Barely Clinging to Life, the American Republic Celebrates Its 238th Birthday

When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.

– A quote wrongly attributed to Sinclair Lewis

Note that this quote, which has been cited in these pages in another context, sets up the arrival of fascism as certain — not “if” but “when” fascism comes. As the United States marks its 238th birthday, that “when” appears to be imminent. The country is under assault from an enemy within, a hodgepodge insurgency of neo-Confederates, Christo-fascists and Ayn Randian anarchists funded and driven by soulless oligarchs who will not stop until the American dream is dead and this once great nation has become a Third World country.

The “when” in the fascism quote may be as soon as the midterm elections in November, when the insurgency seems all but certain to take over the U.S. Senate while also tightening its grip on the House. Once elected, the anarchist majority in Congress will resume with renewed vigor its ongoing campaign to demolish every aspect of the United States government that does not benefit its wealthy sponsors and corporate masters.

The insurgents will distract the hapless Fourth Estate from covering its sacking of the capitol by holding endless show-trial committee hearings in both chambers in which portentous allegations mask empty charges, all of which will be in service to their ultimate goal — the spectacle of the impeachment of America’s first African-American president.

This sounds dire because it is. The best hope — the only hope — we have for defeating the right-wing march to theo-fascism is that those among us whose rights are most at stake — the middle class and poor, women and minorities — will vote this November. That’s a risky hope to pin our fortunes on, however, because these voters also tend to be the most disengaged.

Let’s hope America’s shaky ideals can withstand this assault from within and that the republic will be standing when the Fourth of July comes around again.

So Happy Birthday, America … And many more.

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5 thoughts on “Barely Clinging to Life, the American Republic Celebrates Its 238th Birthday”

  1. There is absolutely no way Obama can achieve anything, or we as a country can prosper, until we get Congress back. As long as the House is filled with anti-government ideologues, we are screwed. I don’t think a midterm election has ever been this important.

  2. Absolutely! EVERY American needs to vote…at EVERY election. How dare we wave a flag on the 4th of July while ignoring the men & women who died trying to forge a new idea all those years ago….and the ones who have died or been wounded to keep it intact? This country will fall unless its citizens use the one freedom left–the right to VOTE!

  3. While the 2014 election is critical, the results are in doubt. I believe the Democrats will hold onto the Senate but Republicans will make small gains in the House. The biggest problem is that voter turnout in midterms is always lower than in presidential elections.

    Regardless of the outcome in 2014, a good showing by the Democratic Party will only slow the final destruction of the Republic.

  4. The insurgents will distract the hapless Fourth Estate

    Heck, that’s far to kind to our media whores. They are corrupt, complicit, and in the tank.

    That’s a risky hope to pin our fortunes on, however, because these voters also tend to be the most disengaged.

    I hate seeing the least well off in our society get the blame.

    What happened to the 50 State Strategy? How come this 2014 election will once again feature Rahm Emanuels “run the most right-wing Dems you can find in red states” strategy? (Currently being operated by Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Steve Israel.)

    Do you think our President rousing the Democratic base by trying to pass the TPP and the TISA?
    ~

  5. This is not a troll question!!

    As we now use computers almost universally in the USA for voting, do you honestly think that your vote matters?

    I can write computer programs and know how easy it would be to skew the results to show whatever I want them to show and still make you think that your vote was registered exactly as you wanted.

    The people who actually run the USA now are in control and the winners of the elections will be determined by them.

    I’ve given up hope. The only way the USA and the rest of the Western World will ever return to it’s former self is with a Russian or French style revolution.

    BTW, I’m 75 years old and have spent over 36 years of my life living, working and traveling all over this Planet.

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