What Would Nellis Say?

acquiescence

By Rick Stiller

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With the recent death of former President Jimmy Carter, a decent, honorable, dignified, and graceful human being who served humanity throughout his life and promised  the American people, 

 

“I will never lie. I’ll never make a misleading statement. I’ll never betray the confidence that any of you had in me. And I’ll never avoid a controversial issue.”

 

Perhaps we Americans ought to take a good look in the mirror and consider for a moment, who we have become…what we stand for…and who we revere.

 

We are anticipating the presidential inauguration of a convicted felon, adjudicated sexual predator, traitor to his sworn duty to uphold the Constitution, who instigated an armed insurrection at the Capitol to overturn a free and fair election, and told more than thirty thousand documented lies during his first four-year term.

 

An unhinged and vengeful Donald Trump is not decent, honorable, dignified, graceful (oh lordy), or honest. He is a narcissistic bully who promises to destroy the very essence of the democracy that Jimmy Carter and we, as a nation, once honored and defended.

 

He is threatening retribution on anyone and everyone who opposed him, indicted him, testified against him, brought Congressional investigations into his countless crimes, or called him out on his endless lies, threats, and accusations. The targets include his many political opponents, as well as every journalist, columnist, and broadcast network that reports actual facts about him or his lackeys, and anyone willing to speak truth to his lies. Wielding FEAR is his weapon of choice.

 

He will have a loyal partisan Department of Justice, a biased FBI, a radical and morally corrupt Supreme Court, and MAGA fanatics controlling both Houses of Congress to do his bidding against his perceived enemies. He has proposed using the military to quash any protests or demonstrations by employing whatever means necessary to quell dissent.

 

The ongoing campaign to silence his critics and frighten any opposition has gained momentum and volume through an ever-expanding passel of lies and misinformation that fills the news every day. Confuse and distract the voting public by overwhelming the press and deflecting their focus, and the audience will tune out before the demolition of our government and dismantling of democracy begins in earnest.  

 

Right-wing militants are campaigning for a second civil war, neighbor against neighbor, to install a fascist dictatorship and establish white “Christian” supremacy and dominance in every facet of our society…from government to schools to entertainment.

 

Trump and his MAGA Republicans are blanketing the media with their very real and totally outrageous plans to transform our society into a two-class system, where the ultra-rich rule and the rest of the population serves at their pleasure. The press is overwhelmed, and the population is dumbfounded by the constant din. Acceptance, submission, and compliance are easier to accommodate than arguing with fanatical supporters for whom ignorance and hate combine into a magic elixir that extinguishes common sense and common decency. 

 

As soon as the new administration is sworn in, Tom Homan, who managed the program that stripped thousands of babies from migrant mothers’ arms with no intention of ever reuniting them, that Tom Homan will loose his ICE Gestapo agents to start rounding up tens of thousands of families of color – hard-working, tax-paying people who harvest our vegetables, build our houses, clean hotel rooms, work in meat packing factories or commercial kitchens, and make our economy function, before shipping them off to concentration camps. 

 

Perhaps the voters who supported Trump out of spite, racism, or blind devotion will understand that he does not care about the needs of the American people. Never has, never will.

 

When his tariffs and our trading partners’ counter-tariffs are instituted, the inflation that Trump instigated with his failure to deal with the pandemic through sheer incompetence during the last year of his first term (which the FED and the Biden administration eliminated) will be back with a vengeance.

 

When the Post Office closes down, the Department of Education is shuttered and public education is turned over to the states without federal support, oversight of food and drug safety is eliminated, maintenance of roads and highways, airports, and waterways become local responsibilities, contraception is outlawed, gay and interracial marriage is banned, Medicaid and Medicare are defunded to pay for a gigantic tax-cut for the ultra-wealthy, support for Social Security is withdrawn, and all rights and benefits that make this the most advanced society in the world are abolished…will life be better for those who were foolish enough to vote for this monster? Only if they are very rich.

 

This raises the question about whether we as Americans have the guts to defend everything that this country stands for…our rights and freedoms…the empathy, maturity, and integrity we expect in the character of our leaders, and the real patriotism we expect from each other.

 

Trump has yet to be inaugurated but people are already acquiescing, bowing to his threats without resistance by saying, “There’s nothing I can do about it.” Or “I stopped paying attention after the election.” Or “All politicians are corrupt.”

 

There are only two choices. Capitulate and stick your head in the sand, or stand up and speak out. The real fight for our democracy is about to begin, and although the MAGA minions have the political advantage and claim the moral high ground, their ultimate goal is the destruction of the very fabric of our society and anyone who resists. We must join together to create a national resistance. 

 

Our criminal-in-chief boasts of his plans to begin the demolition on his first day in office. Every American who still maintains hope for the future of our democracy must find a way to express their anger and frustration through whatever means are available…boycotting coverage of his inauguration, writing letters to the editor or starting a blog, objecting to your Senators and Representatives, joining local political groups, donating to national organizations, or joining protests that will flare up in every city in the nation.

 

This movement can not wait until next week, or next month, or the midterm elections in two years. Our campaign must be relentless in staying ahead of the destructive legislation MAGA Republicans will try to pass in the first days of the new administration, and it must persevere through the nightmares and outrage that will be unleashed in the coming months.

 

This is our moment in history to stand up to the criminals who aim to replace our grand experiment in democracy with their brand of American fascism. There is no easy choice between acquiescence and a peaceful but determined revolution. Only you can prevent the disaster that awaits us if we allow them to succeed.

 

Please share this with like-minded friends if you agree. Thanks for your support!