Everyone please remember what would happen if the shoe were on the other foot. If, for example, a democratic president was elected, but only after colluding with an enemy foreign power via direct payments via an outfit like — say — Planned parenthood. what would the Republicans do? Exactly. We all know what they would do. They would do everything in the power to destroy their opponents. They would (again, metaphorically) step on our throats.
In fact, they have ruthlessly demonized, marginalized, and deligitimized those challenging their power anyway, at every turn. Even as people simply seek to advocate for regular, hard-working American people, and basic rights such as health care and the social safety net, and racial equity. They systematically cast their opponents as unpatriotic, dangerous, and anti-American for the sin of.. disagreeing with their political world view (e.g. a desire for unquestioned power). Because it’s not really about values or higher ideals for them.. it’s about winning. Moreover, it’s about maintaining their hold on power over the majority.
But right now, the shoe is on their foot, and the actual circumstances are thus:
Republican operatives, Trump, and entities like the NRA have been literally busted, by a Republican, Bush-appointed presecutor, of colluding with an enemy foreign power to subvert America. This is all aided and abetted by the rank and file Republicans from members of the House of Representatives to the Vice President.
They are culpable, they are absolutely busted, and they are as morally and politically exposed as they have ever been. As long as Trump is in the White house, and as long as they continue to apologize for him, they are tethered by their own volition to everything he has done, is doing, and will do. They are wrong in epic and indefensible ways, and as a result are at an incredibly weak point right now.
Now is the time to step on their throats. No, I don’t mean going out an finding the nearest Republican, tripping them, and putting your child labor-produced Nike on their neck. I mean political fixation on the destruction of behavior (NOT people) detrimental to civil society.
This is no time for mercy, bipartisanship, or grace. There are either rats, or those helping the new Congress expose the rats (NOTE: These are human beings, so “Rats” is a figure of speech to clarify that their behavior is akin to a plague, such as rats would bring, that should be eliminated). There is no in between, whether there is an “R” or a “D” after their name. And each and every one of them deserves absolutely everything we can throw at them politically, whether that be an 11-hour hearing before an ethics committee with no bathroom break, or simply a refusal to compromise on legilsation until they fully repudiate and take action to substantively address the POTUS’s collusion with Russia. Anyone who doesn’t distance themselves from this band of criminals and traitors should go down with them. America is about to turn around and write a new story of what we are and what we are not, and each and every politician needs to do what they can to be on the right side of history.
When it comes to the alt-right, white nationalist, and brazenly oligarchical forces that currently possess the “republicans” occupying government at several levels, we have to call them out, as hard as we can, for their moral weakness. We have to destory the weeds (Again, behaviors — not people) that are growing in the current “Republican” identity, because if we don’t, they will in turn destroy our Republic. Republicans can be reborn as Reagan-era trickle downers, or kinder/gentler 1000 points of light Bushies, or Eisenhower’s fiscal conservatives, but this manifestation of the Republican brand must absolutely be stamped out so completely they will not come back in the foreseeable future. The victory over the hateful, fascist, and plundering nature of these criminal and radical elements in our nation must be merciless, and complete.
There is good news here, if any can be found, about this horrible chapter in American History. It is exposing all the cracks in our democracy. These are cracks that can be repaired the next time democrats (hopefully with the help of some Republicans who aren’t crazy or corrupt) have all three branches of government. If we can survive the Trump administration with this Republican Congress, then this terrible moment in US history will serve as a stress test on democracy that will make us stronger than ever.
In the meaintime, call your democratic or republican member of congress and demand that they take action to stop those who are currently seeking to destroy our nation. Be nonviolent, and follow the rules, but don’t otherwise let them up off the mat. Step. On. Their. Throats.