I haven’t been writing much lately, but I still spend much of each day thinking about the potential devastation facing America. And, as I study the “moves” of Vladimir Putin and I continue reading about American history I hold out hope “we the people” in sufficient numbers will BLOCK the so-called “MAGA” movement by an overwhelming vote this coming November. However, I don’t have a sense of certainty in something that SHOUD be “certain.” I’m seeing the moves of Putin to seem perilously similar to the rise of Adolf Hitler back in the 1930’s plus those in the “MAGA” movement, and, of course, in particular, Trump mirroring those in the “America First” movement (actual American Nazi’s) back in the lead up to WW II. It’s all actually SHOCKING!

I’m presently reading “Prequel” by Rachel Maddow which, to put it mildly, is an eye opening book. If you haven’t read it, I heartily recommend it. I’m about two thirds through the book (I just read a chapter or so at bed time) and the detail of the Nazi movement during the thirties in the United States is sobering, to say the least. Thousands of men, women, and children were radicalized into a pro-Hitler movement that pretty much spanned the nation in “cells” with an oversized element in New York. The goal of these American Nazi’s was to topple our democratic republic and turn America into a Nazi dictatorship. For those who, in today’s world, believe it “can’t happen here” I would recommend they would read this book.

In addition, as I was watching a YouTube video relating to the music I still continue to frustrate myself in learning I noticed a clip from PBS regarding “Nazi Town USA.” I clicked on the link (You can see it HERE) and, very similar to Ms.Maddow’s book this video was mind opening. I wrote a while back – after I had just started Maddow’s book -that I thought I had read a lot about American History at that time (1930’s) but, I was sorely mistaken. I knew Charles Lindbergh and Henry Ford were, in essence, Nazi traitors. But, the depth of the Nazi reach into America went so much further. In fact, the video of “Nazi Town USA” was mind boggling. This ALL should have been part of American history studies since the end of WW II.

Here’s one of the things I couldn’t help but “ponder” even though there’s nothing in Maddow’s book, at least to this point (or in the video) to confirm my suspicions, but I couldn’t help but think many who were being brainwashed into the Nazi movement were the children of the adults marching in lock step with swastika armbands, carrying Nazi flags, and saluting their leaders with the “heil” salute. This “infection” of America reached well into the halls of Congress and was virtually ignored by the FBI (under J Edgar Hoover) because Hoover was so “anti-communist.” I point this out because those children would be in their eighties today and THEIR children would be, potentially, many of the adults in America who make up Trump’s so-called “MAGA base.”

Keeping in mind, as MY mind can’t stop pondering the possibilities, that Trump is a second generation GERMAN immigrant to this nation. Their is documentation of Fred Trump, Donald’s father, participating in rallies of the KKK back in the 1920’s. The KKK and the American Nazi’s were, in essence, “cut from the same cloth.” I have a hard time believing back when ten’s of thousands of American Nazi’s filled Madison Square Garden for a Nazi rally that Fred Trump wasn’t there – either in person or in spirit. It was a rally populated by German immigrants who were simpathetic to Hitler. There were American flags and German flags bearing huge swastikas as a backdrop to the stage.

I point this out because when you consider what Vladimir Putin is doing in his attempt to create division in America and draw what amounts to, from my viewpoint, Nazi sympathizers into the “Russian fold.” As I read more about the time leading up to WW II I see “characters” on today’s American scene who remind me of the “appeasers” to Hitler back in “the day.” (And, of course, Putin seems to be following Hitler’s “playbook” almost to a “T”) Members of Congress like Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona, Ted Cruz of Texas, Matt Gaetz of Florida, and on and on – members of Congress who some have termed as the “Russian Wing” of our national legislature seem willing to sacrifice Ukraine to Putin, as if that’s all he’s after.

For example, the new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson has been refusing to bring a Senate passed bill which provides aid to Ukraine (along with aid to Israel, Taiwan, and the Palestinian people in GAZA) to the House floor for a vote. Ms. Greene has threatened to call her “motion to vacate” up for a vote if Mr. Johnson allows the House to pass the aid for Ukraine – which would pass with a HUGE bipartisan majority if only it would be brought to the “floor” for a vote. Instead, the House schedule calls for votes regarding, and I’m not kidding, various acts related to “we the people’s” appliances – like kitchen and laundry appliances. I kid you not! If Ukraine ultimately falls to Russia it will be largely the result of Speaker Johnson’s failure to act.

So far, since the beginning of this Congress the ONLY things passed have been bills to keep the government running – which required bipartisan majorities to pass each time a government shutdown was “looming.” Former speaker Kevin McCarthy was “axed” because of his willingness to work with democrats to avoid, in one case, a government default and in the other “kicking the can down the road” to prevent a “shutdown.” The right wing members of the House would gladly cause a government default on the national debt because, well, as I’m trying to point out they are not friendly to our form of government and they’re out to destroy it. Again, they remind me of the Nazi sympathizers infecting America leading up to WW II.

Putin, for example, is spreading right wing propaganda designed to undermine America’s “open society” – pitting Americans against each other with the one side thinking it would be OK to side with Russia in it’s attempted land grab in Ukraine. Our “liberal media” seems incapable of accurately reporting on what Putin is “up to” and thier focus on Trump’s legal issues, to me, is what is allowing this MAGA disaster to spread to the point where Trump actually has the possibility to “Make America like Russia.” This “Make (fill in the blank) Great Again) mantra is nothing new – in fact, Hitler’s Germany was saying “Make Germany Great Again.” (Nothing Trump does or says is “original”)

The most sobering part in all of this, as I spend a lot of time thinking about America’s present dilemma, is that Trump’s base will still be there, for example, if he’s convicted of a series of FELONIES causing enough republicans to refuse to vote for him allowing President Biden a second term. As I study the history of this nation the willingness of so many Americans to profess what amounts to right wing Nazi propaganda causes me to believe the “battle” for the soul of this nation, as President Biden puts it, will go on long after the results of the November 2024 election.

To me, the heart of the problem is that so many Americans have no idea what transpired in the country leading up to WW II and I have to believe they don’t even realize they’re potentially supporting a fascist movement in America simply by voting for Trump. I know some people vote that way (republican) because, well, their parents voted that way. But, there are others who SHOULD know better who have pledged to vote for Trump, regardless of whether or not he’s convicted of one of the 88 FELONIES he’s presently been charged with. The latest, and I have to say from my perspective one of the most disappointing example, is the governor of New Hampshire, Chris Sanunu. He said he will vote for Trump whether or not he’s convicted of a CRIME. Yikes!!! Another republican 180 degree “flip flop.”

Sanunu was a strong supporter of Trump’s final opponent – who’s still getting close to 20% of the republican primary votes even though she’s dropped out of the “race,” former South Caroina governor Nikki Haley. How Sanunu could go from supporting the “long shot” candidate who remained in the “race” to fealty to Trump is hard for me to understand. But, keep in mind, the republican party is the home of ALL the names I mentioned above as the “Russia wing” of Congress, plus people like (Moscow) Mitch McConnell and (whimpy) Lindsay Graham who clearly KNOW how BAD Trump is and the threat he poses to our republic yet they continue to “kiss the ring.” Honestly, it’s as embarrassing as it is disturbing to watch/listen to people like this because I know people all around the globe are listening/watching as well.

To our alliances this all must be both shocking and terrifying. For example, what if the U.S. dumped it’s connection to NATO for an alliance with Russia. To me, this would mean that what my father fought against in WW II will become a lost cause. In other words, I believe Trump represents a more serious danger to the experiment of American self rule than Hitler ever did. I have long understood that the threat to America continuing to evolve toward the ideals of our “living” constitution is real. Putin and Trump are using our openness against us. Their surrogates were/are FLOODING “Social Media” with propaganda which would make Joseph Goebbels proud.

Final Thought: Since I first started putting my thoughts to writing on this “blog” (I think a more accurate description would be “diary in cyberspace”) I’ve been pointing out what seems too obvious to me – LOSING “rights” is much easier than getting them back. In our society with a Congress designed to move slowly and protect the “rights” of the minority we’re seeing this “up close and personal.” Take for example the issue of “women’s health” – referred to by republicans as the “pro-life movement.” Well, I’ve come to believe it’s anything but “pro-life” over the years.

I say that as someone who thought he’d NEVER pay for an abortion until it dawned on me that I actually did back in the early 1970’s. My wife (at the time) was pregnant with what we thought would be our first child. After about 15 – 20 weeks she had a miscarriage and I rushed her to the hospital and the doctors performed what was, in essence, an abortion (This may have been shortly after the passage of Roe v Wade but, at the time, it was never a thought). Fast forward to today’s world post “Dobbs” (where the SCOTUS overturned Roe v Wade) “we the people” are seeing one horror story after another of women in similar circumstances being denied similar HEALTH CARE until they’ve reached the point where their lives are in danger. This is happening in roughly half of American states.

I believe it will be years before the rights of women to “control their own bodies” is restored – as one example of how difficult it is to regain a lost “right.” Well, picture if Trump somehow manages to CHEAT his way back into the “White House” (And, trust me, the CHEATING is well under way as I’m writing this) and is successful at even some of the “retribution” he’s promising. He’s openly said he wants to do away with our constitution – which would be scary should he pull it off – but, even if he’s “only” successful in “knee capping” the federal agencies he dislikes the most (FBI, DOJ, Intelligence Community) turning them into personal assets – just try to picture the long, and possibly impossible, road back from that disastrous outcome.

Picture the U.S., Russia, and China in some kind of “accord” to “control the world” and you might see where this could go. (That “accord” very likely could include Iran, North Korea, Hungary, and Turkey – for starters) And, with a republican party which has openly (if not in secret) and COWARDLY joined forces with Trump and I hope you can see the IMMENSE possibilities. There will likely be more and more (disgusting) Americans doing what Chris Sanunu did this past weekend and that’s putting their self interest in front of our countries’ self interest.

As I said earlier, the CHEATING is well under way. I end this by giving one example. If, for some reason, you’re planning to vote for JFK Jr. as a protest vote because you don’t like that President Biden is 81 years old you are, in essence, voting for Trump. Remember, one of Trump’s major donors is the largest donor to JFK Jr.’s campaign and one of JFK Jr.’s spokespersons just recently said “the quiet part out loud.” Their (The JFK Jr.’s campaign) goal is to defeat President Biden. If you’re a young voter remember, it will be either President Biden or Trump who will win the next election and you have the MOST to lose if somehow Trump regains the “White House.” The solution to what threatens us is VOTING and if you value this republic that means voting for President Biden even if you don’t care for him simply because he’s so old. (And OBTW JFK Jr. is 70)

The other day I watched one of the lowest American politicians I can think of, John Bolton, being interviewed on MSNBC and he reminded me of why he so turns me off. After pointing out all the DANGERS Trump represents to America should he somehow CHEAT his way back into the “White House” he said he would vote for “neither Biden nor Trump.” That is what boggles my mind about some of these republicans who CLEARLY understand the threat Trump poses. I’m sure Bolton, like most republicans, disagrees with Biden’s “Build Back Better” philosophy – despite the resounding economic successes since Biden took office – but, as I just said – if you’re going to vote for a third party candidate in 2024 you’re falling into Trump’s trap. That’s how Trump “won” in 2016 (Jill Stein) and that’s how he’s planning to “win” in 2024 (RFK Jr.).