Tonight I watched, on MSNBC, a documentary on the “Civil War” which, to put it mildly, was thought provoking. It just reinforced, in my own mind, how little I actually KNOW about American history despite the FACT I love to read about American “history.” I put that word in quotes because so much of the American “history” I’ve read has been through the eyes of educators who want to paint a “picture” which leaves out much of the TRUTH. It reminded me of my thoughts over the past few years that “we the people” want to look away from our “history” because not doing so is very uncomfortable.
The first thought I had when watching this documentary was a direct reflection of my own shortcomings. At the time individual 1 (Yep, I still can’t bring myself to write his name) was first running for office – when the “Access Hollywood” tapes became public along with the xenophobia – I was regularly having breakfast (maybe once or twice a month) with a friend I met at church who thought (thinks) in a way which – at least politically – I just couldn’t understand. However, we were able to “dialogue” and, I guess you’d say, “agree to disagree.” We considered our bond the connection to our spiritual beliefs in the teachings of Jesus.
I was shocked when he became a supporter of individual 1 despite knowing what an either IMMORAL or AMORAL person he is. It soon became clear our now TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president was also a pathological LIAR, an overt racist, and an extreme narcissist – among other questionable characteristics. One thing he CERTAINLY was (nor is) was a “Christian.” Yet my friend, who claimed the republican party was “conservative and “Christian,” became more and more intransigent in his connection to what I referred to as a CULT. Personally, I also pointed out on numerous occasions individual 1’s arrogance toward our system of laws.
As time went by we made a couple bets on the outcome of the elections. I LOST the first one because individual 1 “won” the “White House,” obviously, in 2016. I owed him a steak dinner. However, we went double or nothing on 2020. He seemed to genuinely believe individual 1 would win reelection “by a landslide” – and, of course, he predicted once that happened the “left” would respond with violent riots. I told him he was correct only it would play out in the opposite direction of what he was predicting.
That all being said, I enjoyed our time of “dialogue” because I could talk to someone with the opposing view of myself without getting yelled at. Of course the pandemic then “hit” and we could no longer meet for breakfast because the restaurants all got “shuddered” as what he termed “just another flu” began spreading across America exponentially and individual 1 proved to be totally incompetent in dealing with it. So, the conversations became more rare and more “pointed.” My friend said some things to me which raised a few “red flags.”
Keep in mind that he and his (wonderful) wife raised three African American children up to adulthood. I never fully understood the circumstances which led to this, but it was one of the reasons I felt a sense of kinship with him. However, there became a time when some of the things he was saying about his own (adopted?) daughter caused me to shudder. She was receiving public assistance and he seemed to complain about it in a way that made me think he would rather she was out on the street. I always hoped I was wrong about that, but due to the pandemic’s arrival the subject was never fully addressed (and, I always appreciated I felt I could address it).
Then, individual 1 LOST the 2020 election and it became clear to me my friend was so “sucked in” to the CULT that he actually was believing President Biden didn’t actually WIN and was STILL falling for the so-called “Big Lie” of our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. I had tried to get him to, for example, read the Mueller report – which I read TWICE. He declined and was happy to believe the LIES of William Barr who undermined the report in order to protect individual 1’s followers from knowing the TRUTH about the “Russia thing.”
As I processed the objections of my friend who was defending individual 1’s ABSURD claims about the election fraud I was like “Do you really not understand how our elections work?” Well, I actually explained to him EXACTLY how the entire process of President Biden being certified as “President Elect” would unfold. Of couse, what I got WRONG was, despite my prediction right wing groups would protest and that they are heavily armed, I didn’t predict they would STORM the Capitol and actually attempt to pull of a coup d’etat – at the behest of individual 1 (and several of his co-conspirators) himself.
It was at that point – as I was watching people carrying confederate flags, people wearing anti-Semitic slogans on their clothing, white nationalist organizations working in tandem with each other, a GALLOWS erected on our Capitol Building’s grounds while the INSURRECTIONISTS were chanting “Hang Mike Pense,” and the attackers were VIOLENTLY assaulting the Capitol Police, then the D.C. Metropolitan police calling those officers who are African American the typical white nationalist racist slurs that it dawned on me the republican party had evolved into a party of white grievance dominated by white nationalists, including individual 1 – who on several occasions REFUSED to denounce these groups.
As I thought about all of this I could come to no other conclusion than my friend had chosen to associate himself with a racist CULT and that just seemed intolerable to me. We were conversing via more infrequent emails at that point and I just had to directly confront these issues – which, of course, led to a “falling out.” I think in my last email to him I simply said “You’ll never admit you’re wrong – you won’t repent” and I had gotten to the point where his positions were simply unacceptable. It was hard for me to understand how someone I NEVER would have accused of being racist could identify with a group which is OPENLY racist – and more and more as time has passed – as some republican leaders say – the INSURRECIONISTS were simply peaceful visitors to the Capitol! Yikes!
And, now individual 1 is brainwashing them to believe the “real insurrection” happened on the day of the election, not on January 6th, 2021. Another brazen “Big Lie” – but, it’s clear his “base” will go along with it just as they still believe he’s going to become “president” again once all these “fraudulent votes” get over ruled. (The Fraud I’ve heard of, so far, – and, by the way it’s infinitely RARE – are examples of several people attempting to vote TWICE for individual 1) So, I’m not conversing with my friend and don’t know if he’s still buying into this nonsense. If you’ve been around here, a few months ago I simply got to the point where I started referring to many of the members of individual 1’s CULT as “stupid” – a word I thought I’d never use in this “blog.”
That’s the backstory of what my thoughts were as I watched that documentary. I’ve gotten to the point where I just don’t want to converse with people I believe are aligning themselves with a white nationalist/supremacist agenda. And, sadly, that means I can’t have a thoughtful dialogue with MOST people who belong to the church I attend. Like when you bring up the subject of “racists” the ones I’ve broached that topic with respond as if offended “I’m not a racist.” Of course, to me, if you’re part of individual 1’s CULT you really are.
To be perfectly transparent, I understand that I’m a racist to some degree. I’ve enjoyed “white privilege” for decades having not a single thought about what it is. So, I realize the dialogue with those around me is important even if it’s totally uncomfortable. I think (certainly) one of my own shortcomings is I’ve become intolerant to people who I consider “uneducated” and don’t want to get “educated,” when, in reality I’m uneducated. The documentary I watched simply confirmed to me how uneducated I am. There’s so much of American “history” I don’t understand or even have an awareness it happened because it’s enormous and complicated.
It makes me long for the conversations, but with an agreement there can only be ONE set of facts – obviously there can be a multitude of ways of understanding those FACTS and interpreting them, but FACTS are FACTS. As I listened to some of the people interviewed in this documentary I thought a major problem in America today is that people seem to make up “facts” which are convenient to the way they already think. Or, they watch outlets like Fox “news,” or “Newsmax,” or they access other media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Breitbart news, etc. etc. Sadly, it’s hard to argue with people who get their information from these sources. I still remember a study of a few years ago pointing out those who get their info from Fox “news” are the “least informed Americans, even more than those who access NO media outlets!” At some point these right wing propogandists must be outed for what they are.
Many of these people are pushing for another “civil war” – whatever that means. Some actually believe it will be like a “walk in the park” for the white nationalist/supremacist bunch to take over the government in our country – doing what with the “liberals” I have no idea. I think they actually believe those in the National Guard or, in more extreme circumstances, our military would not honor their obligation to “defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC.” Yes, there are members of individual 1’s CULT in the military although many are being “weeded” out due to the Covid-19 vaccine mandate – those refusing are looking for a new job – just like many members of Police forces.
To those who refuse to get vaccinated I say GOOD RIDDANCE! By the time the “Delta Variant” is calmed down the number of Americans succumbing to the pandemic will be over 800.000 – enough already! NOT just another flu! I don’t want public service further exacerbating this virus. I do have to add the Police in so-called “liberal” Portland, Oregon seem to have a very high tolerance of the street thugs “The Proud Boys” who are often allowed to reek havoc in Portland’s streets with on Police presence. The “Proud Boys” were involved in the conspiracy to INVADE the Capitol on January 6th, 2021 and reports are they continue to scheme the next INSURRECTION. As I tell my son, these are HISTORICAL times and, as President Biden so aptly points out, “we’re in a fight for the soul of our nation.”
While I totally agree with that last statement – I have to add I’ve been saying that since well before individual 1 took office. Of course, there was Dick Cheney and the Bush/Cheney cabal who instigated the Fiasco’s in Afghanistan and Iraq – leading to the DEATHS of hundreds of THOUSANDS of people – mostly Iraq’s and Afghani’s and that was followed by the “Tea Party” – the initial OVERT racist “move” of the radical right into republicanism. Naturally, the traditional republicans have either been pushed out or into their cowering corners with a “base” composed of various white nationalist/supremacist groups including the KKK. Yikes!
This is exactly why it’s so discouraging someone like me can’t even have a dialogue that is serious with anyone who watches Fox or the other right wing propaganda outlets. The movie I watched made it clearer to me how serious the issue of white grievance is in this nation – serious in the South, but NOT only in the South. I know of at least two families who have MOVED from the (liberal) state I live in to right wing “RED” states to get away from all the “liberals.” I’ve been paying attention to politics since the days of Dwight Eisenhower and I’ve now witnessed the success of republicans to DIVIDE our nation’s populace like no other time in my lifetime.
When all is said and done, I believe it will be a real travesty if individual 1 and those who participated in the conspiracy which led to January 6th, 2021 are NOT held to account. When you think about the “Russia thing” – the involvement of Russia in making individual 1 into the head of the republican party – it’s not hard to imagine the glee in Moscow as they watch our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president make that “divide” even worse. And, of course, it’s – as always – race which is used to make things go even more “down hill.” Take for example the Governor’s race in Virginia – the republican candidate is using “dog whistles” to ensure individual 1’s supporters his “with them,” while pretending he wants nothing to do with our TWICE IMPEACHED so-called two time popular vote LOSING (ex) president. That is – having it both ways. Will Virginia’s voters fall for this? We’ll see. Stay tuned!!
Final Thought: I ordered a book after watching the documentary on the Civil War which deals with many of the issues made clear in the movie. I look forward to reading it and, as usual, I’ll do a somewhat “book report” here once I finish it. Right now I’m reading “Peril” by Bob Woodward and Bob Costa about the last year of individual 1’s administration. It’s eye-opening although I have to say I just read a book, “I Alone Can Fix It” by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker and it confirms much of what is in “Peril.” I sincerely hope Merrick Garland reads one or both of these books if he’s still not INVESTIGATING those who INSTIGATED the INSURRECTION! I’m obviously a big fan of BOOKS! (Although ghost written right wing books full of LIES don’t appeal to me)