The Witness Chronicles, July 21, 2024

Trump as the front man for fascism

Photo by rob walsh on Unsplash

This is a reader supported newsletter. Please consider helping out by upgrading to a paid subscription or donating a small amount through Buy Me A Coffee, a site for small financial contributions. Thanks, ME

Trump is Being Used and He is Too Vain To See It

Stuck in a loop while those around him plot destruction

The GOP convention made one thing very obvious: Trump is nothing more than a stooge for the far right Project 25 planners, a performer whose lies and verbal antics keep the MAGA nuts entertained while the Heritage people and others plan what is essentially a coup.

They tried in 2020, failed and got caught. But they have had four years to plan and now they feel no need to even hide their takeover of the government. They have already corrupted the Supreme Court majority, bribing judges Thomas and Alito, who were already involved in insurrection efforts. The results are terrifying and they are just getting started.

Normally this would all sound like another conspiracy theory except we are seeing the reality of it. The court declared Trump, if elected, would be above the law for ‘official’ acts, which they failed to define. Who performs official acts? The President of course. But who plans them in detail? His advisors, especially in Trump’s case, where we know he is incapable of handling anything complex.

And now if they get into office they will have carte blanche to do anything they want, have Trump rubber stamp it, and they will be free of any oversight, forever.

If that does not constitute a coup, I don’t know what does.

This is entirely made possible by Trump’s inexhaustible need for attention of any kind. He doesn’t care about their plans as long as he gets to bask in the glory of an imperial Presidency, surrounded by adoring fans and sycophants catering to his every need.

A narcissist's dream if they ever was one. And the far right has learned to use that need to achieve their goals of an autocratic state.

Trump is no Hitler, but his aides and enablers are the Speers and Goebbels of his regime and Trump as a figurehead is all they need. His ego and limited attention span keep him from seeing any of this because it serves their purposes.

It’s a strange and frightening turn in American politics, a kind of perfect storm for would be fascists. With the Democrats paralyzed over Biden, we have seen a month of campaigning against this outrage, lost forever. The voters see a party in disarray running about squabbling amongst themselves while Biden dithers on doing the right thing.

Dithering is another sign of aging and the perception of aging is now widespread across the political spectrum. The right successfully laid the groundwork for this by focusing entirely and relentlessly on the topic.

This and the attempted assassination of Trump by a young loner provided an unbelievable boost to the entire operation, just before the convention. Trump survived, was declared a favorite of God, though why God would save him and take the life of a man protecting his family is beyond me.

Note that no one is mentioning that. Having Trump anointed by God is an unexpected but welcome addition to the canon of his impending sainthood. A legend in the making, the making of a group of truly evil people.

The convention was a true circus with today’s gladiators from fake wrestling taking prime spots before Trump went on and lied incessantly in the longest acceptance speech in our history, if you can call a disjointed rant a speech.

This is where we somehow find ourselves as a nation, to our collective shame. And no one seems to care or we are too paralyzed by dread to cope with it. Including the Democratic Party under Biden, who could turn this around by stepping away and doing what the right fears the most, choosing a younger and savvy successor.

As dramatic as it sounds, it may be the only way we can save the Republic and our Democracy and it has to happen now. No more waffling. Each day makes this situation worse and plays directly into the plans of the far right.

~ I write The Grasshopper, an occasional letter on the creative life and it’s sister, mostly daily publication The Witness Chronicles, a place for my articles on politics and climate. They share a free and paid subscription. I don’t paywall any content in these, however this is how I live and I strongly believe all writers and creatives should get paid, if we provide value. Your support with a paid subscription helps make that happen.

If you want to show support but don’t want to commit to a subscription, you can always buy me a coffee!

Believe me, it makes my day. M