It may not be fair, but each day I am becoming more firm in my belief the leadership of the Democratic Party and Main Stream Media are perfectly happy with the status quo. They are on top and will remain on top even if the Republicans retake Congress in 2022.
Why do I say the status quo seems to be perfectly fine for our elected officials?
Because they do not seem to be leading with any urgency in saving our democracy. They have passed bills in which funds are being spent on things such as Covid financial relief and infrastructure. As a whole though, they have passed nothing of real substance to save democracy or human rights.
I say this because Speaker Pelosi has not mandated the Insurrection Investigation committee hearings be made public. Nor has she directed the committee to use its Inherent Contempt power provided by the Constitution. Nor has she released any of the data or evidence they have collected. Nor has she decided to strip Brobert of her committees. Nor has she moved to expel the House members who participated in the Insurrection. Nor has she played hardball with those witnesses whom she continues to allow to hem and haw, and slow walk, their appearance before the Insurrection Investigation committee.
I say because Majority Leader Schumer is not leading the Senate in ensuring another insurrection doesn’t occur nor stopping voting rights from being stripped away across our great nation. Nor has he leaned hard enough on Sinema or Manchin. Nor has he worked well across the aisle in bringing any Republicans to bypass the filibuster for voting rights. Nor has he worked hard enough to at least make anyone wanting to filibuster to speak their piece and then allow for voting to take place.
I say this because President Biden is not pressuring Congress to pass a voting rights bill. Nor is he on all media outlets every single day exposing the hypocrisy of the Republican Party and voting rights. Nor has he used the bully pulpit well in exposing the danger of the Fascism on the rise across our nation. Nor has he spoken with any urgency in the need to have the Insurrection Committee televise the hearings so the American people can see that action is taking place and to hear all of the testimony being given. Nor has he pressured the FCC to revoke the airing rights to Fox News. Nor has he fired DeJoy who singlehandedly, with decisions made within the Postal Service hindered voting across the nation.
I say this because Main Stream Media (MSM) refuses to state the obvious in plain English for the American people. Nor has it called what is happening with the Fascists on the rise. Nor has it written headlines that truly state what is happening. Nor has it plainly called out the lies being told by the Republican Party. Nor is it writing about the great things that have been happening. Nor has it refused to stop airing people still spreading the Big Lie. Nor has it stopped giving a platform for those moving us towards authoritarian rule.
All of us should be worrying, and worrying greatly right now. We, as much as most refuse to see what is right before their eyes, are marching down the same path as Germany did when the Nazi’s attempted a first coup and failed. We refuse to acknowledge how we have people running for high offices silently as Fascists, seemingly forgetting how the Nazi’s came into power as elected officials. We refuse to see how the Republicans have created a huge media propaganda machine spreading lies and distortions. We refuse to acknowledge that having people walking down the street, in front of government buildings, and inside government buildings as a sad state of affairs, and one that if coordinated, these armed people could overthrow state governments, just as they attempted, and almost succeeded at the Capitol Building on January 6.
Half of us seem to be in a malaise that our country can’t fall into authoritarianism while the other half seem to be embracing it, and welcoming it, thinking somehow they will escape the consequences because they are either white, straight, Christian, or rich. Rule of the majority by the minority never really ends well for anyone. Well, unless you are rich and part of the upper echelon of the authoritarian government. Usually those people end of fine; that doesn’t include most of us.
We hold the power, by pressuring our elected officials, by calling out the lies, and by voting overwhelmingly in the next election for democracy.
We hold the power, and always have. Maybe it is time to use it!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 