Stardate December 5, 2023. The absurdity of Trump and his followers grows. It would be too easy to pen yet another piece trying to point out what I feel is the obvious. I will try to refrain, try to find a new tack. That tack might be, hard as it would be to implement, trying to understand this whole movement behind Trump. I mean, to seriously understand all their arguments. All their arguments about how our fundamental lives in America need to change. About how we need to get rid of this inconvenience called democracy.
Michelle Fischbach should have answered my communication to her office about this. Because I really want to know. I'd be willing to go out of my way to understand. I'd like to assume this elected congressperson has a fair amount of intelligence. Maybe more intelligence than me. I'm just a person who was forced into retirement in the newspaper business.
So I actually rely on some entitlements of the kind that the MAGA movement now actually wants to wipe out. People like Mike Lee get "caught" saying that Social Security must be eliminated. Then when put on the defensive, these people have the standard line of "I was quoted out of context."
That can be a hard line to rebut. But I truly want to listen to these people. This is for no other reason than I think there's a good chance they will march into power like never before. And then we will see if they were truly "quoted out of context." Really, do you trust them on that?
Trust can be a nice thing. But these are people who can wield a considerable amount of power. They are in the news with their pronouncements daily. Like the Montana U.S. Senate candidate who believes our health care system must be "totally privatized." I am willing to listen. And it is true that whenever the government gets involved in anything, costs steadily go up. Have you heard the old libertarian warrior Ron Paul talk about how much college cost for him? My late father could have told the same story.
Was it necessary to eventually see such a night-and-day difference in higher ed expense? Maybe yes. I will repeat that I am always willing to listen. I would have read a response from Congressperson Fischbach quite respectfully if I had gotten one. Try me, seriously.
So how, if the 2020 election results were not to be certified, would the proper remedial action have been done? Did Fischbach and others like her have a real suggested plan for how the alleged "voting irregularities" would have been probed?
You probably all know that Republicans always talk about "voting irregularities." And of course, none of us want to see true irregularities. Is the perfect the enemy of the good? Or do the nation's new self-styled "conservatives" just want to seize power under the mere guise of being fair and legitimate? We have to pay attention to this element in American society now - MAGA - because it is at least flirting with full power.
If I try to quote some of the things that Trump says, many of my friends or former friends - yes there are several with the latter - just diss me like I might be a crazy uncle in the family. But aren't the warning signs truly out there, warning signs that point to a true autocracy if MAGA really gets the decisive foothold? If all those angry people like Stephen Miller, Mike Flynn et al. really get power?
Because, I believe the chances of this happening are pretty good, and would we acquiesce out here in rural western Minnesota in a big way?
People have been building their "fort" of sorts through their churches. They deduce that religion is their primary purpose in this, would cite it in connection with their favored national abortion ban. MAGA people who have family members with issues or complications with pregnancy are actually known to want an about face on this. But they have no choice but to publicly preach on all the pro-life stuff. The messy reality of real life just gets in the way sometimes.
And I thought "conservatives" were the ones accusing their opponents of not living in the real world. But is it acceptable for me to keep trying to counter these people? Do I need to back off just for my own personal interests? There were people who wanted to resist Hitler in Germany. They stayed quiet because they just wanted to stay alive.
I know of older guys at a Morris restaurant who'd flip out at the mere mention of "Kamala." Why? She is an incredibly bright person. I should say "bright woman." Maybe the woman part bothers those guys as much as anything.
These older guys probably have their lives made more comfortable by Democratic Party policies. They would recoil at the thought. These MAGA people just want to retreat back to their churches. They care nothing about what Christ said on his "Sermon on the Mount." Yes, they'll reject Christ himself.
Am I a "liberal?" I have truly mixed thoughts on that. The terms liberal and conservative obviously lack an element of sharpness. Each one is simply "fighting words" for those in the other "camp." There was an endearing time in America when we may have had two camps but both had the best interests of America in mind. They just had different ideas on how to get there.
Remember Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan? Chris Matthews waxes nostalgically. But that was then - we are not living in the past, must eschew any such thoughts.
Why do I bring it up? Good question. Why do I want to ask Michelle Fischbach a question or two? Why can't she just answer? I mean, tell me how the "voting irregularities" were truly going to be pursued? A panel of lawyer-types with their suits and ties and their "billable hours?" Do you realize how long that would take? So the inauguration would be postponed. Shall I assume that Trump would just remain in office, in power? Wouldn't that be a fair assumption?
And now we learn through news revelations that Trump was not going to leave office "no matter what." Those were his plans, his thinking, reinforced of course by all of his lackeys/acolytes. And it's those people who would be ensconced in power more than ever if Trump comes back. He has a foothold with our greatly corrupted U.S. Supreme Court with its three Trump-appointed members. I think Clarence Thomas should just go and put on a KKK robe.
Merely my opinion, so maybe the Trump enforcers will eventually come and get me, send me somewhere.
Shall we pray to God about this? Would it be the same God that MAGA claims to recognize in its churches that dot the landscape? Or is the true God of the MAGA movement Trump himself?
Like I have repeatedly said to my Apostolic Church friends of the Morris area, "beware false prophets." It is probably in vain.
Yes I am liberal but I think we need to show some mercy with Derek Chauvin.
-Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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