FOR ALL OF US WHO DEFEND DEMOCRACY AGAINST FASCISM

 I may yet owe an apology to some of those who, IMO, voted for fascism this election. Starting with Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Spaffenberger. Yes, he voted that way but he still put truth, and his country, above political partisanship, respected the numbers like the good engineer he is and for that he deserves creditable mention. And more state and local Republican officials appear to be emerging from the woodwork to stand beside him, for which they also deserve creditable mention. Because of all the noise made by those on the Right who are about to become open fascists, it's hardly even possible to tell whether the honest patriots among our opponents are a silent majority or a (let us hope) leavening minority in the 'Republican' party. They certainly are quite absent, with the exceptions of Mitt Romney, Larry Hogan, Peter Shumlin and Charlie Baker, from the top rungs of leadership. But wherever they are, they are examples of something without which democracy cannot survive: they put truth, principle and country above political party and desire for wealth and power.
Of course I'm biased, but to me it looks like such a spirit is shared by nearly everyone who voted Democratic this past election. It's the Republican party that is seriously diseased by all-but-open fascism inside its ranks, perhaps especially within its inside-the-Beltway contingent and, most of all, inside its media wing of Faux News. There, I'd say the fascism is already open!
In our country, we are once more on the verge of creating something that, so far as we know, has never existed before: a genuinely multiracial, multi-ethnic, multi-faith democratic republic. Think about this. We have the opportunity to be a leader among the nations again in doing this. However, too many among us want to bar the gate and make our country into a hideous cross between Apartheid South Africa and a Shi'ite Baptist republic complete with its own ayatollahs! So long as they're on top, they don't care if what they're on top of is Fresh Kills as opposed to being on equal terms with those who are 'different' than they and building something unseen before in all of human history--together!
Which brings me to something else a democracy needs: citizens who understand what democracy, equal rule of law, and hearing out everyone means and who are willing to defend and fight for that against enemies foreign and domestic. Right now our biggest problem is with the latter on the Right: racists, fascists, oligarchs, wannabe Grand Inquisitors and other neo-feudal bad actors.
These are the groups who stand in the way of a democracy larger and more comprehensive than anything before in human history. And they will spout such things as how 'natural' it is to be tribal. And they'll be....partially right. But it is both possible and indeed urgently necessary to put precept, such as the one to hear as great a variety of voices as possible and to be zealous in making sure the rule of law is equally applied, before one's tribe or tribes. This is necessary for democracy to work. It is also necessary for civilization to work and endure. Finally and most importantly, it is commanded by God in both Old and New Testaments and in the Qur'an as well, if I'm not mistaken. We often misunderstand this as a command to impose our cultures upon the unwilling. No, that's not how it's supposed to go. Yes, I do think Sir Charles Napier was right in putting an end to suttee in the way he did, too. If you don't know the reference, google it and be enlightened.
Another thing necessary for democracy (and I must say we democrats and Democrats have been remiss in this) is the slapping down of behavior intended to stifle voices the speaker doesn't like. There's been a lot of noise made about such behavior on the far left but the Left does this much less than the Right. And one variety of 'free speech' that should never be tolerated is speech which says that, because of race, ethnicity, faith or lack thereof and/or sexuality, one group should have more rights and others less.
We cannot repeat this often enough: personal liberty is not zero-sum. The freer the least among us are, the freer we ALL are! Allied with this is that living creatures--humans, animals, biospheres-- and their necessities, must be considered of more importance than property and property rights, especially those of absentee landlords or other absentee 'owners'. Mom-and-Pop or even mid-size businesses are something very different from corporate oligarchs and the two have precious little, if anything really, in common. We can't repeat that often enough either.
Much has to be done with which the honest Republicans probably won't agree but, so long as they play by a democracy's rules, we can live with that--and with them. When they can see how much better progressive policies pay off for everyone, that will be the icing on a very sweet yet nourishing cake.
But we can hardly be too severe with our native neo-feudal fascisti. They need to be decisively beaten time and again. God give us the strength to do what is necessary, sez I.

DO DEMOCRACIES NEED MINORITIES?

 Do democracies need minorities?
I suggest strongly that they do. Why? We've only to look at one very grim statistic from the election just past to know why. An alarmingly 'healthy' majority of my 'fellow' (shudder!) palefaces voted to say that children in cages, babies being ripped from their mamas' very breasts, unarmed people of color being mowed down by uniformed thugs with only different uniforms from the SS and Gestapo, God only knows (I confess to not wanting to know) what other enormities crying out to God for vengeance, right along with inequality of wealth and income which have us lurching toward a downright feudal economy--were quite all right with them and that they wanted more of them!!
This past election saved our democracy from being extinguished, no thanks whatsoever to the majority of my 'fellow' palefaces! And the minority of palefaces to which I belong could never have saved our democracy alone. We could only do this together with our fellow citizens of color: African-Americans, Latinos, Asians of every national origin from Israel (yes, including Ashkenazim) to Korea and our Native brethren as well. If that doesn't convince you that democracies need minorities in order to stay democracies, I don't know what will.
Our homegrown fascists profess that being multi-racial and multi-ethnic are drawbacks and weaknesses for nations. I say no, it is the other way around. To be multi-racial, -ethnic and -religious as well are strengths, not weaknesses!
Let me ask any French, Dutch, German, Italian or Spaniard within their political mainstreams: with minorities, is it less or more likely that these countries will remain liberal democracies and, indeed, be strengthened in that? Wasn't it between the wars, with a relatively 'pure' population, that fascism became dangerous? Why does it seem that Canada and New Zealand seem to be immune from the insanity that has gripped us, England (not so much the UK as a whole) and Australia? Could being bi-lingual and at least bi-cultural have something to do with that? I'll venture it hath quite a lot to do with those countries' comparative (to the rest of the Anglophone world) sanity!
And, conversely, it is those nations which are mistakenly proud of being monocultural where democracy has all but gurgled down the toilet. Poland and Hungary, I'm looking straight at you! And at most Arab/Muslim nations as well! And look how both Russia and China now treat their minorities! Anyone ready to say 'Uighurs'?
It seems that in most countries with large racial/ethnic/religious majorities where minorities have little or no political power and where the majority is not clearly threatened tend toward dictatorship of one form or another. Often that dictatorship is religious or 'anointed' by the country's dominant religion. Israel should be glad of its Arabs, Druze and beauteous (?) Circassians, to name some of its minorities. Without them, who knows what The Cheltenham Kid (Bibi, I mean) would be up to by now!
Democracies need minorities because they are, willy-nilly, the coal-mine canaries for any country's democratic life. They, not usually any country's majority, are the best guarantors and guardians of real democracy and the law treating everyone equally, or as near to it as a country can get. They are the groups who need these things the most in order to prosper and flourish. And when they do, the nation as a whole is that much better off.
I'd like to conclude with a special, deep thanks to all the women of color who saved our country's democracy in this past election. I wish I could do more, but I'm working on it with posts like this. I think of a song about the Black girl from the 1960s and I can feel my eyes filling as I do. Who out there remembers this song?
Black Pearl, precious little girl
Let me put you up where you belong
Black Pearl, pretty little girl
You've been in the background much too long
That last verse is all too true. I wouldn't call y'all 'little', but 'precious' hardly begins to cover your value to our country! Not sure it's for an aging paleface like me to 'put you up where you belong' but rather to clear the way for all you beautiful, smart, strong women to come forward and be placed 'where you belong'. And this aging pale male says you definitely belong everywhere in our country! Again, many thanks that you are here!

TEARS AND TEARS

 Fascists savor our tears.
That is, the tears of liberals and progressives.
Nearly all of such tears are shed either for people, or other living creatures, less able to fend for themselves than are we. Or those trying to give us that impression. Fatah and Hamas, I'm looking right at you!
Or they are shed for the damage or ruin, realized or possible, of things much greater than ourselves but which we cherish. Such as singular landscapes, species or, indeed, the country we all love in a much deeper way than do the fascists. Too often those that love our country most are those whose love the country returns poorly if at all. And we weep and/or rage over that too. Some of our tears are tears of hope of fulfillment and/or joy at such full or partial fulfillment of such hopes. Our hopes are usually all-inclusive or almost that. We need to dump the Jew-haters hiding among us.
It is very, very rare for a liberal or progressive to weep for themselves. To us, it is not our feelings that matter much. By and large we try to follow the Biblical injunction to mind the feelings of others above our own. We even sometimes put the feelings of the fascists above our own, which is a serious strategic and spiritual mistake.
Fascists are the REAL 'snowflakes' and 'buttercups'. They're the ones who'll demand to know if any 'n***er' ever used the clean cutlery set at their plates and won't abide anyone of color swimming in their association's pool, for instance. And when they're called on their vicious bigotries, will whine, moan and wail about discrimination against them!!
Fascisti, I got news for you: our reactions against y'all have nothing to do with the color (or rather, lack of color) of your skin, hair or eyes. Nor do they have to do with any weird-ass belief you might hold Many if not most of us are also people of faith. I certainly am. I am a Christian, and it is because I am a Christian that I am so angry with you. I see routine violations of both the Third and Ninth Commandments as being part of your stock-in-trade, along with cherished hatreds on the grounds of race, religion and politics. And I say you desecrate God's House with such diabolical beliefs and, above all, by the actions arising from such diabolical heresy!
No, our dislikes of you arise from the content of your character. Or, I should probably say, your lack of character. You seek to do evil, but you usually do it when you can, or think you can, depend on backing from some powerful planter-type person and/or the police. Usually not otherwise.
We will often act without such backing with leaders rising up from their communities. And when you're caught, you beg and wail for mercy, how you were set up and pleasepleasePLEASE don't hurt you! Ever see or hear us do that? No, we stand for what is right and just and we know it! We're often not humble enough about it, but let that be between God and us.
Fellow libs and progs, we have to stop being merciful to the fascisti's snow-flaky feelings. They show no mercy when they have the upper hand; can anyone tell me credibly that their feelings deserve any? Or that they should not be permanently excluded from the corridors of power?
Still, let's not fire the first shot if it comes to that. No, the way to neutralize the fascists is: buy them a place, fix it up nicely as a bar and make sure the booze is good quality, if not necessarily top-shelf. Maybe put a piano in it so they can sing their songs as they get drunk.
Of course, as they do get drunk they will weep endlessly, but only for themselves. All their tears will be for themselves alone as they mangle Wae's Me For Prince Chairlie for the--oh, I don't know, the twenty-third time or whatever. But in any case, fellow liberals and progressives, let us not be deterred from executing justice on those who have tears only for themselves or whatever they may call 'their own'. Remember, there's tears and then there's tears. We weep largely for other things besides ourselves and, when we do, we're prone to remind ourselves in a generally rather scolding way, of how blessed we still are, so let's keep marching! The right wing weeps only for themselves and whatever they term 'their own' and cannot understand any biped weeping for anything but themselves!!
Does it remind you of anything? Here's what it reminds me of:
"The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." (John 1:5, NIV) In their incomprehension of care for anyone but themselves, I suggest they show themselves as children of darkness. Even as they delude themselves that they have a monopoly on the Light!

TO 70 MILLION JUDASES

 I'm not the first one to say this and I surely won't be the last: if we were serious about democracy and the rule of law applied to all equally, this election would never have been this close. It would have been a blowout repudiation of Trump, Trumpery and nearly all its enablers! Any enabler escaping with his/her political skin would need some serious mitigations to save them!
Instead, we had a close election, actually lost a few House seats (and we need to know if we lost progressives, Blue Dogs or something of each), gained no state houses, which may prove a serious setback as we can expect them to gerrymander ever more egregiously, and the Repiglicans may well even hold the Senate. We just got rid of Trump, which, I must admit, was the sine qua non of preserving a murmuring heartbeat of democracy. Still, much more needs to be done.
But why did this happen? Listen up, everyone. This is where I start with the political fire and brimstone, nearly all of it aimed at the tens of millions of palefaces who, with at least some real understanding of Trump's evil, still voted for more of him.
I understand that Trump also actually got a sizable chunk of the Hispanic vote--even in border communities which he would have gladly swept into the Rio Grande! Well, we expected Cubans and Venezuelans, both of whom were terrified by what I'd call 'pretzel' (that is, seriously twisted) varieties of socialism, to vote for the Great Anti-Socialist Cheeto. I have to scratch my head over other Latinos who went that way. Misinformation? Probably.
However, I concern myself with my purported 'tribe'. Most of you knew, surely, for what you were voting! Either one of three things applies here: first, you were so misinformed that you actually believed the lying stream of Trumpery from Faux News and OAN. I can at least pardon that. Second, that you lied to the pollsters like California palefaces did in 1982 when Tom Bradley ran for governor. Once in the voting booth, you showed that you weren't giving up on systemic racism and your privilege as whites! That you were NOT as Enlightened as you wanted the pollsters to think! And that you lied
about it clearly shows that you yourselves knew it was wrong to act on such feelings that way--and yet you did that!! I name all of you as traitors!!
Yes, that's right: TRAITORS!! First, traitors to the ideals of our country where the rule of law is supposed to apply to all equally and where we drift ever further from that ideal! And where racial, ethnic or national origin is not supposed to make a difference as to how we treat our fellow citizens!!
Second, you show yourselves traitors to the best in Western Civilization--where the same ideals are supposed to apply and transcend the tribalism of half-savage barbarians, be they Celts, Teutons, Arabs, Turks, Huns or Basques! We, and the West with us, are strong because we take in and test all kinds of ideas, inventions and people! And in reverting to tribalism based on skin color all of you show yourselves traitors to this noble inheritance! By this you show, except for the gadgets (especially the weapons!) you don't even want to be civilized!!
And that's not even your worst betrayal. This is your third and worst betrayal. Any 'Christians' among you remember this passage?
"There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) And what have you done? You have reverted to tribalism unworthy of American citizens, unworthy of citizens of the West and above all unworthy of Christians or Jews. Now, I admit that we all, myself included, think and do things unworthy of Jesus and/or Moses from time to time. But seriously, folks, this does our fellow citizens, fellow Westerners, fellow believers and fellow human beings serious injury!
Third, last and worst: those of you who betrayed your birthrights for, unless you're seriously wealthy, a few pieces of silver, probably nowhere near even thirty of them! As Judases go, you're scandalously cheap into the bargain! No doubt your silent, treacherous bigotry was an incentive but you chose Trump because the tax cuts were putting twenty, fifteen or maybe even only ten more pieces of silver into your treacherous pockets and purses!! How many of you dough-colored slugs even silently agree with what Trump said of our brave men and women in uniform?!
I warned you that fire and brimstone were coming, and there it is. A word to my fellow liberals: it's time not to care about the feelings of these for-real 'snowflakes' and 'buttercups'. The next post will deal with the vast difference of some of we liberals who bleed for others and the snowflakes who wail at a paper cut.
This election has uncorked my fire and brimstone. More will come!

TIME TO BREATHE--BUT ONLY THAT!

 It is done.
Democracy in this country will continue. Biden and Harris have been declared the victors. This is a time to take a breath, offer up prayers of thanks and maybe whoop it up a bit in celebration. What it is not time for is to pat ourselves on the back and reaffirm American Exceptionalism.
We came hellishly close to killing our own democracy with our inattention, selfishness, sloth and racial paranoia. This is an eleventh-hour save we've just pulled off and which we owe in large part to our fellow citizens with skins darker than the unbaked dough shade which many of us show on our faces!
Had we been the only voters, democracy would have been a corpse after this election! To say that it is shame and disgrace to us and our country that the margin was so close--not to mention that the Repiglicans have actually gained seats in the House (although, thankfully, we still hold the majority), we have yet to flip any state houses and that the Greedy Oilmen's Party may well hold the Senate by the skin of Massa Moscow Mitch's wattles--is to understate the case to an almost absurd degree! If we are serious about democracy and freedom, this election should have been a blowout for the Democrats at all levels from presidential down to local! That it was a such a squeaker shows all too clearly that too many of us care only for our own liberties and, above all, the size of our wallets! Even while those who, were they paid higher than starvation wages, might have a chance to add to our civic strength, have to worry about money nonstop in order to keep on eating! That this happens in the richest country in human history is another shame and disgrace to us, but more of that in another post later.
Perhaps worst of all, in this election when we all knew (?) the evil of the Trumpery before us, more of us voted for this incubus than four years ago! And only enough Suburban White Women voted for Biden/Harris to put them over the top! OK, we should be grateful to all those who made this save. But a greater percentage of white women--52% then, 55% NOW--actually voted for Donald Pussygrabber this time around! My innards gurgle even as I type this!!
As I write, Massa Moscow Mitch is plotting to not even allow Biden the cabinet members he wants! Joe, if you will take a humble man's advice, no more bipartisan b.s., or as little of it as might be absolutely necessary. We want to be opponents, not enemies, but I defy you to find me a Repiglican officeholder who makes that anything but a vicious lie and acts with anything but fascistic bad faith!
I mean it, Joe: I am absolutely serious. I'm a straight (and straightly married) aging second-generation Anglo-Saxon race traitor who has watched politics since he was almost twelve. I started following politics during the 1968 campaign and have never stopped doing so.
Our 'opponents' care only for power and money and care nothing--repeat, NOTHING--for democracy, the rule of law, freedom, equality or even for the best in our country. Make any conciliatory gestures short and arrange them so that their rejection will tell you and Kamala all y'all need to know about these political gangsters!
I think it might be time for me to take more than a few breaths. Sighs of relief from the Peanut Gallery. But this is time for only that much relaxation. We have lots of hard work ahead to strengthen and expand democracy with a pan-racial coalition of working people as a cornerstone of it and of the Green New Deal. So let's be grateful now as we breathe, pray, make a little whoopee and gird our loins for the heard struggle against powerful and unscrupulous enemies (that is how they see themselves and us) which awaits us. We palefaces still have plenty of waking up to do!

RAGE, COMPASSION & DISGUST AS THE COUNT GOES ON

 As the election remains undecided this Thursday (!) morning, I've read a fair number of columns and posts. It might be safe to say they inspire quite a few strong feelings in me which seem to boil down to these: first, rage--at more than one group and not all on the other side. Second, compassion coupled with an equally strong desire to avoid being patronizing. Finally, disgust at one particular well-off group alongside squaring my shoulders for whatever my part might turn out to be in the mountain of work ahead of us to preserve democracy, the biosphere and, thereby, save civilization as well.
First, the rage. I cannot digest that a sixty percent majority of my fellow dough-faces either want to keep systemic racism going or don't care one way or another! I want to roar to them, Don't you care that such systemic racism is the NEGATION of everything we claim for our country?! Don't you care how hollow and hypocritical our professions to be free ring in the ears of much of the world?! And don't you care what devastation we're leaving to our children and grandchildren?! Some, very likely most of you, are and have been very deliberately misinformed by others about how very real these problems are and that showing concern for these matters is no more than either hypersensitivity or, worse, an attempt to show how much better a person than you the 'fretter' is. On the other hand, the sources which also lie to you and keep your fears churning began by telling you what you wanted to hear, didn't they?
Misinformers who know their wicked business always mix some truth with their lies. So, I must admit that yes, there are some (one is too many for me) among us who mix 'virtue signaling' and/or 'see how much smarter I am' b.s. with, for the most part, some genuine concern for the issues involved. I have a bolt or two to shoot their way too. Such an 'addytood', as we say in Philly Town, is unhelpful and counterproductive. So change it!
I'll agree: no one really likes know-alls whether intellectual or spiritual, for that matter. Not to mention that to be the latter is the gravest sin of all. Funny thing is, I always thought it was your side that was and is overrun with and misruled by such grossly evil characters. FYI, I started to become a Christian when I was twenty (44 Years ago) and still am becoming one. And as a Christian, I understand I am expressly forbidden to think myself better than any other child of God. Including y'all, including any African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and even Jews. How about y'all? I mean, do you understand thinking of yourselves as 'chosen' (especially if you consider your pale skin and eyes signs of such 'chosen' quality) is wrong and how dangerous it is to others and, in the end, to yourself as well?
My compassion is for those of us who have been so grievously misinformed and so egregiously lied to. Some of you may have been turned off by being strongly discouraged from asking any questions about what you're supposed to believe. You're on the right track then; anyone who tries to forbid you asking any questions is of not God but of the Enemy. Remember that and share it with everyone else!
And when you've asked questions on our side that the nearest snotnose character on our side deemed 'stupid' or 'obvious', maybe that left you feeling a bit homeless. For all such incidents where you got a snotty answer to an honest question, my deep and sincere apologies. That excludes any incidents where either 1) your questions were not honest but an attempt to lay a trap and/or 2) where what you thought were your 'smarts' were reduced to humiliating rubble. In the first instance, you got what you deserved; the second is routine for us who've grown up with argument and debate and to which you need to be inured if you're to join an honest battle of ideas--not of ad hominem/mulieram insults or other such irrelevancies! In such cases, gotta ask: who are the real 'snowflakes' or 'buttercups' here? Do tell!
Finally, I reserve my disgust for those of us who know what the stakes are in this matter but simply do not care. The ones who know quite well how evil Trump and Massa Moscow Mitch are but, so long as their wallets continue to fatten further, really don't care and will continue to vote GOP so long as their wallets grow fatter. Never mind if half their fellow citizens become starven and gaunt because of those selfsame policies! You and the racist 'religious' fascists who demand a sacerdotal/race-based dictatorship are the two groups who may yet send me into exile--but that will depend in large part on how this election turns out as well. In any case, our America has room for you and the rest of us; your 'Myrkkka' has no room for anyone else but your own sorry selves.
I think a mark of Heaven is that, other people and creatures are very real to the person with that mark. And conversely, to those with Hell's claws on, or in, them, no one, and no other creature, is 'real' to them except themselves and 'theirs', whatever that might entail! Put that on a mental back burner and let it simmer a good long while, y'all!