LEAVE NOW!

Cannon here. Before I hand it off to D-Jay, I want to add one point to the preceding essay: During the next two weeks -- and especially over the next four-or-so days -- any act of left-wing violence will give Trump an excuse for martial law. 

 

All peaceful protest, however well-motivated, can serve only to provide cover for a false-flag attack. The Proud Boys and the Boogaloo brigades have made it clear that they intend to pose as Antifa. This moment is incredibly dangerous.

 

➤ Trump toadies Jim Jordan and Devin Nunes will get the presidential Medal of Freedom. Say the previous sentence out loud if you need an emetic. You could win the national 10-yard projectile vomit championship. 

➤ Pelosi was re-elected Speaker. Mistake. She won't impeach. We don't need a politician; we need a killer. (Figuratively speaking!)

 

➤ During his call to the Georgia Secretary of State, Trump said that he "expects" other states to flip their votes. It is fair to presume that he has been making other calls, and that other Secretaries of State were more compliant. Remember when Susan Collins voted against removal on the grounds that Trump had learned his lesson?

 

I feel a bit like Rommel at Normandy. This will be the Longest Week. 

And now, D-Jay:

*  *  * 

The Deprogramming Dilemma – 6

Leave now!

By D-Jay

With the decision of at least twelve senators to join the profoundly unpatriotic and anti-democratic effort to oppose the clearly expressed will of the American people and challenge the legitimately chosen electors who represent them, the Republican Party as we know it is well and truly dead.

In Congress now, it is the Party of Trump.  Period.  Nothing matters but pleasing him, no matter how much damage this does to our country.

Should they choose to do so, however, six people are now in a unique position to defang this monstrosity with a single act of courage, honor and patriotism.

The people to whom I am referring are, of course, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Pat Toomey, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski, all of whom have already stated their opposition to Hawley, Cruz & company’s seditious insanity.  There could be a few more who could be added to the list, but, at least to date, these six are the ones who have spoken out most clearly.

The action I urge them to take would be to stand up in the Senate on the 6^th and say something to the effect of:

I am a Republican, not a member of the Party of Trump.  Republicans believe in the United States Constitution and in American democracy.  We took an oath to the Constitution, not to Donald Trump. 

We believe in truth, honor and decency.  

 

The truth is that Joe Biden was the clear winner of the 2020 election, and there is no evidence whatsoever that the election was in any way rigged or fraudulent.  Donald Trump has simply been lying about this to the American people, and everyone in this chamber knows it. 

 

For twelve Senators to support these vacuous claims is by far the most dishonorable and indecent action I have ever seen in this venerable body.  In good conscience, I cannot and will not caucus with people who have demonstrated such little regard for our country, our Constitution and our democratic system of government. 

 

I’m leaving this sedition caucus.

 

From this moment on, I will be caucusing as an Independent Republican, not with Mitch McConnell, not as a member of the Party of Trump. 

Whatever way the Georgia Senate races turn out, this action would deprive the Trump cult of all real power for at least two years.  It would also deprive Moscow Mitch of the ability to obstruct President Biden’s efforts to deal with the massive problems the people of our country now face. 

At the same time, this “Independent Republican Caucus” would be in a unique position of power, especially if the Dems don’t pick up both of the Georgia seats in Tuesday’s runoff.  If they really felt that any of Biden or Pelosi’s proposals were too radically left, they would be in a perfect position to pull them more to the center.

If we don’t have 50 Senators of the D side of the aisle, such a group could be the kingmakers.  If they asked for Angus King to be the leader of the Senate, instead of either Schumer or McConnell, they could probably get it.

In one stroke, we could see a genuine coalition of the center in control of the Senate – perhaps the ideal partners for President Biden.

An impossible New Year’s pipe dream?

Probably so…but a real opportunity is there for the taking.

And so, Mitt, Pat, Ben, Susan, Bill and Lisa, what’s it going to be?

How do you want to be remembered in the history books? 

Six more toothless flunkies of Trump…or the six people who saved our Republic?

**************************************************************

Contributing factors to our democratic decline:

From the Right

Truth Decay – Destruction of the Ability to Distinguish Fantasy from Reality

Ever Worsening Demonization of the Media

Manufactured Distrust of Science and Expertise

The Iron Bubble of Disinformation

The Dark Money Conspiracy

Information Warfare Aimed at Us

Domestic Terrorism

Emergence of a Full-blown Cult of Personality

Ongoing Voter Suppression and Gerrymandering

Election Security

Continued Weaponization of Social Media

Toxic Right-wing Pseudo-Christianity

Racism

Sexism and a Pseudo-Macho Mentality

Putinism and the International Neo-Fascist Movement

Lack of Education in Civics and Critical Thinking Skills

Destruction of Crucial Democratic Norms

The Collapse of Good Manners and Propriety

Radicalization

Sedition

From the Left (and Sometimes the Center)

OTT PC (Over-The-Top Political Correctness)

Inept Messaging

Lack of Media Investment

Arrogance

Surrender of Rural America Without a Fight

Failure to Call Out and Counteract Toxic Right-Wing Christianity

Failure to Call Out Right-Wing Racism, Sexism and Fascism for what it is, and Counteract it in Time

Framing Too Many Issues as Being Rooted in Race Rather than Economics and Class

Failure to Recognize Just How Bad Things Can Really Get

Forever Bringing Beanbags to a Knife Fight

Failure to Protect Critical Norms