Wednesday, August 1, 2018

GOP silence propels Trump's reckless, dangerous vitriol

Why the November elections can't come quickly enough. 

Videos like this from Trump's mob-exciting, taxpayer-supported rally in Tampa Monday should worry anyone with a commitment to democracy and a sense of history.

But plenty of Republicans in Congress, in state houses and elsewhere will not say a contrary syllable for the worst or reasons - - fear of censure from base voters who will keep these officials safely ensconced in their gerrymandered, privileged positions of power only if they toe the Trump line 100%.
Donald Trump official portrait.jpg
From veterans like US Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who knows better, to the eager-beaver true believers like fellow US Rep. Sean Duffy - - who apparently knows little - - to the equally unworthy wannabe Wisconsin US Senate-hopeful ciphers out-creeping each other using fat-cat-funded attack ads for the right to further disgrace that institution, Trump will get their consent and backing through a careless, continuing silent bow.

A self-interested, shallow career politician like Scott Walker will walk away from his constitutional and democratic obligations to condemn the authoritarianism Ttump has let loose in the land faster that you can say 'It's Foxconn, stupid,' and busy himself with helping rightwing donors and greed-addicted special interests to an extra helping of whatever they want from the public treasury and portfolio - - like subsidies galore or park land for privately-owned golf course development.

And fresh water, along with clean air - - previously considered public assets protected with landmark legislation like the Clean Water and Clean Air acts which Trump is destroying and about which Walker might say, 'have you got your tax-free shopping spree I have provided for you planned out yet?'

While he lets government agencies and processes he controls make it easier for industrial-scale ag businesses to send manure and other contaminants into rivers and kitchen taps - - an easy-to-see-through window into the entire reason why special interests put puppets like Walker into office, and why the puppet show is perpetuated through dark money, gerrymandering and supportive righting media.

What Trump is doing is scary.

What Republicans in Wisconsin and elsewhere are doing to enable his demagoguery, and why, as they work in concert to strengthen their power, is sickeningly complicit.

History is going to hold them all accountable; let's hope that begins as fast as possible - - with a clean sweep in November.

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