studio1009

 Another article in the Feb 2025 issue of The Atlantic is "The New Rasputins, Anti-science mysticism is enabling autocracy around the globe" by Anne Applebaum.

She describes the New Oscurantism as a new political movement that promotes misinformation, fear, dark forces, charismatic leaders. She thinks it is no longer relevant to use the labels Left and Right because they often overlap in practice.

"When conspiracy theories and nonsense cures are widely accepted, the evidence-based concerts of guilt and criminality vanish quickly too."

The some of the president's appointees are former progressive Democrats and the Republicans don't follow the traditional Republican values. They are anti-vaccine, Putin apologists, Nazi-supporter, cult followers. Logic and reason do not apply. Nor does truth.

History is full of unqualified people gaining influence as political advisors and bringing ruin to the country. Russia, Romania, Hungary, and now the USA. She cites Rasputin and Helena Blavatsky in particular. She also mentions Elon Musk elsewhere.

I had heard of Rasputin, but didn't remember exactly why he was a bad guy. Time to study up.

If what the Felon-in-Chief is doing doesn't make sense, you are right. It isn't meant to.

Some more unfiltered thoughts about the current political situation.

I am still seething about the attack on the Capitol. Only a few people seem to realize that Trump sicced his goons on the Capitol to not only prevent the vote count but to kill Pence and others to opposed him. Why else would people be carrying guns and Zip ties and erecting gallows? Messages on social media support this conclusion as well.

I think this is the start of a civil war, though there had been skirmishes before (at the Michigan state house for one) If the Capitol invaders are not dealt with promptly and harshly, it will keep happening. All elected officials will have a target on them. All government buildings are potential targets.

The main problem is that this time it will be a guerilla war. There will be no fronts, no blue and grey. You can't tell who the enemy is. And they could be infiltrated in the institutions that are supposed to enforce and protect us against the terrorists and insurrectionists: the military, the police, the legislatures, and the courts. (Reports are that the invaders flashed police and military IDs on entry to the Capitol, and a Republican congresswoman messaged the location of Pelosi to her followers.) The same group who carried "Thin Blue Line" flags murders a police officer and badly beat others. So much for "Law and Order."

Make no mistake, this attack was perpetrated by white supremacists. The confederate battle flag in the Capitol shows that clearly. They were particularly abusive to the Black police. Spurred on by politicians betraying their oath to the constitution to curry favor with other white supremacists. They follow Trump because he hates the same people they do and has legitimized that hate. He has fed their belief that equality for POC and women some how infringing on their rights.

The good news is that Congress can still impeach Trump after he is out of office, thus depriving him of his security detail, pension, and travel allowance. He profited from lodging secret service agents at his properties and charged more than the customary government per diem. That needs to stop.

Democrats and Biden should not waste any effort trying to heal wounds or find a common ground, The Republicans never did when they were in power. There is no common ground with people who believe the lies about "the steal" and will kill people because of them. They need to first undo the most egregious things Trump did. COVID response, immigrant family separations, border wall, environment. Biden needs to clean house and appoint qualified people starting with the Pentagon and Justice Department.

Remember the people who demanded the racial justice demonstrators be shot. Yet, oddly, no police were killed in CHAD or BLM Plaza or by BLM protestors or Antifa. People who decried the property damage in Seattle and Minneapolis, but cheered the damage done to the historic Capitol building, the people's building.

Do not forget who the hypocrites were. If they want heal the divisions, it is up to them to admit their wrongs and suffer the consequences. Only then can healing begin.