Cowards

As I told CRH recently, his post from the first week of April really sums up everything you could conceivably write about with respect to the Republicans; hell, CRH himself could barely get beyond the title. However, it is important to keep writing, to keep pointing at all of this shit if only to say "WTF America" over and over and over again.

For example we need to keep hammering at the fact that Congress and, secondarily, the Supreme Court can stop this at any time. Senator Murkowski's fears are certainly well-founded but she has to recognize that her oath as a Senator requires her to step up and, additionally, her party's role in bringing us to this point makes her personally complicit every day she remains silent (in the "performance of duties as a Senator" sense). Yes, Schumer is an idiot and there are things Democrats can be doing better to slow our descent - for one, we are NOT going to triangulate our way out of this - but the GOP is at the controls and it is on them to act. The fact that a handful - that's all it would take - of Senators and Representatives cannot rouse themselves to act is absolutely damning.

We also need to point - literally as well as figuratively - at those in the law enforcement community who execute the (unlawful) orders wearing masks but no badges, driving around in unmarked cars and snatching US citizens off the streets, out of schools etc. Incidentally you could see this coming in the 1990s when the militarization of the police really took off. A Democrat in the Oval Office is always preferable (with, I grant you, the possible exception of George HW Bush) but Clinton gave a bit too much fertilizer to the seeds of fascism in this country, knuckling under to that paragon of rectitude Newton Leroy Gingrich.

Finally, for today at least, we need to look at ourselves in the mirror. I can tell you that I am scared, though perhaps not quite at General Catburd's level. I know, or know someone who does, at least one of every kind of person/group/etc. currently targeted by the Republicans. I know people who are working actively and enthusiastically to either help the Republican project directly or improve the conditions for its success. And here's the thing: WE ALL DO.

My selfish fear is that I am going to have to Do Something but I don't know what, when or how. Worse is the Whether.