If you’ve been around here it would be no secret when I choose to watch “TV news” I tend to find myself on MSNBC. That being said, I also find myself often times YELLING at the screen as commentators use terminology which just makes me shake my head. I’ve mentioned many times my frustration with the so-called “liberal media” FAILING to remind viewers of where the “Big Lie (theory)” originated (Adolf Hitler) and there’s another “word” I’m hearing which is starting to fall into the same category of what I’d call “unintentional misinformation.” Today, for example, I was listening to “conservative” Charlie Sykes referring to his “long time acquaintance” Ron Johnson as someone in “conservative circles.”

Here’s the deal with me. Words like “conservative” have been hijacked from the English language. People like Ron Johnson, who’s regurgitating racist “conservative” theories in public, is a member of what I call “today’s republican party” which is NOT a bastion for “conservatives.” Johnson, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Mitch McConnell (AKA “Moscow Mitch”), Mike Lee, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, and I could go on – the republicans in the Senate (And, I’m not even mentioning the House because republicans there are so far over the edge, well………….) are NOT “conservatives,” they’re a bunch of right wing reactionaries. Based on their willingness to destroy our republic, I’d refer to them as neo-fascists if not just fascists. My guess is if you asked each one of them to define “conservative” they’d turn and walk away – with a confused look on their face. They’re POWER hungry racist reactionaries who would accept fascism if that is necessary to keep them in POWER.

For anyone who doesn’t understand what I’m suggesting, here “Miriam Webster’s” definition of fascism: “A political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.” Webster then adds: ” a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control, early instances of army fascism and brutality.”

Here’s more: “The Italian Origin of Fascism” – still from Webster’s dictionary: ” The words fascism and fascist have long been associated with the Fascisti of Benito Mussolini and the fasces, the bundle of rods with an ax among them, which the Fascisti used as a symbol of the Italian people united and obedient to the single authority of the state. However, Mussolini did not introduce the word fascista (plural fascisti) with the 1919 organization of the Fasci di combattimento (“combat groups”), nor did the fasces have any direct connection with the origin of fascista. In Italian, the word fascio (plural fasci) means literally “bundle,” and figuratively “group.” From at least 1872 fascio was used in the names of labor and agrarian unions, and in October 1914 a political coalition was formed called the Fascio rivoluzionario d’ azione internazionalista (“revolutionary group for international action”), which advocated Italian participation in World War I on the side of the Allies. Members of this group were first called fascisti in January 1915. Although Mussolini was closely associated with this interventionist movement, it had no direct link with the post-war Fasci di combattimento, and in 1919 the word fascista was already in political circulation. It is, however, to the Fascisti in their 1919 incarnation—who seized power in Italy three years later—that we owe the current customary meanings of our words fascism and fascist.”

So, for all you republicans out there who believe “the 2020 election was stolen,” and who languish in the right wing “echo chamber” of MISINFORMATION – much of which comes from Vladimir Putin’s cyberwarriors – ie direct from the Kremlin – I’m just letting you know you’re supporting a movement – ie individual 1’s movement (I can’t bring myself to type his surname) – which has brought the danger of fascism closer to America’s republic than Hitler ever managed back when my father was part of the military participating in the effort to squelch the spread of fascism. Essentially, we’re talking about white nationalism attempting to stop the inevitable in a country which is known as the “melting pot” because we’re ALL a bunch of “immigrants.” And, if that’s too much to understand, I’m talking about America.

Of course, “Native Americans” migrated here THOUSANDS of years before the white Europeans “IMMIGRATED” to America who then “helped” Africans to “IMMIGRATE” to America in slave ships to be sold at auction if they survived the trip at sea. Here’s a little aside for those of you who are supporters (still?) of individual 1 (who will soon find himself in court as “we the people” attempt to PROVE we are a “nation of laws and not men.”) – our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president is a SECOND generation GERMAN IMMIGRANT to this nation. Many of those AMERICANS who he referred to as coming from “shithole” countries are descendants of AMERICANS who were (brought) here 400 (or so) years ago. Do you get my point?

And, on top of that, MANY of those “conservative Christians” who make up individual 1’s “base” are descendants of the very people who’ve been persecuting our African American brothers and sisters since, well, in some cases the entire 400 years (or so). They are the descendants of those who participated in the lynchings which followed the “freeing of the slaves” during the Civil War. There’s no way to sugarcoat this. America is facing a BARRAGE of attempts to SUPPRESS the votes of our African American brothers and sisters as I’m typing this. The Governor of Georgia, who himself, disenfranchised upwards of 500,000 Georgians in order to “win” his election back in 2018 just signed the first of the bills aimed at making it HARDER for “Black and Brown” people to vote (along with young people) and, in case they do vote and the legislature doesn’t like the results, they can override the “will of the people.”

This isn’t just happening in Georgia. Iowa has already passed a VOTER SUPPRESSION bill which is aimed at those in the “Black and Brown” community (or, essentially, those tending to vote for democrats) and, in Arizona, there’s legislation which very well could make Georgia’s bill look moderate. (Although, it’s hard to make a bill which makes it a FELONY to provide WATER to someone standing in the HOT SUN for up to TEN hours in order to vote seem “moderate”) Arizona’s legislature also wants to be able to override the “will of the people” if they vote, for example, a democrat in a federal election for president. They want the right to be able to choose “their electors” for the Electoral College if the people “make the ‘wrong’ choice.” OMG!!!

When you look at the definition of FASCISM, you see it playing out all across the so-called “red states” – especially those states which consider themselves “red” but are trending to “blue.” There can be no denying individual 1 has exhibited ALL the characteristics of a FASCIST – it’s just that he was “throttled” by our constitution which withstood a “full frontal assault” during his four (LONG) years in office – but, especially OBVIOUS at the “end,” when he was refusing (which he’s still doing – the so-called “Big Lie”) to accept the results of his DEFEAT at the polls. Of course, he’s actually LOST twice – but, in 2016 he “won” the Electoral College despite actually LOSING the “popular vote” by around 3 MILLION votes. Even back then he was indicating he would not accept the results of the election if he “lost.”

And, of course, back then “we the people” had no idea he was “cavorting” with the Russians as both they and his campaign had “data” from over 150,000 Facebook users which they bombarded with the ACTUAL “fake news.” Another aside: Whenever you’re listening to individual 1 bloviating you can be assured any accusation he makes originates with him – the epitome of projection. You can count on it as much as you can count on the sun rising each day in the East. I read the Mueller report TWICE and there’s NO doubt individual 1 was “COLLUDING” with the Russians. Our “liberal media” helped engrain that possibility as something Mueller was “investigating” in our public mindset.

Well, when you read the actual report, Mueller was NOT investigating “collusion” because there’s NO statute which defines or is aimed at “collusion.” What they were investigating was whether there was a “CONSPIRACY” between Russians and individuals involved in individual 1’s campaign which could be proved beyond a “reasonable doubt.” For example, then individual 1’s “number 1” son, along with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his campaign manager (at the time) Paul Manafort met with a group of Russians to get “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, Mueller decided, essentially, they were too stupid to understand that was ILLEGAL. (Yep, it’s ILLEGAL to take ANYTHING of value from a foreign entity in order to help your campaign – like it or not, that’s the LAW) Of course, by the time Mueller had arrived at that conclusion Manafort was already being tried for NUMEROUS other ILLEGAL transgressions so, well, you “get it” don’t you?

What I’m saying is there was “COLLUSION” all over the place in individual 1’s campaign against Hillary Clinton with the Russians. (That was, essentially, what Roger Stone, for example as “alleged” to be doing when he was convicted of SEVEN felonies) Everyone paying attention saw our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president, himself, requesting the Russians “find the thirty thousand missing emails” if they were “listening.” Well, of course, he KNEW they were “listening” and, sure enough, within 5 hours the HACKERS were attempting to breach Mrs. Clinton’s email accounts and the accounts of her campaign. (They had already gained access to the accounts of the DNC and those of John Podesta – which, of course, they strategically released emails and other data from those accounts during the campaign – “allegedly” at the direction of Roger Stone who was “connected” in some kind of way with “Wikileaks.”

Here’s the deal: by definition Vladimir Putin is a FASCIST – although many refer to him as the “boss” of the worlds largest organized crime syndicate. Him and his so-called “oligarchs” have been pilfering the natural resources of Russia – which, by the way, are bountiful – for the past 20 years, or so, that Putin has ruled Russia with an “iron fist.” I suppose you could just refer to him as a “dictator” – but, to me, that’s simply parsing terms. And, of course, individual 1 has expressed and admiration of Putin for far longer than his (reign of terror) time as America’s TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president and, it appeared to me he was jealous of Putin’s POWER in Russia and was attempting to USURP similar POWER in America by overriding our constitution. The “climax” of that attempt happened on January 6th, 2021.

There can be no doubt the FAILURE of the INSURRECTION on January 6th, 2021 (“A date that will live in infamy”) is the “stimulus” for the OVER 250 VOTER SUPPRESSION bills which are progressing through republican state legislatures all across the nation. This is the reason it’s important for “we the people” to ELECT as many democratic (and, I’ve always been an “independent” but dangerous times calls for responsive actions) governors who can VETO any of this repugnant “Fascistic” legislation which might make it to a governors desk. Of course, many of the states where this is happening have republican governors who will sign the legislation – “or else.”

People complain about the “tribalism” which is happening in America, but those of us who call ourselves “independents” along with those republicans referred to as “never individual 1 (ers) – I just can’t bring myself to write the word), must align ourselves with the democrats in order to STOP this FASCIST assault on our republic. I believe our system needs (at least) two parties which are “functional,” but the republican party has proved itself DISFUNCTIONAL – so the rest of us are OBLIGATED to fight back against what they’re attempting to accomplish. And, trust me, I understand my 73 years have had the benefit of “white privilege” and I believe this nation will not “heal” until we truly understand we’re a “melting pot” and our nation was designed on the notion of democratic rule with built on protections for the minority. What republicans are attempting to do is create a nation which has MINORITY rule by those who believe in “white nationalism” – ie read the definition of fascism above and let this all sink in.

This is NOT a two sides issue. Republicans are offering NOTHING in the realm of policy – save for tax cuts for their wealthy DONORS. They chose NOT to participate, for example in the recently passed on a pure “party line vote” the “Covid Relief bill” which is the MOST significant bill aimed as “we the people” in my lifetime. (And, as I pointed out above, I’ve been around for quite a while) OVER 70% of “we the people” supported the bill, but NOT a single republican could bring themselves to vote for it. Under individual 1’s “leadership” republicans had shown themselves to be incapable of governing – to them, it’s all about the POWER and pilfering as many TAX dollars as they can from the Middle and working class Americans as possible. EVERY time in the last 40+ years there’s been a republican in the “White House” their focus has been MORE tax cuts for wealthy Americans and their corporate benefactors. (Actually, it’s time for “we the people” to start boycotting businesses who are willing to fund members of Congress who are/were willing to overturn our system of government OK, another “aside”)

Democrats are pushing a couple bills aimed at making elections more fair – meaning, making it easier for EVERYONE or ANYONE who chooses to participate in the most basic right of being an American citizen – no matter where you came from. HR-1 (now SR-1) is aimed at, essentially, preventing these voting rights abuses which are happening all across the country from becoming LAW in ANY state. It’s like we’re back in the Jim Crow era where African Americans (and other “minorities”) are being forced to fight the battles of Civil Rights and Voting Rights all over again. The abuses which are happening are too many to list here, but the bills which are now in the Senate will legally preclude what these republican state legislatures are attempting to do. In addition, the HR/SR-1 would ban partisan gerrymandering, which is another “subtle” way republicans are working to create their “permanent republican ‘majority.'” That is, they want to embed “minority rule” in our nation so they DON’T have to do the “battle of ideas” in order to gain POWER. That’s because you could print their “ideas” on a single sheet of paper.

Final thought: I get going on these rants and can’t seem to stop, so my apologies for all the words if anyone actually makes it this far (I have no idea who might read this). But, here’s the deal, and it’s popping up everywhere, the FILIBUSTER is getting in the way of actual legislation “we the people” overwhelmingly want. The problem is people like Charles Koch, or the DeVoss family, or the Coors family, the Walton family, etc. – in other words the DONORS who fund the republican party and have turned it so dramatically to the right – don’t like it – so republicans as a BLOCK vote AGAINST legislation “we the people” want.

MOST Americans (including MANY “republicans”) want free and fair elections – with EVERYONE who is eligible and wants to vote being able to do so easily. (And, by the way, I’ve been voting by mail for years and it’s a great way to do so.) “We the people” want “common sense” gun reform. We want our infrastructure to be “updated” (fixed) and we want to combat the climate crisis. We want our nation to be able to INVEST in our PEOPLE and that will require the “wealthy” to pay more in taxes. They’ve been “benefiting” (pilfering) from the tax code for over 40 years. It’s time for the pendulum to “swing” in the other direction. (BILLIONAIRE wealth during the Covid pandemic has increased by $1.3 TRILLION while MILLIONS of Americans are facing eviction, food insecurity, etc.) If republicans continue to OBSTRUCT the legislation “we the people” favor, in the Senate, then it really is time for the filibuster to “go away.”

We’re at an inflexion point in history and the filibusters fate very well could determine the fate of our republic for the foreseeable future.