If It Quacks Like a Duck...
19/12/23 08:44
December 19, 2023 (Vol. 17 No. 52) - During this past weekend, there were two troubling events that caused me concerned about the direction of the American nation. There were reports of bomb threats made against synagogues and other Jewish establishments from across the country. It appears as if there is a growing wave of anti-semitism in this country, recently heightened by the tragic Israel-Hamas War in Gaza. Of course, anyone who has studied American history knows that anti-semitism and Jewish scapegoating has never been far beneath the surface of our body politic. At the same time, the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination has repeatedly used racist campaign rhetoric that closely parallels the language spouted by Adolf Hitler in Mein Kampf. The Orange One also has praised the leadership styles of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un. It is hardly a coincidence that this uptick in anti-Jewish activity is a result of his constant empowering of those "very fine people" who goose-stepped through the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia, carrying tiki torches in 2017. Not only have few Republicans rejected his neo-facist language, many prominent members of his party have defended it. They say the language is campaign hyperbole and purely coincidental. Really? We have known for years that this amoral oligarch has kept a book of Hitler's speeches at his bedside for years. Just as disturbing is news that recent polls have shown that most Republican voters in the early caucus state of Iowa agree with his twisted sentiments. I guess these good self-proclaimed patriotic Americans have forgotten the values that their fathers and grandfathers fought and died for in the last century. On top of this, we are faced with a Republican House of Representatives that is totally dysfunctional and willing to undermine our national security in order to score meaningless political points. They are not interested in "fixing" the immigration problem. They are more interested in scapegoating immigrants for political gain. In order to impose Draconian measures against those seeking refuge in this country, the members of the Grand Old Politburo are willing to give aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States by denying funding to trusted allies. Screw Israel and Ukraine. And does anyone believe that the defeated and often-indicted former president is kidding when he speaks about "retribution" and being a "dictator for a day?" For those who say that we shouldn't take the Nazi-like utterances of the Cowardly Liar seriously, I say this: If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle. (Photo courtesy of Intelligencer.)