Everyday we hear politicians, reporters, columnists, pundits, and others providing statements or talking points. Rarely do they actually say the words that are truly needed to convey what is occurring here in the United States and abroad. Each of these groups beat around the bush or use nice alternatives rather than just being authentic, being real, and being honest in their words.
Think about what is happening right now.
People are up in arms that the words Nazi and fascism are starting to be used to describe actions by the Republican White House, Congress, and Supreme Court at the Federal level, and what is occurring in some States. They protest for one of two reasons: 1) They know it to be true, but want to deny it as hard and long as possible; or 2) They don’t know the meaning of the word Nazi and fascism and their history.
In history, Nazi literally means to belong to Hitler’s National Socialism party, which is a form of fascism. In modern times, to be a Nazi generally means one is a believer in a master race, that a small specific group of people are superior to all others, therefore all others are subjects to be dominated, and in extreme cases, exterminated. The language being used by the Republicans to describe anyone not white, not straight, not Christian, and implicitly not male, is the language of a Nazi. In the United States, those people right now are a high number of elected Republicans across the country.
Fascism, simply put, is when there is a dictator who has the power to decide who lives and who dies, who has a voice and who doesn’t, who can own a company and who can’t, who has a place to live and who doesn’t, who has rights and who doesn’t, and, well, you get the picture. Fascism can look like democracy because it doesn’t mean there are no States or Governors, no Congress or Courts, no media or entertainment; and remember, in most cases it isn’t abrupt or violent—its like making a roast in a slow cooker, takes a while to get done but it was roasting all along. All of those exist in a Fascist society—they existed in Germany under Hitler. A government exists, but exists at the pleasure of the person at the top. In the United States, that person currently is Donald Trump.
At a lesser level right now, but not necessarily less important and actually tied to the above are two words—war crimes. The media, both main stream and independent, keep calling what occurred with the two men who’s boat was bombed a second time a war crime. It is being reported that Hegseth stated to kill them all, which caused the second bombing to occur about 41-minutes after the first strike, while these innocent men as they’ve not been to court to prove otherwise, tried to survive and were asking for help. Since Congress has not approved an Act of War against their home country of Venezuela, these are not war crimes, it is just plain murder because someone acted as their judge, jury, and executor outside the court system. Stop calling it a war crime, and the other bombings war crimes. For all practical purposes, they are murders plain and simple.
Although there are many other examples, this will be the last one today. The main stream media and pollsters keep asking questions through interviews or polls about the possibility of Trump running for president for a third term. Stop asking this question because to run a third time is unconstitutional. It shouldn’t even be a discussion point, and if it is being discussed, then it should be clearly stated it is not possible due to the Constitution.
Every time a politician, the media, a pollster, even ourselves, are discussing politics or actually anything, we should always take care of the words we use. Words matter. Language matters. Context matters. Truth matters. Most importantly, facts matter.
It’s time we start acting like it.
No more of this beating around the bush, just say it.
The more honest, and blunt, we are, the more what is happening is called out.
The more it is called out, the more people will listen.
The more people listen, the more they will act.
The more they act just might yet mean we can bring democracy back.
I’ve often said we all need to be involved in saving democracy in the ways which fit our lives and our comfort levels. These can be blogging, reposting on social media, calling your elected officials, letters to the editor, donating to organizations, and/or marching in the streets. Nothing is too little or too much. Here are some ways to get involved whether from the comfort of your own homes, or on the streets, over the next few weeks:
- Sign up for General Strike and commit to participating.
- Download the app Five Calls to help let your elected officials know you are paying attention and don’t approve. Website: https://5calls.org/
- Join a local group of Indivisible.
- Participate in the action items of 50501: 50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Movement.
- Continue to boycott companies who have bent the knee or no longer believe in equality. Don’t buy from national chains or companies, such as Target, Amazon, Tesla, Walmart, Apple, Disney and any others who are bending the knee and capitulating to authoritarianism and the billionaire class.
- Write letters to your local papers expressing your disappointment and tell your stories of how the Republican administration is harming our families.
- Do something, anything, peaceful to fight back!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 