Prequel

 

Oct. 6, 1935 "German Day" celebration at Madison Square Garden

 

Now is a good time to discuss Rachel Maddow’s new book titled “Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism”.

Doctor of political science Rachel Maddow has written an important book on the rise of pre-WWII Nazism in the United States.

While it is an excellent study of history, the parallels to our present time are striking and disturbing. Holocaust survivors have noted the similar rhetoric of Trump and his white nationalist movement to the rise of the Nazis in 1930’s Germany. It would be to our greatest peril if we don’t heed their observations. 

From "Prequel" we learn the racist ideology of the Nazi “Aryan master race” was influenced by America’s history of slavery, Jim Crow, and the subjugation of Native Americans. With time there has been progress, but American white nationalism has exponentially risen again. 

Extreme nationalism craves unity, meaning, and purpose. Preferably under a strongman. Donald Trump is their beloved and revered autocrat, to be served, obeyed, and believed without question. His control over his followers’ thinking and beliefs is no different than that of a cult leader. And like a cult, every far-right nationalist movement fears and loathes outsiders. The leader tells them who are to be blamed, who are to be hated, and worst of all, who are to be punished.

This October of 2024 every decent and informed American citizen wants to vote to end our national nightmare by shutting down for good the admitted aspiring dictator Donald Trump. 

The rise of Nazism wasn’t just in Germany.  American Nazis filled Madison Square Garden several times in the 1930s. We’ve seen the images and film of them holding those rallies, festooned with American flags and swastikas. They loved and revered Hitler and wanted America to be under a dictatorship, in allegiance to Hitler. They hated the British, but FDR’s Democrats especially were their despised enemies. Naturally all these Nazis considered FDR to be a “communist”.

It wouldn’t be a far stretch to suggest their offspring and grandchildren are now MAGA. It’s also not hard to imagine a certain Klan-friendly Fred Trump among those Nazis. Following the American Nazi tradition, Donald Trump and his corrupt party of appeasers today falsely and absurdly demonize and accuse Democrats of being “communists”. 

History is teaching us something here. This tactic of demonization can be regarded as a metric of fascism, a measure of their autocratic leanings. The early Nazis hated New Deal Democrats and Jews. Today’s neo-Nazis still do, while other white nationalist groups confirm their fascism when the show their own particular hate, bigotry and racism.

They are all white, and they all frame the groups they fear and hate as scapegoats.

Before the US entered the Second World War a patriotic American named Henry Hoke identified 20 representatives and senators who were inserting German propaganda into the Congressional Record. The politicians would forward the Nazi propaganda around the country in taxpayer funded congressional mail. Among these congressional purveyors of Nazi writings and speeches were Senators Earnest Lundeen of Minnesota, Robert Rice Reynolds of North Carolina, Burton Wheeler of Montana, and Representatives Hamilton Fish of New York and Jacob Thorkelson of Montana.

After the war the DOJ found records in Germany that showed over a million Americans on their mailing lists. Most were teachers, clergymen, doctors, and lawyers. Millionaires, major investors and judges amounted in tens of thousands more, not to mention many state legislators.

Young reporter Eric Sevareid wrote of a group in Minnesota while Charles Slocombe tracked them in California and reported them to Naval Intelligence.

Other patriotic, determined, and courageous anti-Nazi activists who exposed or prosecuted them included Leon Lewis, William Maloney, and Dillard Stokes.

Pro-Nazi groups had proliferated in the US in the 1930’s, often under the cover of isolationist or anti-war organizations.

The antisemitic American Nazi movement included the German American Bund, the Silver Shirts, the Crusader White Shirts, the Protestant Gentile League, the Christian Front, Christian Mobilizers, the American Nationalist Federation, and yes, Lindbergh's America First Committee.

Lindbergh's fellow aviator Laura Ingalls declared at her trial, a "witch hunt" according to her lawyer, that the US "needs someone like Hitler building a country while America is in chaos".

And of course, American Nazis would be compelled to form militias. Some things never change.

The Christian Front leaders were eventually charged with theft of National Guard weapons and ammunition. At a rally and true to form, their “good Christian Nazi” lawyer howled, “This is a fight for Christ! I don’t have to apologize to anyone for being a Christian!”  They got off due to the Guardsmen helping them cover up the weapons heist, and a defense attorney having a cousin as foreman in the sympathetic jury. The organization also had hundreds of New York City police officers as fellow members.

Today we unsurprisingly note the parallel of police unions supporting Trump. Historically most police actually had no problem with the idea of a police state. Imagine that. Corporate plutocrats also have fondness for having an army of police at their behest. They came in handy for keeping unions under their boot. 

Dick and Betsy DeVos are family of the far-Right Eric Prince, founder of the Blackwater mercenaries. They are funding a controversial, pro-Trump sheriffs program. The Sheriffs Fellowship is run by an ultraconservative think tank devoted to Donald Trump’s candidacy. Four conservative Michigan sheriffs have participated. Trump made a campaign speech in Michigan with a line of sheriff department officers behind him. Sheriffs also generally have no problem with the idea of a police state.

In the ‘30s the notorious antisemite Father Coughlin was a popular pioneer in radical Right radio broadcasting. Other celebrities with Nazi sympathies were Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh. Ford and Coughlin went so far as to distribute the antisemitic novel, “Protocols of the Elders of Zion”. Hitler was such an inspired fan of Ford that he had his portrait hanging in his office. Lindbergh would speak at rallies, urging the US to align with Germany.

The bag man and supplier of propaganda was a German born American Nazi agent named Sylvester Viereck. He would receive his instructions directly from the German Foreign Office, along with large amounts of cash to assure the services of the Nazi sympathizers in Congress. Some of the Nazi agents were arrested and convicted, but sympathetic power players in Congress would pressure the DOJ to back off from their members. By December 7, 1941, they would slink back into the shadows.

Hitler knew he had a lot of supporters in America he could use in his effort to keep the US out of his war in Europe. He saw the potential for division in America.

Later Putin learned from the Fuhrer’s efforts. The Soviets had practiced "dezinformatsiya" for years. Putin would find it easy to weaponize social media on the internet. Putin’s Great Information War would be his resounding victory over America. Trump would neutralize Ukraine and NATO for him.

How could Putin NOT have been inspired by Hitler’s words?

“America is permanently on the brink of revolution. It will be a simple matter for me to produce unrest and revolts in the United States, so that these gentry will have their hands full with their own affairs.”

His strategy was to find what he called “kernels of disturbance” to exploit “racial controversies, economic inequalities, petty jealousies in public life, and differences of opinion which divide political parties and minority groups”.

The OG Fuhrer would be proud indeed of Trump’s and Putin’s favorite general and possibly our next Secretary of Defense. Dishonored pardoned criminal and retired General Mike Flynn met with fellow neo-Nazis at their paramilitary training camp called “88 Tactical”. “H” is the eighth letter. In neo-Nazi code 88 = Heil Hitler. The number 1488 on their topographical map refers to the 14 words of white nationalism, "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children,” and Heil Hitler.

Now Trump is echoing Hitler’s rhetoric at a fevered pace in this month running up to the election.

"I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within, not even the people that have come in and destroyed our country," Trump told Fox News show "Sunday Morning Futures," referring to American citizens as opposed to migrants.

"We have some very bad people, we have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they're the -- and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard or, if really necessary, by the military," Trump said. "Because they can't let that happen."

Can’t let what happen? Oppose Trump? Disobey his will? Insult him? Mock him? Speak the truth about him?

Well, we can certainly see why this book was titled “Prequel” by Maddow. It is a red flag warning from history. 

"I'm a Republican, not a Nazi", shouted one of them at his 1944 trial for sedition.

Both Putin and Trump are now taking pages from Hitler’s propaganda campaign against America. Divide and conquer is the classic authoritarian power play.

Maddow concludes with, "The story of what it took, inside and outside the government, to stop the violent American ultra-right in the run up to World War II-- that's a gift from the smart, brave, determined, resourceful, self-sacrificing Americans who went before us. If we learn it, and we choose it, we can inherit their work."

Will enough Americans sense this and stand for democracy in the upcoming election? Or will the fascists finally empower a megalomaniacal criminal sociopath to finally end our experiment as a democratic republic?

Let's be clear about Trump's projection. American Nazis left their legacy. HE is the enemy within. 

 

MAGA Racism

 This is the face of evil, promoting American white nationalism.

Remember when Trump and Giuliani spewed their racist lies about the black women election workers committing fraud in Georgia? They were harassed at their homes and their lives were threatened by Trumpists. This is what life under fascism is like, and this happened in our country. 

Trump is a fascist.

Cowardly punching down on innocent and vulnerable black women reveals the core of this man's sociopathy. It's long past time for this evil racist to face justice. We the voters are the jury this time, but the outcome is  absurdly uncertain. Tragically millions of Americans are too racist, ignorant, gullible or duped into voting for the fascist.

Lest anyone think I'm being irrational or extreme in calling Trump a fascist, I refer to the experienced perspective of Trump's own chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley. He told Bob Woodward: “I had suspicions when I talked to you about his mental decline and so forth, but now I realize he’s a total fascist. He is now the most dangerous person to this country. A fascist to the core.” 

(Update: later on October 12.)

Trump:

From the very beginning of this journey, I have been on a mission to rescue our nation from a failed and corrupt political establishment.

I will NEVER QUIT, I will NEVER BEND, I will NEVER BREAK, and I will NEVER YIELD, not even in the face of death itself!

=

Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat:

Spoken like a fascist. Did you know that Trump borrowed his "drain the swamp" slogan from...Mussolini? Read “Strongmen” for details.

Il Duce said he would free his people from Marxist "vermin" and end corruption. How did that work out?

Trump is certainly fuming, and raving his egomaniacal version of "Mein Kampf" these days. 

As I was saying.

Like all fascists Trump and Rudy are bullies.  

Sometimes their victims will defend themselves by seeking justice.

In December of 2023, a jury awarded Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss just over $148M in compensatory and punitive damages from Rudy Giuliani.

They’ll be lucky to collect a dime from that nasty racist weasel.

CNN reports: “Freeman and Moss are simultaneously still fighting Giuliani in court to collect on the roughly $150 million he owes them, after they won their defamation case against him before a jury.

Giuliani has paid none of the debt, and lawyers for Freeman and Moss are before a separate judge now trying to seize his two multimillion-dollar apartments, multiple New York Yankees World Series rings, and his large collection of luxury watches, which include two given to him after Sept. 11, 2001, by European heads of state.

Freeman, Moss and Giuliani have a major hearing on the debt-collection efforts scheduled for next week in federal court in New York.”

The ladies also took the radical Right propaganda outlet Gateway Pundit to court. It played a significant role in spreading false information about the 2020 election. The defamatory articles have been pulled down.

The Guardian reports: “After the 2020 election, the Gateway Pundit published a series of stories amplifying a misleading video that showed Freeman and Moss counting ballots. The site pushed the false claim that the two women were committing fraud and counting illegal ballots after counting had ended for the night. The Gateway Pundit was the first news outlet to identify Freeman and later identified Moss, who have been cleared of all wrongdoing. Even after Georgia election officials debunked the video, the site continued to publish numerous articles falsely accusing Moss and Freeman of fraud.”

Today the Gateway Pundit posted this statement on its website:

~~~

Note from the Editor: Legal Update

Oct. 12, 2024

Georgia officials concluded that there was no widespread voter fraud by election workers who counted ballots at the State Farm Arena in November 2020. The results of this investigation indicate that Ruby Freeman and Wandrea ‘Shaye’ Moss did not engage in ballot fraud or criminal misconduct while working at State Farm Arena on election night. A legal matter with this news organization and the two election workers has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties through a fair and reasonable settlement. 

~~~

It is to our nation's most profound dishonor that the racist perpetrators of this "high tech lynching of uppity Black women" are close to gaining power again in the White House. They have no shame, no honor, no decency and no conscience, but every decent American feels ashamed for our country.

VOTE to keep these domestic enemies of our republic from destroying truth, justice, and our democracy. 

WE HAVE TO STOP THESE RACIST MONSTERS! 

Another Cry for Help?

 

...If you're listening. HELP ME! 

Just ONE more time!

The law is closing in on me!

My judges on the Supreme Court FAILED to protect my Private Criminal Conduct! 

They GOT ME dead to rights!

I NEED your HELP more than EVER!

I'll give you Ukraine! I'll destroy NATO! 

ANYTHING you want, Komrad Vlad!

Just HELP ME STEAL, I mean win, THIS ELECTION!

The Deficit

 

In the previous comment thread our friend Dave Miller raised an important topic.

“I don't know what we can do to right our financial ship and get us on a stronger financial path…I'd love to see any suggestions from folks who say they are serious about our budget and deficit.”

I don't have all the answers, not even close, only a bit of common sense.

To say the least, fiscal policy is complicated, but we can begin by looking at some history.

One party is noted for cutting taxes and increasing spending. The same party enjoys the false impression, or outright delusion, by the public that THEY are best at managing the economy. It is yet another useful big lie for the authoritarian and greedy Right.

This is the PROVEN recipe for making it worse. Trump’s promise for vastly increased tariffs has been near universally condemned by economists. But most of the deceived and benighted public is blind to this reality.

The last surplus for the federal government was in 2001. The hated Bill Clinton left that surplus, albeit by compromising and working with Republicans.

Now authoritarian Republicans have completely rejected compromise. Just look at the border funding bill killed by Trump and his servants in Congress.

More history:

Obama lowered the deficit after the Bush Recession from $1.42 Trillion to $0.59 Trillion by 2016.

Under Trump in 2020 it was $3.13 Trillion.

Under Biden in 2023 it was $1.70 Trillion.

So, the simple answer on where to start is suggested by Occom's razor.

Keep the damn Republicans out of power.

 

Cutting taxes and regulations for corporations and the rich help only corporations and the rich. The people and the environment suffer from cuts in reduced services and regulations.

Republicans' often stated goal of privatizing Social Security will not work out for the public, but for Wall Street.

No wonder the Party of Trump and Mammon needs to lie, distort and scheme to dupe the public. They know if they scare enough white voters, they can hold power and keep cutting taxes for the rich and deregulating corporate malfeasance.  

So, their lack of conscience allowed them to make their Faustian bargain with the devil. White nationalism has become their de facto ideology.

American Fascism

 

Today the United States is facing its most serious threat of fascism since the years leading up to and including World War II. In one way the emergency is more dire. Now we have a white nationalist, aspiring fascist dictator on the presidential ballot.

How can this happen in America? 

Let’s have look at a snapshot of American history from 1936. FDR’s New Deal was kicking in and the Radical Right Republicans were calling him a communist.

A socialist author and speaker named Lawrence Dennis caught the attention of Hitler’s Nazis after giving a speech titled “Is Socialism Inevitable in the US?” Soon after, he published his book called, “The Coming American Socialism”. These political prognostications earned him an invitation from the Nazis to attend the infamous1936 Nuremberg “Rally of Honor”.

"Aha!” our Trumpists would declare. “This PROVES Hitler and his Nazis were SOCIALISTS!”

Except for one little detail. I was kidding. Lawrence Dennis was a fascist and a fan of Hitler. He was not a socialist. His speech and book were titled, “Is Fascism Inevitable in the US?” and “The Coming American Fascism”.

Sorry, Trump supporters. Hitler was a fascist, not a socialist. He had socialists sent to concentration camps. Nazis were no more socialists than Trump and his insurrectionist Republicans are heroic defenders of the Republic.

While in Germany for the big rally Dennis offered a suggestion to his hosts, “Why don’t you treat the Jews more or less like we treat the Negroes in America?”

The Nazis liked what they heard. The Klan were their Aryan kinsmen. They took notice on how Southern states clamped down on voting and civil rights for Blacks. Hitler admired the way the US government slaughtered and confined Native Americans to reservations. They loved seeing American Nazi rallies in Madison Square Garden. In fact, Hitler cited the viciously antisemitic Henry Ford as a role model. His portrait was hung in the Fuhrer’s office.

Let’s return to 21^st Century America, when Radical Right Republicans are embracing neo-Nazi lies and propaganda, and STILL calling their opposition communists.

We’re constantly hearing Trumpists, fascists, neo-Nazis, and other authoritarian white nationalists accusing and smearing those who challenge their mindless lies and their Leader.  No fabricated label or false accusation is too foul to attach to the objects of their loathing. They need to BELIEVE their vile BS to justify their hate.

Trump is blaming Democrats for the two deranged sickos who brought their rifles to his rally and golf course. During the 2016 campaign, Trump fantasized about assassinating Hillary Clinton: "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know.” 

The projection is astounding. Just as astounding is their need to bend the knee to their authoritarian leader.

Take the case of Mitch McConnell 

“January sixth was a disgrace. American citizens attacked their own government. They used terrorism to stop a specific piece of domestic (democratic) business…There is no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day."

Later he voted “not guilty” in Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate. So much for “morally responsible” accountability. This authoritarian flip was nearly unanimous among Republicans.

I’d like to offer another case study of this neo-Nazi fascist cult mentality that infects so many authoritarian white conservative Americans. There is a reason why they FEAR being “replaced” by the “others”.

By nurture (raised by authoritarian parents) or nature (the reactionary enlargement of the overactive fear/fight/flight center in their amygdalas), they conform to conservative ideology. Suspicion of others is their default reaction, while curiosity is generally ours. Conservatives have feared and resisted all progressive change throughout history. This is because conservatives fear the unknown more than most of us do.

A while back a fellow blogger named Darrell became extremely radicalized by Trump. This is what he wrote at my blog on Jan 8, 2021:

“Dave, Trump was wrong to give encouragement and a wink and a nod to the protestors and delaying any attempt to rein them back. He was complicit. Sadly this ego maniacal narcissist tarnished the myriad of good things he has done for our country with this latest escapade.”

This is what Darrell wrote on May 15, 2021:

“Trump instigates a riot according to the left and the media, but then I repeat myself. (He didn’t.)”

Presto! With the flick of a switch in his brain, he saw the light of true BELIEF in Trump and was reborn into the MAGA cult.

He got tired of the facts about J6 and Trump that made him FEEL uncomfortable, and he became ANGRY when I revealed his “leap of faith” into Trumpism. He felt he needed to put me in my place.

“When I called you a communist, it wasn’t necessarily meant as a pejorative but rather more as a descriptive term. You support many of the very tenets of the communist creed according to what you have written in the past that are antithetical to America, its values, and its Constitution. So while you see that is retaliatory name-calling, I meant it only as classifier of your stated beliefs in big-government, anti-capitalism, anti-faith, and anti-family rhetoric.”

He later wrote a post challenging me personally to, “Please, Tell Me What I am Thinking, Mr. Leftist”

Of course, he refused to allow me to respond and banned me. I could have said, “You think I’m a communist without any evidence or words of mine that would indicate I am.” (He hates it when I’m right.)

I couldn’t help myself after he more recently wrote about why he would vote for Donald Trump.

I was surprised he published my anonymous sarcastic comment: 

"They're EATING THE DOGS!"

"They EXECUTE BABIES after they're born!!"

KAMALA the Marxist HATES DOGS, hates babies, and HATES AMERICA!!!

Keep standing up for the TRUTH, Darrell!

(Note to Trump. “I lost by a whisker” fails to register on the sarcasm scale.)

Like Trump taking the bait from Kamala in their debate, he couldn’t resist setting me straight:

Darrell wrote:

And Anonymous Dave, there ARE leftist barbarians that kill viable babies, even after they are born. Kermit Gosnell comes to mind for starters, let alone the millions of viable babies in the womb that Planned Parenthood has slaughtered on the altar of choice.

As for the eating of dogs, I have no idea, but I do know that Venezuelan gangs and MS13 have come across the Biden/Harris open borders to wreak havoc on our communities and people. When you don't vet who is coming in, this is what happens. But hey! Maybe the Dems will get more votes from them in their attempt to save democracy, right?!

(He probably won’t publish my response, so I’ll include it here. Taking my cue from Trump’s playbook, it turns out that I also can claim, “I do the weave”. See how I go back to my theme later.)

~~~~

Dave Dubya wrote:

Kermit Gosnell is serving a life term in prison for murder. He is guilty of illegal late-term abortions. He is a criminal. Killing babies is a crime. Only the vile, hate-filled, fascist Right would say Democrats support this. Roe v Wade specifically protected viable fetuses. Now women are DYING for lack of treatment for pregnancy related emergencies.

Using Darrell’s same twisted, hateful, irrational, and delusional thinking, school shootings with AR-15s are ALL Republicans’ and DARRELL'S FAULT. They love their weapons more than they care for our kids.

Of course, the “executing babies” lie is absurd and irrational, but it is how they FEEL, not think. Although HE donates to the Russia-backed NRA that assures those weapons are available to any deranged person who wants one to slaughter kids.

Darrell admitted, “As for the eating of dogs, I have no idea.”

He’s not going to like the facts.

The Neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe has been active in Springfield, Ohio for weeks before Vance and Trump catapulted the propaganda. On August 27, Drake R. Berentz of the Neo-Nazi group Blood Pride spoke before the Springfield City Commission. It didn’t go over well.

On September 6, the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe posted on Gab: "Sorry Springfield, you’re just going to have to get used to the idea that your neighbors might eat your pets.”

Now they are celebrating Trump talking about Springfield and bragging: "BT pushed Springfield into the public consciousness."

Yes, Trump and Vance are parroting and promoting neo-Nazi LIES.

And Trump has declared his intention to deport these legal Haitian immigrants to Venezuela! 

Meanwhile Darrell thoughtfully suggested, “We need to discuss policies and ideas and cut out the name calling and Hitler comparisons.”

Right. But it’s OK for Darrell to call me a communist. Aren’t they SPECIAL?

To further establish his anti-democracy, white nationalism, Darrell needed to accuse me of being an "anti-family communist". (I’m neither, of course.)

In typical authoritarian fashion, he wasn't capable of citing ANY of my words to support his wildly false accusation, hate and lies.

Only poorly educated dupes, sleazy lying Republicans and neo-Nazis call Democrats commies. This begs a comparison to Hitler accusing opponents of the SAME thing. Honest historians understand this.

Darrell seems ignorant of the fact that MS 13 originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Falsely labeled as "Border Czar", Kamala was sent to El Salvador to convince them to do something about the gangs. In response El Salvador jailed more than 66,000 people in a crackdown on gangs, giving it the world's highest incarceration rate. 

But why admit this when he can blame Biden and Harris? It's no surprise Darrell also supports Trump’s order to KILL the border bill that would have provided 1,500 new officers, new immigration courts, and more fentanyl detectors. He thinks doing NOTHING about the border is better, just to support his malevolent mendacious messiah’s campaign.

But every white nationalist will endlessly whine that Dems want Venezuelan gangs and MS13 to come vote for them. Double demonization. Remember they need to BELIEVE their vile BS to justify their racist hate.

Speaking of criminal gangs.

“I must err on the side of the Republic,” declares Darrell.

Of course, Darrell's radicalized way of “siding with the Republic” is to vote for Trump and see him as blameless for his election lies and his thugs storming the Capitol, terrorizing Congress, and beating cops bloody to OVERTURN our election. The fact that Trump REFUSED to order them to leave for HOURS doesn’t disqualify him in the eyes of his true believers.

And Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch was just a friendly block party, amirite?

"One wonders what that reason is for ('Cackler') Kamala as she seems genetically incapable of putting together a coherent thought."

And there it is. The Master Race is goose-stepping in the dark recesses of Darrell’s fevered amygdala. 

Frightened and angry people aren’t amenable to introspection or examination of their beliefs. If anything, they are guided by beliefs they can’t question.

It’s heartening to know a few Trump supporters HAVE learned to gather verifiable information and to examine their trust and belief in Trump. I friend of mine voted for him twice, but finally concluded who Trump truly is and the threat he poses.

I think Darrell is similarly likeable and dependable, and even well-intentioned at some level. I hope he will detach himself from believing in Trump's lies, including the Radical Right playbook of mindless red-baiting. 

Sadly, most of them will never open their minds to anything their leaders and peers don’t want them to know.

In the deranged minds of the fanatics, NOTHING Trump can do would disqualify him from being president. Not his hate, not his criminal sexual conduct, not his lies, not his racism, not his admiration for dictators, not his giving secrets to Russians in the Oval Office, not his criminal attempts to overturn our election, not his theft, obstruction, and careless abuse of national security secrets. And not even spewing neo-Nazi lies that resulted dozens of bomb threats in Springfield Ohio… Nothing.

Character, honesty, decency, and following the rule of law no longer matter for Trump voters. When presented with verifiable information, they dismiss or deny it, showing us facts don’t matter to them either. Thus, the term “alternative facts” was fabricated just for their cult. Clearly to them, judging someone by the "content of their character" is reserved only for Blacks, not Republican politicians.

Trump and his racist thugs and liars can do whatever the hell they want. He will be given the power to order the DOJ to launch sham prosecutions of opponents, and to commit any crime he says is an “official act”. And with the immunity outrageously granted to a convicted felon by the most corrupt Supreme Court in history, he will. It will be Trump’s own “Triumph of the Will”.

Trumpism is fascism.

Trumpism 101

 

Trumpism is a white nationalist neo-Nazi movement built on racism, fear, hate, and lies.

Exhibit 74,223,975:

JD Vance admits, “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that's what I'm going to do.”

Exhibit 74,223,976:

Trump’s racist Proud Boys are done “standing by” and are invading Springfield.

Springfield, OH Mayor Rob Rue to WSYX:

"All these federal politicians that have negatively spun our city, they need to know they’re hurting our city, and it was their words that did it.

Exhibit 74,223,977:

I'm with her:

Trump's Gestapo

 

WARNING!

 

This is how democracy and justice die, and a police state is born. 

We can't say we didn't see this coming, especially after a highly partisan, shameless, and blatantly corrupt Supreme Court majority elevated their Dear Leader above the law, and endowed him with immunity from prosecution for past and future criminal acts.

"Equal Justice Under Law" no longer applies in the United States of America. 

Democracy is being suffocated by fascist Trumpists who stand ready to deny certification of votes if Trump loses in their states. They will make EVERY EFFORT to STEAL the election.

Now authoritarian cops with no sense of basic human decency or respect for the rule of LAW "PROUDLY" endorse a CRIMINAL. Meaning their "white pride", no doubt. 

“Our presidential endorsement process is thorough and inclusive, involving over 377,000 members across the nation. Today, it's a privilege to announce that the collective will of our members has led us to endorse Donald J. Trump for President. We're committed to supporting leadership that upholds the safety and effectiveness of law enforcement.”

Rob Pride (Yes, Pride) the solitary mixed race member of their executive board gives lip service to encourage community "respect for law enforcement" and to "open those doors of communication" with the public. 

Here's an idea: DON'T ENDORSE A RACIST CRIMINAL FOR PRESIDENT!!

I sincerely hope the minority of cops in that despicable union who don't support this shameful criminal endorsement speak out and show us there are SOME decent cops out there. 

Racist neo-Nazi cops and their "Uncle Clarence" partners who hate a law-abiding woman of color and prosecutor who swore to uphold our Constitution are itching for a police state. Let's not forget Trump wants to give THEM immunity for any crimes they commit as well.

They WANT to be Trump’s Gestapo. 

For this treachery and betrayal of our rule of law and Constitution, the FOP wins the Heinrich Himmler Award for Fealty to a Tyrant.

Addendum:

After receiving the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police, Trump assigned his new loyal storm troopers their first mission. He encouraged the officers gathered for his address in Charlotte to monitor for voter fraud because “they’re afraid of you people.”

“I hope you can watch — and you’re all over the place — watch for the voter fraud. Because we win, without voter fraud, we win so easily. Hopefully we’re going to win anyway. But we want to keep it down."

It is impossible to understate the clear and present danger of this criminal traitor and aspiring dictator. 

We Have Guns...

 A voice of sanity from our northern neighbor.

Amen, sister. 

DNC Remarks

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago was truly historic, with the first woman of color nominated for president by a major party infusing a sense of joy, unity, and purpose into the 2024 campaign. The enthusiasm, excitement, and energy radiated from the arena outward across the country. 

The light of hope for the future beamed brightly in contrast to the doom and gloom from the Mordor of the Republican convention. 

As Pete Buttigieg put it, "Darkness is what they are selling. The thing is, I just don't believe that American today is in the market for darkness." 

Damn straight. The darkness of Trumpism must, and will be, repudiated

Here are some of my other favorite remarks from this week's DNC:

===

Stephanie Grisham, the former Trump press secretary who quit her White House job on Jan. 6 said “Trump has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth.”

=

Michelle Obama asked the crowd, “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?”

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Former President Bill Clinton on turning 78: "The only personal vanity that I want to assert is that I'm still younger than Donald Trump."

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Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz: “Never underestimate public school teachers.”

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D.L. Hughley: "Trump is saying Kamala isn't Black. I guarantee you this. Kamala's been Black a lot longer than Trump has been a Republican. Trump will finally know what's it's like to be left for a younger woman."

=

Georgia’s former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan:

“I can spend my time revving up this crowd but I’m certain I don’t have to talk anybody out of voting for Donald Trump here. So I’m going to focus my attention on the millions of Republicans and independents at home that are sick and tired of making excuses for Donald Trump.

If Republicans are being intellectually honest with ourselves, our party is not civil or conservative. It’s chaotic and crazy. These days our party acts more like a cult, a cult worshiping a felonious thug. And the only thing left to do is dump Trump.”

Let me be clear to my Republican friends at home: If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 you’re not a Democrat, you’re a patriot.”

=

The "woman from Michigan" Governor Gretchen Whitmer: "Donald Trump doesn't know you — at all. You think he understands that when your car breaks down, you can't get to work? No! His first word was probably chauffeur. You think he's ever had to take items out of the cart before checking out? Hell, you think he's ever been to a grocery store? That's what the chauffeur is for!"

=

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger:

“The Republican Party is no longer conservative. It has switched its allegiance from the principles that gave it purpose to a man who’s only purpose is himself. Donald Trump is a weak man pretending to be strong. He is a small man pretending to be big. He’s a faithless man pretending to be righteous. He’s a perpetrator who can’t stop playing the victim.”

 ***********

Vice President Kamala Harris:

“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.

Donald Trump tried to throw away your votes. When he failed, he sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol where they assaulted law enforcement officers. When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob and send help, he did the opposite. He fanned the flames.

Consider what he intends to do if we give him power again. Consider his explicit intent to set free violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers at the Capitol. His explicit intent to jail journalists, political opponents and anyone he sees as the enemy. His explicit intent to deploy our active-duty military against our own citizens.

Consider the power he will have – especially after the United States Supreme Court just ruled that he would be immune from criminal prosecution. Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails. 

I believe America cannot truly be prosperous unless Americans are fully able to make their own decisions about their own lives. Especially on matters of heart and home.

But tonight, in America, too many women are not able to make those decisions. And let’s be clear about how we got here. Donald Trump hand-picked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive freedom. And now he brags about it.

I refuse to play politics with our security. And here is my pledge to you: As president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed and I will sign it into law. I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system. We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border.”

“When we fight, we win!”

 **********

And from the “weak man pretending to be strong, a small man pretending to be big, a faithless man pretending to be righteous, and a perpetrator who can’t stop playing the victim”:

~~~~~

“IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ME? LYING AGAIN ABOUT PROJECT 2025, WHICH SHE KNOWS, AND SO DO ALL DEMOCRATS, THAT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH!”

(At a Heritage dinner in 2022 Trump said, "This is a great group, and they’re going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do.")

~~~~~

And finally, from everyone else: “We’re not going back!”

A Cry For Help?

 “Just remember, what you are seeing and what you are reading is not what's happening.” – Donald Trump

Anyone who believes this psychotic nonsense and wants this man to rule our country is already brain-dead, morally impaired, and spiritually empty from the cult koolade.

The engine at the head of the Trump train has finally and completely derailed.

It seems he has fallen into the deep abyss of paranoid delusion. This may be his desperate cry for help.

Let’s invite Mr. Trump to relax on Dr. Dave’s metaphorical couch for a little therapy session.

Dr. Dave:

You seem unusually agitated today, Mr. Trump. Would you like to share what’s been bothering you lately?

Mr. Trump:

Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport?

DD:

I can’t say that I have, Mr. Trump. You say Kamala was at the Detroit airport and cheated. What makes you FEEL this way and whom did she cheat?

Mr. Trump:

There was nobody at the plane, and she ‘A.I.’d’ it, and showed a massive ‘crowd’ of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST!

DD:

I see. 

The vice President made an announced campaign stop in Detroit, and nobody showed up to see her. Nobody at all. That sounds quite unlikely and most unusual. Do you believe she knew nobody would be there and went to Detroit just to unveil her new talent with artificial intelligence? What alerted you to this clever chicanery?

Mr. Trump:

She was turned in by a maintenance worker at the airport when he noticed the fake crowd picture, but there was nobody there, later confirmed by the reflection of the mirror like finish on the Vice Presidential Plane.

DD:

I see. This sounds sort of weird.

A maintenance worker who was not there at the time but was adept at spotting AI exposed her ruse. He sounds like he would be an, um, unimpeachable source. It’s also fascinating that you see a mirror-like finish while the rest of us see a blue and white plane. Perhaps you feel your keen eyesight provides you with an acuity the likes of which has never been seen?

Could you explain all the video of the event that showed an overflowing and enthusiastic crowd?

Mr. Trump:

She’s a CHEATER. She had NOBODY waiting, and the ‘crowd’ looked like 10,000 people! Same thing is happening with her fake ‘crowds’ at her speeches.

DD:

Do you mean to say her amazing act of deception has been ongoing at ALL of her rallies? And you believe nobody went to see her at ANY of her appearances?

Mr. Trump:

This is the way the Democrats win Elections, by CHEATING. And they’re even worse at the ballot box.

DD:

Of course, I would imagine anyone who can see a mirror-like finish on a blue and white plane could also see massive fraud at the ballot box. It would be a unique and special gift of vision that you alone have.

Mr. Trump:

She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!

DD:

Well, you certainly are the expert on election interference and cheating, Mr. Trump. 

Yes. It’s just not fair when everyone is out to cheat you, isn't it? It must FEEL like you are a VICTIM of an evil conspiracy. It's no wonder you FEEL nobody has ever been treated so badly as you have been. Your FEEL that your suffering is due to your standing in the way of evil leftists, Marxists and communists who plot to destroy America and oppress every wholesome white American. You BELIEVE you are the ONLY ONE who can save them, as if you are their messiah.

Similar cases of grandiose delusions have been extensively documented.

You’re probably not getting enough sleep, and your high levels of stress, anger, paranoia, and emotional strain can trigger psychosis with similar delusional BELIEFS.

For a patient who hears voices that no one else hears, or sees things that no one else can see, and becomes increasingly agitated, we would prescribe medication and therapies to treat this type of condition. 

Your case is unique to these recent and difficult times. We now have a diagnosis for your sociopathic and paranoid delusional disorder with its additional feature of incessant compulsive projection. 

We call it “Trump Derangement Syndrome”.

And it is way beyond weird.

Fake News Flash!

 

News Flash!

After Donald Trump learned “terrible things” about Kamala Harris from fellow helicopter passenger Mayor Willie Brown, their revealing conversation was interrupted by a dire emergency.

Mr. Trump noticed an unusual sound from the transmission, and that the pilot had lost consciousness. The aircraft started going down steeply.  

“I got this!” Mr. Trump announced.

Acting on sheer instinct, Mr. Trump heroically took the controls of the crashing helicopter and proceeded to successfully execute a “perfect landing”.  

The passengers’ shock soon transformed into loud cheers, accompanied by an effusive outpouring of praise of gratitude.

“How can we ever thank you enough?” a relieved passenger asked.

“Saving your lives is all the reward I need”, the modest hero replied.  

As witnesses stood in awe, other helicopter pilots gathered around. They were all amazed, as they unanimously agreed that Mr. Trump proved to be the “best helicopter pilot ever”.

~~~

Sounds "weird", doesn’t it?

Whodathunk this fake news is based on a fake story from the narcisstic pathological liar and criminal presidential candidate?  I was only taking the same liberties as you-know-who ALWAYS does.

The malevolent mendacious messiah of white nationalism actually told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that Mayor Brown informed him of “terrible things” about Kamala Harris. “He was not a fan of hers very much, at that point.”

“I know Willie Brown very well. In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought maybe this was the end. We were in a helicopter, going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing. This was not a pleasant landing and Willie was, he was a little concerned. So I know him, I know him pretty well.”

Get it? Trump kept his cool while the Black guy panicked.

Going from Trump’s fake news to real news, Brown told the San Francisco Chronicle that he’s never been in a helicopter with Trump.

AP reports:

“You would have known if I had gone down on a helicopter with Trump,” Brown told the paper.

The longtime Democratic politician said he has never disparaged Harris to Trump, either.

“Hell, no,” Brown said. “I wouldn’t say anything bad about any woman to him.”

Former California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, and Trump did ride in a helicopter to survey wildfire damage in 2018. But no problems with the flight were reported.

Current Gov. Gavin Newsom was also on the aircraft. A spokesperson for the Democrat, Izzy Gardon, said Friday there was no problem with the flight, no emergency landing, and no conversation about Harris.

The San Francisco Chronicle wrote back in September 2004:

“Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown walked away unharmed from a harrowing emergency landing Friday night after his helicopter buzzed a Malibu high school football game before landing in an adjacent elementary school field.

Brown was traveling from a Santa Barbara fund-raiser to Los Angeles International Airport when the helicopter he was riding in experienced transmission problems shortly after 9 p.m. Aided by the lights from a football game at Malibu High School, the pilot brought the helicopter in low just south of the football stadium before making a hurried landing at Juan Cabrillo Elementary School.”

Trump must have liked the story, so he stole it.

"A Normal Guy"

 

Gov. Tim Walz

Attacked for being liberal, Gov. Walz responded, “What a monster. Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own health-care decisions.”

Yes, many of us white male liberal progressive types actually grew up in small rural towns. We hunted and fished like most of our neighbors. 

We are normal people. We're not authoritarian personalities. We may offer advice, but we don't tell other people what to do.  And  as long as it is none of our business, we respect them enough to let them make their own personal decisions. 

Speaking of decisions. Vice President Kamala Harris has decided on Minnesota governor Tim Walz to be her running mate.

Today's rally was marked by unity, joy, hope, and conviction. Not a bit like a Trump rally with its whiny false victimization, anger, scorn, blame and hate. The contrast is like night and day and darkness and light.

Three new terms apply to this Democratic campaign. Enthusiasm, Excitement & Energy.

 By all appearances, the Harris/Walz team held a massive a pep rally.

The home team is rallying in the 4th quarter of this election year by adding a new coach. And winning defensive coordinator Tim Walz is equally capable of offense. 

Surprisingly, the following piece is from FOX (R) News. I went there so you don't have to.

This piece is by former Republican Representative Charles Djou:

I served with Tim Walz as a Republican in the House. He'll be a good vice president.

More than ever, America needs a normal guy like Tim Walz to help lead our nation and bring us together.

Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is a normal guy. I say this as a former Republican representative who served with Tim in Congress. In these times of bitter political division, America needs someone who can calmly and humbly serve the nation without all the unnecessary shouting and bluster that too often defines our politics today.

Tim and I represented different political parties – he as a Democrat, and I as a Republican – yet we found common ground and worked together on numerous issues for the betterment of our constituents and our nation. More than ever, America just needs a normal guy to help lead our nation and bring us together. I’m excited Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Tim as her running mate.

In Congress, Tim and I bonded over our shared experiences as soldiers and cultivated a mutual respect that transcended party lines. As both of us served in the U.S. Army. We understood that even if we might disagree on a specific policy issue of the day, we both shared a deep love of country and a willingness to defend America in military service. As fellow veterans, Tim and I understood there is no such thing as Republican military service or Democrat military service, only American service 

Before becoming governor of Minnesota, as a congressman, Tim championed issues that resonate with a broad spectrum of Americans. While serving in Congress, I observed Tim’s leadership of the House Veterans Affairs Committee where he advocated for veterans' rights, pushed for educational reforms, and addressed health care disparities.

Refreshingly, and sadly increasingly uncommon in D.C. today, Tim did not advocate issues to improve his partisan political standing or increase his social media presence. Instead, Tim demonstrated a simple commitment to policies that would improve people’s lives regardless of any political advantage.

When I deployed to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division, Tim was still serving in Congress. He visited me at my forward operating base in Kandahar. It was clear Tim was not looking to burnish his credentials on national security by obtaining pretty photographs with troops in the field. Rather, Tim had the confidence that comes from being a former Army Sergeant Major and an understanding of what it is like to lead troops in a combat environment. Tim’s visit to Afghanistan was not about him, but about making sure our soldiers had what we needed to effectively prosecute the fight our country had called us to. That’s exactly the type of leadership America needs right now.

More recently, Tim and I met at the observances marking the 80th Anniversary of D-Day in June. As soldiers, we both intrinsically understood the sacrifice made by those brave Americans in WWII fighting to overcome extremist right-wing fascism. Tim and I reconnected because he and I recognize we are both Americans, happily married husbands, proud dads of great kids and Army veterans. These characteristics are far more important to us and America than any partisan political identity.

Tim’s ability to listen, collaborate, and find pragmatic solutions earned him respect from not just Democrats but also Republicans like me. Even if we sharply disagreed on an issue, I do not recall a single time Tim did not have anything other than a friendly smile, warm handshake, and affable style that put everyone, regardless of political party, at ease. He understands that America’s strength lies in our ability to come together as fellow Americans, not in shouting at each other with petty name-calling.

America has more than enough showboat politicians who talk with bluster, self-aggrandizement and a toxic partisan tongue over endless social media posts. Instead, America needs a gracious and kind individual who talks as a friendly neighbor, understands your community like a local high school football coach, knows the commitment of military service as a veteran and advocates policies for all Americans -- not just for Republicans or Democrats.

This is exactly my friend Tim Walz.

~~~~~~

Charles K. Djou is Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission. An Afghanistan war veteran, he represented Hawaii's 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican from 2010 to 2011. He left the Republican Party in 2018 and endorsed Joe Biden for president in 2020.