I wrote for the four years of individual 1’s “administration” about his INCOMPETENCE as a leader of this nation and our government, but the part where he was competent was in his increasingly fascist attempt at a takeover of our actual republic. And, sadly, he came really close because the “Russian active measures” he’s inflicted on his “uneducated voters” has BRAINWASHED so many Americans so the threat of a fascist insurrection remains, despite his OVERWHELMING defeat (OK, I’m talking about the POPULAR vote) at the hands of the voters on November 3rd, 2020. Individual 1’s LYING didn’t abide once he had been defeated at the polls, it metastasized. And, obviously, his “uneducated voters” ended up storming the Capitol Building on January 6th, 2021.

I’ve been saying for longer than the four years of individual 1 there is a WAR for the heart and soul of America between the, what I’ve referred to as, “present day republican party,” and those of us who call ourselves “progressives” or, for shame, “liberals” or, for that matter, actual patriots – like the republicans who formed the “Lincoln Project.” Of course, America’s history has been built on the backs of those who are in that (progressive, liberal) “class.” Of course, African Americans helped BUILD the infrastructure of America – I’m talking about things like the “White House,” etc. My connection with history has its focus on the 1930’s and FDR and the New Deal where many of the privileges “we the people” take for granted were implemented into American policy via legislation and is now under right wing assault. And, white people like me have been able to ignore the history our “Black, Brown, and Indigenous” for, well, forever. The LYNCHING of George Floyd seems to have been “enough already” for a wide range of Americans, especially those of the younger set.

When thinking of the “New Deal,” I live in Washington State and we have cheap and clean power via the Dams of which many were built during the “New Deal” (Dams which decimated the Salmon runs the Pacific Northwest Natives depended on – Electricity was also introduced to many parts of the nation via the Tennessee Valley Authority. Union rights were won, the 40 hour work week, the intro of child labor laws, and on and on. I grew up at a time when people didn’t take these things for granted – members of unions fought to maintain what had been won by their fathers and mothers in the 30’s. Dwight Eisenhower was the first president I remember and he instigated the federal highway project with Federal highways being built from one end of this nation to the other. I still remember my parents driving my two sisters and my brother and me (when I was 8 in 1955) back to visit our relatives in Ohio from our home in Washington State on the highways built under Eisenhower’s guidance.

Getting a college degree was cheap with veterans benefitting from the GI Bill and politicians talked to one another “across the isle.” I felt that was the case until the 1980’s when “we the people” were introduced to Newt Gingrich who determined the way republicans could gain power was through OBSTRUCTION as opposed to “winning” the battle of ideas. Ronald Reagan was the beginning of the end for the “Middle Class” and along with Gingrich we saw the beginning of what happened on January 6th, 2021. If you weren’t there Reagan was the first “leader” I can remember fighting to control our government and then claiming the “government is the problem.” I’ve always wondered, if government is such a problem, why do republicans go to such extreme means in order to control it?

We’ve now evolved to having one party which believes power at any cost is the goal – POWER! Republicans have been funneling taxpayer DOLLARS out of our government to the wealthiest “among us” since the days of Reagan and they can’t get enough. I challenge anyone to dispute that FACT. The issue of income inequality began during the days of Reagan – it’s all in the data. And, of course, despite the inequities of the democrats, the issue of RACISM has been a focal point of the republican party since the days of Richard Nixon – from my observation. For heaven’s sake, Ronald Reagan was almost as efficient with the “dog whistles” as individual 1 – he started his campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi claiming the importance of “state’s rights” to let the white nationalists of the time (never fully exposed) know exactly where he was coming from.

George HW Bush was famous for his “Willie Horton ad” which was another dog whistle – back in the days when republicans were famous for their political ads focused on the so-called “welfare queens.” Democrats weren’t as bad, in my view, but the reality is the issue with income inequality and racial inequality has evolved to where, today, if you’re a “Black or Brown or Native” American you are more likely to get Covid-19, more likely to have no or inferior health care options, and more likely to be on the front lines as an “essential worker” being paid a minimum wage which leaves you permanently in the economic underclass. Plus, your children are more likely to be in inferior public schools making it more difficult to lift themselves up “by their bootstraps.”

And, despite all this, there are, obviously, MILLIONS of Americans who are white and feel they are the so-called “victims.” When they claim, like in the case of individual 1’s propaganda, “we need to take our country back” what do you think they’re talking about. That’s not a “dog whistle,” it’s a “Bull horn.” Of course, individual 1 was never accused of being subtle, although, his language is the language of a mob boss – just as Michael Cohen explained in his testimony to Congress – where we saw the individual 1 sycophants like Jim Jordan and Devin Nunez SHAMING themselves. The “medal of freedom” given to Jordan and Nunez by individual 1 was, not surprising, but SHAMEFUL. Both Jordan and Nunez were among the TRAITORS on 1/6/21.

What I’m saying is the tilting toward the right of the republican party began in earnest with Reagan and the end result was individual 1. Today, on MSNBC Nicole Wallace interviewed Bob Corker, former Senator from Tennessee who famously claimed individual 1’s administration was like “an adult daycare center.” While, I’ve been encouraged listening to many republicans since it became apparent individual 1 was “trying to be like Vladimir,” Corker isn’t one of them. He was one of the members of Congress who “cashed in” on the 2017 tax scam as he was planning to leave the Senate and listening to him today reminded me he’s a delusional right wing republican. Yep, he’s much better than the creeps who attacked the Capitol Building, but he was a key part of the republican party which laid the “groundwork” for individual 1. He didn’t sound at all remorseful. His brain seemed to be inflicted with “bothsidesism.” (Apparently, I made up that word)

Individual 1 appeals to the republicans in Congress because of what people like me find so “deplorable.” His PATHOLOGICAL LYING fits perfectly into the “strategy” of the “present day republican party” as they’ve been playing on the “dark side” of all those white Americans who feel the reason they’re “losing ground” financially is because of Black people and immigrants. Individual 1 was adept at grinding away on those grievances until thousands of his FOOLS er supporters attempted to overturn our elected government. Right now, our Congress is FULL of a bunch of what I consider TRAITORS because they were willing to stand up and vote to overturn a “free and fair” election because they don’t like the result. So far, over 200 of individual 1’s INSURRECTIONISTS have been arrested, facing serious charges, and, of course, he’s claiming he had NOTHING to do with their TRAITOROUS behavior. (Why would anyone expect anything different – he said he’d be there at the Capitol with them)

For years republicans have been working to suppress as many votes of “Brown and Black” Americans as they can – right out in the open. Additionally, they’ve been working in the weeds to gerrymander one Congressional District after another (including the one I live in – although, I’m in a “blue” state) as they work to embed “minority rule” into our political process. When you take a close look at the election statistics over the past 10+ years what you see is a consistent year after year, election after election, democrats getting MORE votes than republicans and ending up in minority positions. They’ve WON the “popular vote” in 7 of the past 8 presidential elections and have had years where they gained as many as 10 MILLION more votes nationally in Congressional elections while still ending up in the minority.

So, now, with the DEFEAT of individual 1 in 2020 and Democrats winning Georgia both in the presidential election and BOTH Senate seats you’re already seeing republicans’ voter suppression tactics gearing up to “high speed.” Some of the republican officials are not even subtle about this – claiming “we have to do this so we can ‘win’ again.” People are already talking about how gerrymandering after the 2020 Census could make Democratic control of the House of Representatives problematic – which, I believe means republicans believe they can CHEAT in order to regain POWER. For heaven’s sake, they now have Margery Taylor Greene running around the country attempting to bring in more (racist) voters. I say, “what else is new?” The question would be, “are ‘we the people’ going to stay home in 2020 or are we going to continue to flood the polls to keep democrats in Control of both Houses of Congress. I read recently where 28 of the 29 most contested House seats in this past election were won by republicans. We’ll see how Ms. Greene’s campaigning helps them retain those seats!

Just the FACT all of this is possible tells me more than I want to know about the American people. I was a teacher and, when I’ve listened to some of those who supported individual 1 (of course, they were older than my oldest students) the words coming from their mouths has been embarrassing. How can people be adults in this country and be so, well, STUPID? So, here’s a possible answer. Spend a little time listening to Sean Hannity or Tucker Carlson or some of the others on Fox “news,” That, in itself, is eye opening. If you’re a person who actually reads and finds FACTUAL information, it’s hard to listen to these people for, well, even one minute. But, sadly, there’s more.

I happened upon a new BRAINWASHING network, “Newsmax” recently and my first thought was this is worst than Fox. It was as if whoever the woman was on the “air,” her purpose was “fanning the flames” which led to the INSURRECTION of January 6th, 2021. I’ve never listened to or watched “One America Network,” but, from what I’ve heard it will make you as ill informed as the two aforementioned networks. Then there’s Breitbart.com which, originally billed itself as the home of the “Alt Right.” By now, most Americans know what that means. And, Steve Bannon has been pardoned by individual 1 after he was INDICTED for scamming individual 1’s supporters in regard to his ridiculously STUPID wall. Apparently, morality is an issue for both of them. And, getting back to individual 1:

The reports will continue to come out as his incompetence as a “leader” clarify and his complicity in the INSURRECTION – above and beyond INCITING it on January 6th, 2021 – and NONE of it looks (will look) good. Today, for example, the reports which came out about his FAILURES in the Covid-19 pandemic and what he did to the CDC which will continue to shine a light on his complicity in the Deaths of over 400,000 Americans on his “watch.” Of course, the reports SHOW “he wasn’t watching.” We have 4% of the World’s population and 25% of the World’s DEATHS. When Joe Biden took over, to make matters worse, his “team” discovered the inventory of vaccine supplies was, well, non existent.1

So far, Biden is popular (including with me) and he’s forging ahead with a plan to “crush the virus” AND help “we the people” with, OF COURSE, no republican support. As I’ve been saying over and over for the past 10+ years, republicans are good at winning elections, what they’re really BAD at is governing. George W Bush came across as someone who couldn’t put a complete sentence together and he was clearly manipulated by Dick Cheney, but he looks really good to me COMPARED to individual 1. (Although, I believe both GW Bush and Dick Cheney along with Don Rumsfeld SHOULD have faced investigations of WAR CRIMES for authorizing TORTURE.

Speaking of GW Bush/Cheney I’m reminded of the INSURRECTION of the Capitol Building on January 6th, 2021. If you remember the TORTURING which took place during the Bush/Cheney regime there was an embarrassing reporting of what when on at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq during the fiasco caused by the LYING of both GW Bush and his VP Cheney. I read at least two books on the Abu Ghraib TORTURING of (mostly) innocent Iraq’s and there’s no doubt the orders came from the top – at a minimum Don Rumsfeld – but, who “paid the price?” Of course, it was a bunch of low level soldiers who thought they were following orders. Of course, they knew what they were doing and witnessing (this included private contractors leaving Iraqi’s hanging from the walls of the interrogation rooms after they left – DEAD) was wrong – but, save for one female General NOT one upper echelon member of the Bush/Cheney regime even faced and investigation into their complicity!

For God’s sake – both GW Bush and Dick Cheney admitted, after they left office, they authorized WATERBOARDING (a violation of the Geneva Conventions) – and worse – and they faced NO consequences. These were ALL WAR CRIMES. Well, now, we’ve got over 200 of individual 1’s “flunkies” having been arrested for the INSURRECTION and republicans are lining up in both the House and Senate to back individual 1 going forward. Senate republicans have already indicated they won’t even consider CONVICTING individual 1 for INCITING the INSURRECTION – which makes me wonder if there’s ANYTHING individual 1 could do which would rise to the level of IMPEACHMENT. Had Mike Pense actually been HANGED, would that have motivated Senators? Had one of their own been KILLED instead of Brian Sicknick would that have motivate them? It appears not!

Several of those who’ve been arrested want to be witnesses in the upcoming trial of individual 1 because they say they participated in the INSURRECTION because that’s what they believed their TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING president wanted them to do. He actually sat back, popped some popcorn (or ordered some cheeseburgers), and seemed to enjoy the INSURRECTION because he felt “these people like me.” OMG!! While it’s taken me a while to resort to words like STUPID in reference to individual 1’s “base” as I watched people “live streaming” themselves committing sedition, wearing their letter sweater with their name on it or other clearly identifying clothing, for failing to realize EVERYTHING they were doing was on camera, all I can say is “I rest my case.” They actually believed individual 1 would “be there at the Capitol” with them. He’s LIED to them for FOUR long years, so if they haven’t figured it out by now, well, ………………………. (Stupid)

I’ve heard there are over 600 people now under investigation for the INSURRECTION. As I’ve said, individual 1 got a law (?) passed – probably an executive order – calling for a minimum sentence of 10 years for anyone who illegally enters or damages a Federal building – so, technically EVERY one of the INSURRECTIONISTS would be facing a minimum of 10 years in jail. Most of those ARRESTED, so far, are facing MULTIPLE felony accounts – with many facing CONSPIRACY charges (those are REALLY serious) and/or SEDITION which is among the MOST serious of all crimes against our constitution. I believe if individual 1 is acquitted by the Senate he will be charged criminally later.

Final Thought: While I’ve been writing about my opinion MANY of individual 1’s supporters are STUPID I have to add, I’m not giving the republican Senators a pass on this characterization either. As we’ve ALREADY seen from Marjory Taylor Greene she’s going to be a “thorn” in the side of any rational republican going forward as a spokesperson for individual 1’s most outrageous supporters. By acquitting him, republicans are inviting him to be LORDING over them for the next four years. Do you really think he’ll refuse the opportunity to be the “head of the republican party?” Do you think he’ll make it easier for the party to re-imagine itself with him LORDING over it – threatening to run again in 2024 – which would be even MORE disastrous for their party. What they’re doing is giving the progressives in America reason to be focused on a massive run on the polls again in 2022 – not only increasing their majority in the House, but picking up seats in the Senate. I have to say it, these Senate republicans, by and large, appear to be, well, ………………… STUPID!