Former CIA Director Michael Hayden summed up what you and I have always believed about what it means to immigrate and become a citizen, beautifully:
“It’s pretty simple, You read the document, you understand the document, you pledge allegiance to the document, and we shake your hand, and you are every bit as much of an American as me and other people who have been here for 400 years. Just like that, that’s the magic of America.”
Michael Hayden
Certainly as late as George W. Bush, who handled the aftermath of 9-11 masterfully, ensuring that this country did not seek retribution against American Muslims. (As a lifelong Dem, I can still easily give credit where due, and George W. Bush was our finest in those weeks after 9-11). George W. Bush was also known to have a deep affection for the Hispanic immigrants that make up so much of his beloved state of Texas. He learned to speak Spanish. But that was conservatism and Republicans then.
Today’s “Trumplicanism” – there is no other word that captures it, he favors de-regulation and tax cuts, appoints conservative judges, but then abhors free trade, balancing budgets – today’s Trumpliacanism contains a significant amount of white nationalism, call it racism, xenophobia, nativism, whatever. Have no doubt, one of the single most cherished aspects of the Trump-age to his supporters, is the delight in saying things they’ve longed to say.
Fox has followed Trump’s lead, allowing for guests and hosts to say things that would have been unthinkable just ten years ago (some of it started with Obama as president, the Kenyan).
Two days ago, Laura Ingraham explored territory that may be too far for Fox, or at least Fox’s advertisers. Too far for us, to be sure. This isn’t political disagreement.
In some parts of the country, it does seem like the America that we know and love doesn’t exist anymore. Massive demographic changes have been foisted on the American people, and they are changes that none of us ever voted for, and most of us don’t like.
Laura Ingraham (Charlie Pierce quipped that it sounded better in the native Algonquin.)
Not to be outdone, Tucker Carlson has been “out there” on that edge for even longer – which is tough to do, since that was hardly Ingraham’s first brush of pure white nationalism. We don’t have room to list the quotes from Carlson, but if you go to Youtube here, you can hear Carlson defend Russian meddling by stating that Mexico has influenced our elections far more. He’s calling out American citizens originally from Mexico, but now Americans, yet they are “interfering” with elections.” He went on another rant where he believes demographic change is happening too fast in rural neighborhoods, but not in politicians neighborhood.
Carlson’s Daily Caller offenses against Jews and other immigrant groups could fill a doctoral dissertation. A list from Google is here.
“Demographic change” – that is the problem, according to them, not immigration itself, as Trump once complained we don’t get immigrants from Norway, but instead from “shit hole” countries. Somehow that doesn’t comfort me, because I’m an immigrant, from Canada. I’m as white as anyone, lost all the Canadian accent I had in 5th grade, and “blend in” such that I hear the anti-immigrant rants directly to me with the assumption that because I’m white, I can’t be an “immigrant,” or at least not a “bad one.”
Compare to a quote from Republican/Conservative Saint, President Reagan:
“Anyone from any corner of the earth can come to live in America and become an American,”
It is led by Trump, and fed by a Russian agenda, to weaken this nation. Credit Russia, they knew the exact load-bearing joint to hit, the most vulnerable. They chose the far right’s hatred of other Americans to start a new “Cold Civil War” as I wrote over the weekend. Of the 17 men standing on that stage during the first Republican debate, Russia and the Republican party backed the one that went the furthest in his hatred for minorities and immigrants.
This is what the roots of fascism look like. A woman calling into the Tucker Carlson show stating that she didn’t care if the Russians did help Trump, she hated Hillary, not Russians. And there you have it. WE have come full circle, through the “hoax,” through “FISA, problems” through Mueller being conflicted, through “collusion is not a crime,” to that woman’s quote (and boy is it representative of a large group). Or simply consider Devon Nunes’ quote that I reported yesterday, that they must retain a Republican House because they must BLOCK IMPEACHMENT, facts be damned. Trump may well have committed a crime to steal the presidency – so what? He stole it from Democrats, the colored party, not real Americans, good for him, as the thinking evolves.
Combine a new ferocity against anything “non-American” (not white) with unquestioned protection of the leader of that movement, and you’re knocking on fascism’s door. Throw in partnership with the world’s most notorious fascist, a desired partnership if it keeps Democrats from power, intentionally weakening the vote, calling out ANY media that reports anything the leader doesn’t like as the “enemy” of the people, swiping kids from parents at the border and losing them, and leadership that takes economic advantage of its position from Trump to Pruitt, you’ve crossed the line, you live in a newly fascist nation.
The solution? Well, take it back. As you and we have been attempting to do. We pressure advertisers to get the hell off Ingraham’s show, anything associated with Carlson. Ever had to listen to Rush lately? The ads are all for gold, ointments, gels and get rich quick schemes. That is the means to pressure Fox to get these people off the air – not by government force, but by free market, free people answers; “We will not support this.”
Go to the polls and monitor the polls. Overwhelm the hidden systems in place to keep our votes from being counted.
But, more than anything? Speak up. When in a group of Trumplicans who start to cross the line from just normal political disagreement (perfectly acceptable) to spouting total lies, or repeating the racist, anti-immigrant stuff, speak up. Don’t fight. Calmly note that it’s wrong, you disagree, and walk away. Fascism feeds on the pressure the true believers impose upon others, they need to believe that nearly everyone “like them” agrees with them, but is afraid to say it.
I said a month ago that we’re teetering on the edge, and continually stated that you’re aware of it, correct?
Consider what’s happened just since then. We have a president refusing to apologize to a media he calls the enemy of the people, we have a president who is calling out Mueller by name, Nunes stating the job of Republicans is to protect their authoritarian leader, citizens stating that Russian help is appreciated because of Democrats, we have open racism accepted on Fox. As much as I’d like to say we’re teetering on the edge, I can’t. We’ve fallen.
But we can take it back. We must. It will take sacrifice, but nothing like those who sacrificed everything to give us the country we had. We are in a Cold Civil War, and we’ll win in the end, just as surely as the the war to start this nation, the original Civil War, the Civil Rights “war,” …we will win this one. If we care enough to fight, that is.
Trump’s true mission is to A) Ensure his survival by carrying out Russia’s wishes, and B) to make America white again.
“America” isn’t any color, race, creed, it is an ideal, an exceptional one. We simply need to return our focus to the ideal. This country accepted me 100%, I think all immigrants simply deserve the same, and I immigrated to a democratic republic, I’d like that back while we’re at it.
TWITTER: YES, THEY LET NATURALIZED CITIZENS HAVE TWITTER ACCOUNTS, AND WE’RE COMING UP ON A WEEKEND WHEN I DIVERSIFY AWAY FROM POLITICS TO MORE FUN, PLEASE JOIN US: @MiciakZoom
