Black is White, Down is Up, Wrong is Right; Lather-Rinse-Repeat

The Inverted World of modern-day America should not be confused with the 1974 British science fiction novel of the same name where nothing is as it seems. Ours is a modern reality promoted within the minds of the juggernaut fictional world of the MAGA people where no thought or concept is too bizarre for belief.

The proponents of this MAGA Republic are at one with their messiah, who is but a shiny bauble in their otherwise dreary existence. He is the gleaming glitter-finish bass boat that carries them through the Florin/Guilder Fire Swamp of mediocrity. He provides acceptance of their racist, xenophobic, and anti-Semitic underpinnings that dare not be spoken beyond winks, nods, and innuendo.

In this bizarro world, fiction becomes fact and lies become truth through repetition. Say it loud and say it often and it will become the new truth. History is only perception and can be willed into reality with the stroke of a pen or a tweet. These are the proudly under-educated who find acceptance and meaning within the mob mentality of the like-minded. They proudly wear their uniforms of American flag-themed t-shirts and red MAGA hats, colorful shorts, and carry the signs and flags of their cult.

A survey by CBS News conducted last year asked Republican voters who they trust most to tell them the truth and they overwhelmingly said Donald Trump (71%). Trump won this position of trust over family members, friends, and their clergy. That latter category of religious leaders came in at 42%. It is this fanatical following of their messianic leader that brings to mind the 914 Americans who drank the Jonestown Kool-Aid. Trump strikes such fear in so many mainstream Republicans that they follow his directions as if they were commandments from on high. For them, their very political survival is so fragile and tenuous, that they need this lunatic fringe to prevail.

Trump, like Jim Jones, Charles Manson, L. Ron Hubbard, David Koresh, and Marshall Applewhite before him, uses the us-vs.-them mentality to provide comfort and solace for his followers. None see the absurdity in following this amoral reality show star, doubling as their religious guide, along the path to righteousness. Half of them claim they didn’t know he had been convicted of sexual assault, not that such a “minor infraction” would change anything.

In another apparent contradiction, most of his followers would claim a nationalistic pride in this country as a world leader and beacon of freedom and democracy. They don’t seem to realize that his abandonment of NATO, allegiance to Vladimir Putin, and animosity toward our allies, have weakened our position in world affairs. Russia, China, and Iran are biding their time so they can take advantage of our newfound weakness. His moral compass is more of a windsock that changes direction as it suits his ego and financial investments.

As Bob Dylan wrote in 1964, The Times They Are A-Changin.’ Our news and information once came from radio, newsreels, newspapers, and later from broadcast television news all of which fact-checked and validated most of their offerings. This was deemed to be the Fourth Estate and referenced the power of the press to both report and frame political issues. Today, the Fifth Estate refers to the group of outlier viewpoints of unvetted political opinion which often promotes political views as facts. These are the bloggers and “journalists” publishing in non-mainstream outlets.

This new environment makes us vulnerable to dangerous falsehoods that may drive many to make decisions contrary to their own welfare. The motivations vary but the most dangerous among them attempt to invalidate our constitution while telling people that they are protecting our freedoms. Our feckless congressional leaders, without regard to party affiliation, have created a non-working environment that provides fodder for miscreants to promote their own agendas. These so-called leaders then become sycophants of authoritarian strongmen who will slowly destroy all that we hold dear.

I leave you with the third stanza of the previously mentioned Dylan song:

Come senators, congressmen

Please heed the call

Don't stand in the doorway

Don't block up the hall

For he that gets hurt

Will be he who has stalled

The battle outside ragin'

Will soon shake your windows

And rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin'

AS A DEMOCRAT I BELIEVE…

1. That if you are a Republican, some of our opinions may differ but I will treat you with respect and I hope you will do the same.

2. That if you are an Independent, you have probably made decisions that cause you to lean left or right in your opinions, but number one above applies to you as well.

3. That abortions are a medical matter that should be decided by a patient and her doctor and not some politician. Medical ethics and personal medical decisions should never be controlled by political mandates. That these decisions must value the life of the mother and policies and guidelines for abortions should be the premise of medical boards, not religions or political pundits. That this standard should be uniform for the entire nation as a right of all Americans and not some patchwork quilt of laws designed at the whim of local zealots.

4. That border security and immigration are such serious matters, immediate legislation is warranted, and that legislation should not be predicated on pushing other political agendas outside the scope of solving the border security and immigration problem. Such solutions should severely limit economic migration, humanely and quickly resolve asylum claims, and recognize that some immigration is necessary for the economic future of our country.

5. That responsible adults should be allowed to own such firearms as may be necessary for personal defense, hunting, and sport shooting, but that no individual needs a semi-automatic or fully automatic long gun for such purposes. That all firearms be kept away from those individuals who are incapable of making sane and rational decisions. That minors should only be allowed access to firearms under the supervision of responsible adults who accept responsibility for the actions of those minors.

6. That all individuals who believe our nation should abandon democracy and accept authoritarian rule should not read item one with any expectation that it applies to them.

7. That our constitution provides for freedom of religion and freedom from religion. That there never was any intent by our nation’s founders to favor Christianity as a national religion, or for that matter, any religion as more important than another. That, when religions become agents for political change or manage to provide financial wealth to select individuals beyond median income levels, they should be taxed as businesses. That, while religion may guide ethical decisions, religious doctrine should not be used as a legal foundation for the creation of our laws.

8. That, if you have found religion and it helps you to lead a good life, consider yourself lucky. That whatever that religion happens to be, it should value peace, love, and happiness for all above everything else. That no religion should be foisted upon someone else except by your own good example. That any religion that advocates violence as means to some end is no longer a religion and should not be protected as such.

9. That all political leaders and judges, both elected and appointed, should be limited to eight years in those positions. That all such individuals are mandated to provide full annual financial disclosure for themselves and immediate family members and be restricted from decision-making or policy decisions that might affect those investments. That no judge or government official or their immediate family members may accept any gift of value from anyone who might possibly benefit from their decisions. That money is not speech and that financial restrictions should be reinstated to help keep voting decisions for people and policy fair and equitable.

10. That capitalism is a good thing, but not the only thing. For capitalism to survive and flourish, the people within that capitalistic society must also flourish. That there must be some level of socialism to provide the necessary balance between the fortunate and the less fortunate. This does not advocate taking from the rich to give to the lazy, but it does advocate a system that fairly taxes all manner of wealth accumulation and not just wages. This fairness in taxation also applies to public and private corporations.

This list is representative of my feelings, but it should not be considered complete or fully comprehensive for these and other matters of concern. As with all such lists, your mileage may vary, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear, some settling of contents may have occurred during shipping, and use caution when driving or operating heavy machinery. As always, if you should be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This list will self-destruct in five seconds.