First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Martin Niemöller
Please read my disclaimer
Watching the Rachel Maddow show on YouTube , the poem above popped into my head.
I have been avidly watching the whole trump thing in America, but watching it like a soap opera. I found it ridiculous and incredulous, like all the best soap operas are. It is a breathless ride of twists and turns, scripted far better than any writer would dare commit to paper. They wouldn’t dare because they know that it would be immediately rejected as too implausible, even for fiction.
But with this last spate of dismissals, the latest tirade of tweets and the just plain weird way the orange guy is behaving, (“…the oranges of the investigation…”) I feel like I’m watching a Jordan Peele movie and the whole thing has taken a distinctly dark turn. My spidey sense is telling me that the “shit’s just about to get real”.
Put aside all the tantrum-y, teenage acting out bullshit of Trump. Consider what has been going on behind the theatrics.
And no, I don’t mean Mueller, that is one of the biggest distractions.
Consider what has been happening to the American society/government/political infrastructure.
The media has been discredited, the intelligence services – discredited, the Law, abused.
It seems like American society is being primed for authoritarianism.
The acquiescent Senate provided an easy way to load the judicial process with presidential sycophants/political allies from the lowest level judicial appointments to the highest court in the land. I bet if you did your homework, there would be a well-greased path from initial lawsuit through to the Supreme Court, to allow the Trump administration to act with impunity.
The Republican Party have watched their entire culture be destroyed in front of them without push-back because they know,
Presidents come and go, Judges last a lifetime.
They are determined to enshrine all of their narrow-minded, greedy and prejudiced views in law. They are willing to turn a blind eye to the morally bankrupt shenanigans of the Executive Branch. They really don’t care that in doing so, they are showing their true colours, showing that
it never was about Christian values and fiscal responsibility.
They do not respect the rule of law and they were never the great respecters of people who serve their country.
It was only ever about power and money.
The repression of civil rights, tax cuts and quid pro quos.
They don’t mind that people are beginning to see that the emperor has no clothes, because by the time that everyone finally sees him standing there naked, when the laughter subsides, they will all realise that it’s absolutely too late to do anything about it.
The Dementor-in-Chief will have enough legal power to do whatever the hell he liked.
This brings me nicely back to the poem at the beginning.
I studied German history. I am also lucky to be a German speaker and was able to examine sources and material in the original language. As a student, I was a teeny bit obsessed with the origins of the Third Reich. I kept wondering, how the people could just let it happen? After university, I spent years living in Germany; I know how caring and compassionate they are. I couldn’t get my head around the horror of what I’d studied and the compassion and social responsibility that surrounded me.
Maybe it’s this that leads me to believe that no-one let the Third Reich happen, they just didn’t realise what was happening – through a slow erosion of societal norms and rising levels of fear and resentment – until it was too late and they just gave up when they realised there was nothing they could do. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe modern Germany is the way it is, because they acknowledge their national shame and never want to feel such shame again.
Maybe I’ve forgotten most of what I studied all those years ago (I’m older than I look 😃) But, everything that has happened since 2015 has had a weird familiarity for me. I’ve had an almost five year long feeling of weird-déjà vu. Weird because it’s reminding me of a dream or an old black and white movie plot that I watched in my ‘let’s discover old films’ phase.
It’s almost as if we are watching a movie star’s vanity project, think The Postman, Swept Away and Glitter* or a sleazy, low budget re-boot made by someone who hasn’t actually seen the original and doesn’t know how it ended**. Someone who has only heard people talking about the original and decides he wants in, but is too lazy to actually watch the film itself.
It’s been brought up to date, new enemies and new storyline, but the overall theme is the same.
He hires the cheapest writer, the most pliable crew, gets a few minor stars and they start production.
I honestly don’t think that MaDonnie really cares what’s going on behind him as long as he can make masses of money, indulge all his power fantasies and remain firmly the centre of attention AT ALL TIMES. He will literally do or say anything to do the latter.
And that’s what those dismantling all the citizen protections against despotism behind the scenes are banking on.
The fact that as long as they have the Donald puppet doing his dance in front of the cameras, they can work in the shadows.
So.
Those of you who are fervently applauding The Don-Don.
Those repeating his slogans.
Those who admire him and want to be like him.
Beware.
In situations like these, if you remember history, the only ones safe or unaffected are those who are related to or bear the closest resemblance to how the authoritarian leader sees himself.
Ask yourself,
Are you a relative of Tiny-hand Donnie?
Are you white?
Are you male?
Are you a billionaire?**
Do you currently run an oppressive regime?
If not, you’d do well to heed the words of the poem.
#makingthechange 