiers who are doling out the “big bucks”) are quietly moving America in the direction of a fascist state.  Donald Trump’s despicable rhetoric is not the reason I’m saying this – although, he brings reality to light.  They’ve been surreptitiously leading us in this direction since the days of Ronald Reagan.  I believe that when Reagan talked about government being “the problem” it was because these people despise “democracy.”  They are on record as saying the fewer people who vote, the better they do.  Their attack on the right to vote has been endless.  They DON’T HATE government, they simply want to CONTROL it, lock, stock and barrel.  As I mentioned above, if it “talks like a duck, quacks like a duck, call it what it is – a duck!”  Donald Trump is simply exposing the republican’s plan to turn America into a fascist (corporate run) state!

If you’re a progressive, or even a moderate (or a rational republican) and you don’t rush to the polls to vote against this attack on the foundation of our nation in the next election, SHAME ON YOU!  I’ve said many times on this site – I’m not pro-democratic – it’s just that the republicans as they are presently constituted MUST GO!  We the people MUST vote as many of them out of office as possible.  And, we need to replace them with progressive minded public servants who are obligated to “we the people” and not the moneyed interests who have so terribly corrupted our present Congress.  And, this idea that every democrat or every republican vote in “lock step” with their party – is TRULY un-American!  That also, (and, by the way, that’s the creed of these republicans no matter who gets the nomination) is one of the things that originally got me visualizing 1930’s Germany (or Italy or Spain) when I heard about the “pledge.” (my own congressperson – a republican – was threatened with censorship for voting her conscience on five occasions out of over 500 votes!)

Every day people recognize how serious the problem is, they just have no idea how to solve it – it does seem impossible.  I’ll say it once more – the first step is to vote out as many republicans from Congress as possible and make sure none of these wack jobs running for their nomination for president in 2016 wins.  Then the job of “we the people will be to transform the Democratic party back into the progressive organization it was during the New Deal and the Great Society.  In other words, America’s middle class needs to stop getting snaffooed by right wing wedge issues and stop voting against their own best interests!  For those of you who were fooled years ago by Ronald Reagan, I’ll have a post soon that “tells it like it is” regarding the right wing’s “messiah.”  It was his election, in my view, that set the stage for the predicament that we now find ourselves.  It’s time to start talking about Reagan’s presidency TRUTHFULLY!