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Dear Frank Schaeffer:
You frequently name Trump/GOP sins. I’m going to list other sins you tend to neglect mentioning.
> A quarter century of war as standing policy in the Middle East and Central Asia.
> Sociocide — the destruction of whole societies, and shedding the blood of a million people.
> Torture, rendition and drone assassinations.
> Financial parasitism, government criminality, and rampant social inequality.
> Attacks on immigrants and democratic rights
> Promoting fascism and authoritarian forms of rule.
Truth is, Frank, under the conditions of escalating political crisis, tomorrow’s election sets the stage for shifting US politics further to the right whatever the outcome.
If Democrats win the House, it will be in the hands of unprecedented numbers of candidates from the intelligence and military apparatus. If Democrats take the Senate, their agenda will be set by scum like Joe Manchin, who favors building 700 – 900 miles of wall on the border, Joe Donnelly, who supports rescinding birthright citizenship, and Claire McCaskill who ‘100% supports Trump’s attack on the Central American immigrant caravan..
With zero public discussion and supported on a bipartisan basis, the Trump administration has effectively declared a new cold war on China. Opposition to unending and expanding imperial wars is completely excluded from the campaigns of both Republicans and Democrats. While Trump is determined to overturn 14th amendment birthright citizenship and to develop an extra-parliamentary fascist movement on the streets, the Democrat Party is equally determined to move toward authoritarianism but by a different way. They demand censorship of the internet, of social media companies and other outlets under the false flag of ‘combating fake news’ and repress those who ‘sow discontent,’ a point that in their mind certainly includes yours truly.
Before you begin your commentary on whatever happens tomorrow, let me point out several axioms which although you will address, you cannot ignore.
1] The ruling class will remain determined to maintain global superiority of US capitalism through military force, including another world war.
2] The staggering levels of social inequality will not be changed, because NO election can change that, and because the corruption infects every institution of the capitalist state.
3] The crisis of democratic rule and the slide into authoritarianism will continue unabated.
None of these issues will be addressed through the rearrangement of seats in Congress, or the phony battles within the ruling class. Yet you continually point to the crassness of the disgusting filth vomited up from the criminal underworld. You intentionally serve up issues you know will direct attention away from ongoing crisis and promote reaction. This is a blatant and filthy attack on the 90% who are the working class of the United States, whom you hold in unmitigated contempt. But there is one other trend that will continue whatever is elected tomorrow.
The same capitalist crisis producing the rise of fascism and authoritarianism is also producing growing resistance and opposition by the working class – which is completely excluded from official political life. THAT is why Democrats are so terrified of the democratizing role of social media and the internet.
Blessings!
Dear Frank Schaeffer:
did you see the NYT Friday edition’s claim to have obtained damning new evidence of collusion between WikiLeaks, the Trump campaign and the Russian government? I thought, ‘oh look — the NYT is preparing the backstory in the event things don’t go so well Tuesday!’
Blessings!
I voted! And I was hearted to see hundreds of people in my elderly father’s Latino community turning out to vote. Woo Hoo! Old folks with walkers or canes being assisted by their adult children. Parents bringing their school-age grandchildren to the voting booth to teach them the civil lesson of participating in their government. Many thanks to all who voted/and or ran or supported those who want a Republic for all the people not just for some. Cheers and happy voting.
Dear Frank Schaeffer:
The important thing to remember is that control of the House in no way implies a leftward shift by the Democratic Party. Rather, prominent Democrats have been at pains to signal their desire for bipartisan collaboration with the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Senate. This means they are ready to cede more working class ground by plying ruling class attacks.
Vague promises about restoring checks and balances and “stopping the assault on Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act” will come to naught. Disclaiming division and calling for ‘unity for our country,’ Pelosi makes it clear that the main goal of a Democrat House will be ongoing concessions on immigration, war, spying, and more.
In that regard, note that Pelosi said not one word about Trump’s racist campaign against immigrants and refugees, or the nationalistic and militaristic character of his foreign policy. Instead she pledged Democrats to “honoring the men and women of our military who guarantee our freedom.”
Pentecost blessings!
Dear Frank Schaeffer:
How very soon we see the mistakenly named ‘left’ Democrat party stricken by Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Sessions is and always will be a racist. Yet when they should be celebrating in the street at his fall, Democrats protest Sessions’ dismissal as if he were a martyr to their cause, rather than an odious and reactionary symbol of all that is wrong with this administration.
Allow the slaughter of Yemenis, the murder of Syrians by US supported terrorists, brutal sanctions to collapse Iran’s economy, and posture for nuclear world war. All that gets a pass. But don’t touch the apple of the racist’s eye, Jeffrey Sessions.
Acquiescence of this nature is precisely what I said would happen. And it happens before election week is out. You wonder why the nation slides into fascism? The Democrat Party surrenders to it. You wonder why the nation allowed the criminal underworld to vomit up the despicable Trump by refusing to vote in 2916? The Democrat Party invited it by their surrender of everything that matters.
There will be only more and more Democrat Party surrender in the weeks, months and years ahead. The US WILL be a full-fledged fascist nation, and the Democrat Party will be in it like a dirty rag.
Yet I have been censored and blamed for fascism’s victory for my refusal to support the very party that aids Trump and his despicable bourgeoisie agenda.
A pox on both your parties!
Pentecost blessings!