FLAIT

I've been very angry since this "president" was "elected." And as someone who doesn't like politicians to begin with, and despises lies, spin, dishonesty and corruption from any elected official, watching the news the last three plus years has been infuriating to say the least. And even though I saw this coming, it gets worse every day. It truly has been a nightmare inside nightmare inside a nightmare...Inside a coronavirus pandemic nightmare that Trump made worse...

But it begins with the Republican "Party." I put quotes around party because the GOP is not political party at all. As I've proven in this blog, Republicans are Fascists, sociopaths and political terrorists who leave nothing but a scorched Earth behind them (and as far as the environment is concerned, I mean that literally). But that's not even the scary part.

The GOP created a massive cult well before Trump arrived. And since taking office, he's emboldened it and made it even bigger, stronger and more powerful. And that allows him and Republicans to get away with their lies, hypocrisy, corruption and destruction because the members of this cult — 40% of the country — are so mindless, so gullible, so brainwashed and so stupid, they believe whatever they're told by Trump and the cult's leaders, no questions asked. Therefore, without them, there wouldn't have been a "President" Trump because there wouldn't have been a Republican Party; at least as it's constituted today. The members of this cult - their mindlessness, gullibility, paranoia and stupidity over the decades - allowed this "party" to become what it is. And that's the scary part.

All the hate, lies, propaganda and incessant attacks that Trump and this cult spew are designed to keep the "believers" and Trump voters in a perpetual state of rage at anyone and everyone not Trump and the Republicans. This not only diverts attention from their lies, corruption, criminality and historically disastrous record, but it doesn't allow the "believers" the chance to wise up and leave the cult, fat chance as it is. And that's Trump's and the Republican's biggest fear. Because, again, without the members of the cult, there is no "President" Trump, no cult, and therefore, no Republican "Party."

So to keep the "believers" in a perpetual state of rage, "President" Trump, the GOP and the right-wing propaganda machine are constantly on the attack. Their usual targets are Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, government, environmentalists, Hollywood, France, Iran, the UN, science and scientists, and the old stand-by, the so-called "liberal media," who right-wingers have been told to hate for decades. But the enemy of the hour is also whoever it needs to be, such as Ambassador Marie Yovanovitz, a teen-aged climate change activist, or Dr. Blasey Ford. Anyone who has the nerve to say something they do not like and proves them wrong. Trump, Republicans and their water carriers in media have to attack them to discredit them (and Trump admits it). Or else, what was said just might resonate with their voters. And they can not allow that to happen. Even the courts, prosecutors, judges, jurors, another Republican, a CDC official and a decorated soldier aren't off limits to their contemptuous vitriol. They must be discredited. That's the Republican's only priority. (March 25 insert: And now Dr. Fauci is the enemy. [April 2 insert: Now he needs increased security.] Proof that we're not just dealing with a cult here. It's a death cult. A death cult that insanely labels itself "pro-life." More proof is here and here. And remember, in 2009, Republicans conned their moronic supporters into believing that Obamacare had "death panels." So made up "death panels" are wrong. But real ones are OK as long as "pro-life" Republicans set them up.)

Mark Sumner of Daily Kos on GOP and right-wing attacks on the Ukraine scandal whistleblower and the Roger Stone jury who convicted him of seven counts of perjury:

But the IG whistleblower and Stone trial juror both represent something that Trump, and Fox (News), cannot stand: ordinary people trying to do the right thing, even in the face of pressure from the powerful. When that happens, Republicans spring into action. To attack. To threaten. To demean.

To underscore that there are no bounds, even in times of a global health crisis, Trump's biggest propaganda water carrier, Fox "News," told their viewers that the Democrats are hyping the coronavirus to hurt Trump and his re-election (which isn't necessary because he's been doing an excellent job of that all by himself). And White House Chief of Staff at the time, Mick Mulvaney, had nothing better to do during the crisis then attend a far right-wing convention where he (of course) attacked the media for hyping the virus to hurt Trump. And then the "president" himself got into the act by calling the virus "a new (Democratic) hoax." Sickening. And I'm not referring to the virus. I'm referring to the disgusting spin and playing politics with something that is literally a matter of life and death ("pro-life," Ha!). But again, priorities. They have to spin the blame for the virus - and the gross incompetence and total lack of preparedness - away from Trump.

Next thing you know, a Republican will say the virus was manufactured by Democrats and the Pope. Oh wait.

New York Times columnist, Paul Krugman:

So the Trumpian response to (the coronavirus) crisis is completely self-centered, entirely focused on making Trump look good rather than protecting America. If the facts don't make Trump look good, he and his allies attack the messengers, blaming the news media and the Democrats — while trying to prevent scientists from keeping us informed.

So if the virus stops in its tracks, it won't be a "hoax" and Trump will get the credit. If it doesn't, it'll be the Democrats' fault. So Trump and the Republicans are never to blame for anything. How convenient.

A week after calling it a "hoax," and the "hoax" spreading across the country, Trump blasted the Democrats and media again; proving that politics and spin are more important to this "president" than doing his job and dealing with a global health crisis responsibly. Hey, priorities.

And then, in a televised address, he had the nerve to call for "bipartisanship" even though he's been playing hard core partisan politics from the moment the virus started he walked into the White House. But hours later, attacks Democrats. And now, Trump is blaming Obama for the lack of test kits...for a virus that didn't exist when he was president. Of course he is.

Playing the role of victim of a "witch hunt" perpetuated by "lies" by the media and Democrats, and also blaming Democrats when things go wrong, predictably rallies Trump's supporters. That's the idea. And it works because we're dealing with a massive cult whose members have been trained to only believe what they're told by its leaders, no questions asked.

But Trump and Republican voters and "believers" have always enjoyed being whipped into a frenzy and enraged at those evil, "commie" pinko liberals who "hate America." They need it, like a drug. And since the cult's leaders instilled mass paranoia among the members, they get their "fix" by being incensed at their enemies who are "out to get us" because they're "taking our guns away" and hyping a virus to hurt Trump. So there's always a Democrat to revile or villain to attack. It's what they live for. It's overwhelming and dominates their politics, by design, because it leaves no space for holding Trump and the Republicans accountable, for anything. How convenient.

This is why the "believers" obsessively watch Fox "News, listen to conservative talk radio and read far right web sites. It's where manufactured Democratic scandals are hyped, and they learn of "alternative facts" and that "truth isn't truth." There's certainly no meaningful in-depth news reporting, intelligent discussion (Ha!) or honest debate - the GOP won't allow it. Because if there was, they'd be proven wrong. It's not like Republicans have legitimate ideas or have done anything worthwhile for the country (except ending the endless war in Afghanistan). It's strictly heaping servings of "red meat" where staunch right-wing bullies and "believers" get their marching orders and satisfy their pugnacious need of being outraged at Democrats or whoever the enemy of the hour is. Might as well pump the hate, lies, cynicism, propaganda and manufactured paranoia right into their arms.

So it's no wonder "President" Trump and the GOP have absolutely no interest in governing responsibly at all. They don't have to. Lies, hypocrisy, ridicule, attacks, conspiracy theories (also here, here, here, here, here and here [March 19 insert: and here]), propaganda, obstruction, nauseating spin, right-wing talking points and hard core partisanship is all they have to offer the American people. This is how they "govern."

And Trump has stocked his kakistocracy and autocratic administration (also here) by surrounding himself with inexperienced, unqualified and corrupt (also here) partisan hacks who now must first declare their loyalty to "Dear Leader." And if you don't toe the line to advance Trump's corruption, criminality and vindictiveness - even on issues of national security - you're labeled a "traitor" and purged from your government job. He's even putting together an "enemies list" - spearheaded by an extremely partisan Republican who happens to be the wife of an extremely conservative Supreme Court justice - of those who aren't loyal to him. Tax breaks are carved out for Trump's family. Pardons are available for his friends, if the price is right. A conspiracy of lies, corruption and criminality within the Oval Office, the Department of "Justice" (Ha!) and the highest reaches of our government, have become the norm as if we were a banana republic (oh wait). And when there's scandal and Trump's accused of breaking the law, it's all "bullshit" or "made up by Democrats" or "the media" who Trump literally points out to his voters as "the enemy of the people." And their predictable reaction is exactly what he needs to survive, politically. Who's the puppet?

Crimes are covered up by the administration and GOP, or spun by the massive right-wing propaganda machine. But we've gotten to the point where Trump and the White House aren't even trying to hide them anymore. They simply, and hypocritically, justify Trump's criminality by saying, the "president can do anything he wants" (gee, does that also apply to Democratic presidents?). And they get away with it because Trump and GOP voters, again, believe whatever they're told by the cult's leaders, no questions asked, and were brainwashed a long time ago and manipulated to automatically shrug off any news they don't like because it came from "Democrats" or "liberal media." They can't believe what they say, because if they did, then those evil, "commie" pinko liberals who "hate America" and "liberal media" would be right. And they can't admit that. It's a cult. And that isn't hyperbole or exaggeration. Here's proof. And during a pandemic, that extreme Republican-induced paranoia and radical cynicism literally puts everyone's lives at risk.

They've also been "conditioned" to contort themselves to somehow justify whatever Trump does because it's always OK if you're a Republican. Decorum, civility, bipartisanship, compromise, political moderation, adhering to the Constitution and "rule of law?" Pfft...that only applies to Democrats.

And when he needs to change the topic, all Trump has to do is assassinate a general from a country his voters don't like, or yank that leash he's tied to their noses by attacking the media, Obama, Hillary, Pelosi or whoever the enemy of the hour happens to be. Rinse. Repeat. Again, this is how Republicans "govern."

This cult has their members so well trained.

So if anyone hates America, the Constitution and the rule of law, it's Trump and the Republicans. And their voters because of their unconditional and unwavering support of them.

Laura Clawson of Daily Kos:

...yeah, all those claims Republicans made, against all the evidence, that Trump cared about corruption, and what does he do? Well, first, during his own impeachment trial, Trump stood side by side with a world leader charged with corruption to unveil a major foreign policy plan. Now he’s handing out pardons and sentence commutations to a corrupt politician, a corrupt former law enforcement official, a corrupt lobbyist, and a couple corrupt rich guys.

I'm old enough to remember Republicans running on "rule of law" and accusing Democrats of being soft of crime. Oh riiiiiiiiiiiiight. It's always OK if you're a Republican. Never mind.

And Trump doesn't care about national security (also here). He recently named a hyper-partisan Republican who has no experience within the intelligence community, and is an unregistered foreign agent, as acting Director of National intelligence. Of course he did; because Trump needed a hack to protect him. And his official nominee isn't much better, which was why his nomination last year was withdrawn before officially being nominated. Imagine the outrage on the right if Obama or Hillary was doing this with national security.

Trump's also violating the Emoluments Clause to the Constitution by profiting from the presidency. In fact, he's charging the secret service $650 a night to stay at his hotels. Imagine the outrage on the right if Sasha and Malia Obama set up a lemonade stand outside the White House gates. Republican voters would have been outraged and the GOP would have made a federal case out of it. Literally.

And he's not only profiting from his hotel in Washington, DC, but it's the place to go for lobbyists and insiders to get buy the "president's" attention. And that includes foreign governments as well.

But Trump and Republican voters do not care about any of this. Yes, if hypocrisy was dirt, Republicans, their voters, and Fox "News" would be the biggest mountains in the world. By far.

But Trump and the GOP don't even care about their voters because they insult their intelligence (or lack thereof) every single day by flat out lying to them. And with the help of Fox "News" and the conservative media, they've been doing it for decades. The media is not liberal. Obama (and Democrats) are not taking everyone's guns away (Obama didn't!). Climate change is not a hoax. Tax cuts do not bring in more revenue. Mexico is not paying for the wall. Coal and steel jobs are not coming back. American consumers, not the Chinese, are paying Trump's tariffs on imports. Trump did not pass "Veterans Choice" (Obama did). Trump has not "drained the swamp" (he turned it toxic!). Trump is not "only charging" the Secret Service "$50" for rooms at his hotels. Robert Meuller's investigation was not lies and a witch hunt perpetuated by Democrats. Trump's phone call to Ukrainian President Zelensky was not "perfect." And Trump and "pro-life" Republicans do not care about "pre-existing" conditions.

So Trump, the GOP, Fox "News" and right-wing media think their most loyal voters, supporters, viewers and listeners are mindless, gullible and stupid. But there's more.

The coronavirus is was not manufactured by Democrats, was not exaggerated by Democrats to hurt Trump, is not "just the flu," is not a "hoax" (corroborative links not necessary), and Google is not building a virus web site. But two days before telling his voters at a rally that the virus was "a new (Democratic) hoax," which they cheered, Trump put "Vice President" Pence in charge of it. And the day after, he announced the first death attributed to it. Huh? He said it was a hoax! And since Trump never lies or makes things up, it must be a hoax! So why put Pence in charge of a hoax? How can anyone die from a hoax?

So Trump thinks so much of his voters, that he not only lies to them, uses them, and manipulates them to serve his selfish political needs, even during a national health crisis, but also puts their health lives at risk with his rhetoric, ignorance and indifference. And that goes for Republicans too ("pro-life," Ha!). But Trump and the GOP get away with it because they know their voters are really, really really stupid.

To illustrate just how stupid Trump thinks his voters are - yes, there's plenty of examples - at his rallies last fall, he told them to "Read the transcript," as if it's proof he did nothing wrong when he spoke to President Zelensky. Of course, his voters cheered it. And they went even further by making T-shirts saying, "Read the transcript." But if these moronic voters actually read the transcript, they'd see he was extorting Zelensky. Again, Trump needs his voters to be this stupid to survive, politically.

Also, the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," was in everyone's interest, for a number of reasons, even for those who already had great health insurance. But I'm sure millions of Republican voters didn't have insurance prior to its enactment. Or if they did, were paying through the nose for it. Or were dealing with a pile of unpaid medical bills. And yet, Republicans, who have wonderful health insurance, paid for in part by GOP voters via their taxes, conned them into fiercely opposing it and rallying against it. Hey, that's what cults get you to do.

After its passage, "pro-life" Republicans tried to repeal the ACA over 70 times and are now trying to destroy it altogether via the Supreme Court - after November's election of course.

So Republican voters who were able to get health insurance through the Obamacare exchanges, could lose it. And those who have it through their employer, would lose its benefits. But Republicans won't lose their tax-payer funded health insurance.

And the ACA was working as intended, which even the Trump administration admits, at lower costs then expected, and saved over $2 trillion in health care costs. But Republicans couldn't allow their voters to know that. Hey, they have hard-core partisan politics to play. Again, priorities.

So Trump and the Republicans treat their most loyal voters and supporters like idiots and suckers. And in more ways than one because donations to Trump's campaign are going to his businesses and family. So Trump voters are either too stupid to know, or care, that he treats them like toilet paper.

There is an extremely dangerous, mentally ill man in the White House. I don't know why the 25th Amendment (Section 4) hasn't been invoked by now*. I'm serious (I'm sure if Trump was a Democrat, it would have, Republicans would have made sure of it). If Trump isn't the reason for Section 4 - and this and this aren't either - then what the hell is?! Donald Trump is extremely selfish and self-centered. He's an egomaniac and a megalomaniac. He's exponentially ignorant and incompetent. And making it worse is that he does not care about the country, or anyone, but himself. He's a sociopath, narcissist, pathological liar, exponential hypocrite, tax cheat and money-laundering underworld crook who has more in common with a mob boss than anyone else. He sells out his own country to make a buck. And just about everyone he's associated with, before and after becoming "president," is either corrupt, under investigation, indicted, a convicted felon or a mobster. He's also a racist, anti-Semite and white nationalist. And if that's not enough, he's a traitor (also here, here and here). But his voters do not care.

And he was impeached. But he's such a horror, it ranks far down on the list.

Trump does deserve a lot of credit in one area though: the chances of a terrorist attack against us have been minimized. There's no reason for terrorists to waste their time plotting attacks against us, and killing themselves in the process, because Trump's doing a much better job killing Americans and destroying the country than they could have ever imagined.

Hell of a job, Trump voters, hell of a job. Hey, at least you got your radically conservative (and grossly unqualified) judges put on the Supreme Court and courts all over the country. You must be proud. And what's scary, is that they really are.

When the Constitution was written, the fear was government having too much power over its citizens. That's why there's three co-equal branches of government, with checks and balances. However, I don't think it ever dawned on the Founders that a "president" and political "party" in power would not only be so ignorant and so incompetent, on purpose, and not only be deliberately and willfully destructive to the country and its citizens, and not only get away with it, but have the chance to get re-elected.

It's' very sad and disheartening to see what is happening to the country. Because the lies, the propaganda, the criminality, the abuse of power, the obstruction of justice, the mockery of the rule of law, the white nationalism, the hateful and incitful rallies, the swastika waved at a Bernie Sanders rally, the massive voter suppression, the blind obedience, the "enemies list," the concentration camps, the intimidation, threats and attacks against any resistance and non-conformance, the attacks and purging of whistleblowers and career government officials who have the nerve to speak out against Trump's criminality, the infiltration of Democratic campaigns and liberal groups that oppose Trump, state Republicans striping power from newly elected Democratic governors, Fascist groups ("Brownshirts") vandalizing Democratic offices and intimidating their supporters (and a Republican Congressmen threatening Joe Biden and Beto O'Rourke with an assault rifle, and Oregon Republicans threatening to shoot state troopers), and the growing right-wing militia movement that is using paranoia and manufactured conspiracy theories to instigate a civil war (and they're getting help from Russia), is what Nazi Germany and occupied Europe was like in the 1930s and 40s (without the arrests and executions). And we have 40% of the electorate that condones all of it, supports all of it, justifies all of it, and will vote for it, again.

This isn't hyperbole. I actually said as much 15 years ago, and again in 2010 and 2011. I knew I was right then, but I didn't think I'd be this right.

Last September I said that the 21st century version of Fascism has come to America. I'd say that "I shudder to think just how right I'll be proven to be this time," but I already was. We should all be terrified of a second Trump term. The harm to the country, and planet, would be worse than catastrophic and possibly irreversible (it's happening now with the coronavirus!). But perhaps we should be just as terrified, if not more so, of the massive Republican Cult that makes Trump and all this political terrorism and Fascism possible.


* Where the hell have the Democrats been on the coronavirus? Over the past five days, in regard to Trump's "response," I've heard House and Senate Democrats say, "It could have been better," "Disappointing," and "...late out of the box." Oh, is that all? This is a matter of life and death! And because of Trump's indifference, incompetence and mental illness, he's making it a lot worse! Where the hell is the anger from Democrats?! Where the hell is the outrage?!

And this also goes for Dr. Anthony Fauci too. In January, he should have sprinted into the White House with his "hair on fire" demanding that the "president" start putting a competent team together that would come up with a plan to shut the country down, and another that mobilized the federal government's resources to ensure that the states had the test kits, protective gear and ventilators that they will need. And if Trump didn't do that, then he should have gone on TV altering the country to the seriousness of the virus. Or at least alert the nation's governors behind the scenes. Whatever it took to start preparing. (March 24 insert: Trump knew in January how bad the virus was going to be and still did nothing about it because spin and protecting himself politically, and the economy, in that order, was more important. Hey Trump voters and cult members, you think Trump gives a crap about you?)

But this rant isn't about Dr. Fauci. It's about typical Democrats (also here, here, here, here and here), just sitting there, "disappointed," not even raising their voice, when there's barely any testing and this is already out of control.

They should have been calling screaming for someone in the White House to begin the process of invoking Section 4 weeks ago! Drastic? You bet. But we needed exponentially drastic measures taken to stop the spread of the virus weeks ago!

And I don't mean one Democrat in a tweet. I mean every Democrat that goes on TV. They have to call for this, with an angry tone to match.

Again, if Trump isn't the reason for Section 4, then under what circumstances would it be?

It won't do any good? Alright, then by all means, just sit there calmly and let Trump handle it. At least force the media to make it an issue!

Yes, I'm ticked off, and that's putting it mildly. So why aren't the Democrats? They afraid Trump won't give them the aid their states need? He's not giving it to them now!

When the history books are written on this pandemic, they're going to say that they couldn't believe that while Trump was making the virus much worse no one spoke up and did anything about it!

Note: I was going to add additional comments about the virus as an insert, but since there were so many, I made a separate post. It could be found here.