We are about to see whether changes to the culture–changes that most Americans have welcomed–can withstand a furious and focused effort to take the country back to the 1950s (if not before).
The federal government is in thrall to a racist maniac pandering to his base of White Christian Nationalists. His minions and his “co-President”–the unelected Elon Musk–have scrubbed federal websites of references to inclusion and fairness, to a variety of minorities and any mention of climate change. They have waged war on America’s humanitarian instincts–choosing to begin their war on the “deep state” by terminating programs that offer food and medical care to impoverished populations in other countries. People are already dying as a result.
The war on “DEI” is just new terminology for the persistent war on racial and gender equality–much like the nonsensical, hysterical assertions that primary schools were teaching Critical Race Theory (a complicated legal theory actually being explored in a few law schools). Facts–as usual–are irrelevant.
Here in Red Indiana, our GOP overlords (who owe their dominance to gerrymandering–aka cheating) have “settled” a lawsuit brought by forced birth organizations by agreeing to open abortion records–violating the privacy of women who have terminated pregnancies. The Governor’s budget proposal has axed monies for the Commission on Women and Martin University, the state’s only majority-Black institution of higher education, and proposes tax “reforms” meant to cripple the governments of (Blue) urban areas. The VA is eliminating its gender neutral bathrooms…the list goes on.
It is anyone’s guess what will happen to the United States as Musk’s young techno-nerds attack sensitive computer systems and Republicans in the House and Senate prove spineless. (Here in Indiana, Senator Jim Banks is a known Christian Nationalist/White Supremacist ignoramus, but Senator Todd Young is even worse, because he clearly knows better but lacks the moral fiber to be true to his oath of office.)
Numerous organizations and individuals have filed lawsuits challenging the illegality and unconstitutionality of the Trump-Musk assaults. Whether adverse rulings will deter the felon and the plutocrat is anyone’s guess.
The larger, longer-range question is: what will happen when the forces of bigotry and regression come into conflict with the widespread cultural changes that characterize today’s society?
In today’s United States, during the last two or three generations, women, people of color, gay folks and others have made enormous progress and assumed numerous roles once exclusively held by straight (or closeted gay) White Christian males. Young Americans are used to working and living with diverse companions. Over 70% of Americans tell pollsters they support same-sex marriage.
Americans have elected a Black President. Black and Jewish and gay celebrities have millions of fans.
It is, of course, precisely that cultural shift that has so enraged and terrified the MAGA bigots who elected Trump. Their fear and hatred makes them a cohesive movement, unlike the people who comprise what I am convinced is the majority–rational Americans of good will. The existence of a media ecosystem constantly pumping out White Christian Nationalist propaganda has been enormously consequential in shielding the members of the MAGA movement from information that might challenge their prejudices.
Worse, traditional media sources have been far too willing to “sane wash” and normalize very non-sane and non-normal behavior. As a result, massive numbers of Americans have remained unaware of the threat to our governing institutions and social progress. Americans who didn’t see a threat, didn’t recognize the danger, also didn’t bother to vote.
We are currently facing multiple, existential threats: to efforts to curb climate change, to the civic inclusion of women and minorities, to public health, to government programs that keep millions of Americans out of poverty and assist suffering people around the globe, and to national security. (The changes being made to national computer systems are likely to allow unfriendly foreign governments to hack into critical information.)
Even if a massive uprising by rational citizens brings a halt to the worst of what we are experiencing, America’s role in the world has taken an enormous hit. Trump’s clown car of bizarre and unqualified appointees, his fixation with tariffs, his ridiculous announcements that he wants to take over the Panama Canal, Greenland, and now Gaza, his unconscionable termination of humanitarian aid, his constant threats of war on (nonWhite) immigrants–all have dealt a serious, perhaps fatal blow to America’s global credibility.
There’s nothing sane people can do about that loss of stature–but we can and must rise up to protect the progress we’ve made toward realizing the American values our Founders bequeathed us. We sure can’t count on the Todd Youngs of the country to protect those values.
“In today’s United States, during the last two or three generations, women, people of color, gay folks and others have made enormous progress and assumed numerous roles once exclusively held by straight (or closeted gay) White Christian males. Young Americans are used to working and living with diverse companions. Over 70% of Americans tell pollsters they support same-sex marriage.”
To me, the above paragraph fits with a Facebook post this morning reminding us of changing values in the movie “Midnight Cowboy”, the only X rated movie to win the Academy Award for Best Movie. A line by Ratso, a frail, disabled street person in New York City, when barreled into on a city street spoke up, “I’m walkin’ here!”. The writeup about the movie referred to Ratso’s “defiant resilience” which is what it took for millions of Americans over decades of time and acceptance to make that “enormous progress”. We need to refight that battle which led to the Civil Rights Movement which has been obliterated by the current Republican party.
We are walkin’ here!!! Let’s grow a pair and keep on walkin’
Ya think that stopping this before it started should been the only priority?
What is happening, should never have been allowed. Yet, here we are, now what?
“Let no one seduce you in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called ‘god’ or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god. Do you not remember that, while I was yet with you, I used to tell you these things? 2nd Thessalonians 2nd chapter.”
As an entertainer who hogs headlines daily, Trump has created a new culture here and, like at least three generations of Trump men, has demonstrated that it is a fundamentally unsound one.
It caught on because red states, who are minority populations here, thought it was better because their culture three generations ago had not gone away but gone latent.
Our government, established only ten generations ago and renewed only seven generations ago, is partial to slavery. This has always been contrary to the liberal democratic basis of progress that was the central theme of the Constitution, which, ten generations ago, found that a compromise was necessary to birth an unstable alliance of the colonies.
Now, that’s been translated into corporate slavery, wherein workers are beholden to shareholders, who are the moral equivalent of plantation owners. The owners of the means of production hold in bondage those who create wealth through work, for which they receive a small stipend to live on.
Meanwhile, the wealthy gather in country clubs everywhere to recreate what South Carolinians used to call the chivalry, which means those entitled to lord over the rest of us.
What goes around comes around.
Thank you John Sorg; “What is happening, should never have been allowed. Yet, here we are, now what?”
Now what? for me is my feeling of being forced to do something I hate which for years has been part of my life…that is keeping up with the news throughout every day. It actually sickens me at time and has drastically effected my health and my thinking; I now must force myself not to hate and to keep up with the almost hourly attacks from evil forces claiming the name of Christ to destroy his words and their meaning. Jesus Christ was a Jew; born, raised and died a Jew; so why are Jews the most hated people and Christ claimed as the leader of the current evil? I have noticed that many newscasters refer to MR. Trump; that in itself is a form of respect he does not deserve.
“What goes around comes around.” But John, do we law abiding Americans have the strength, the faith and for many of us the TIME and the money to last the 4 years it will take for it to come around by following democracy, Rule of Law and the Constitution of the UNITED States of America? And I would have us not do it any other way!
Excellent essay today. Watching and wretching over the behaviors of the executive branch evokes the image of crazed children playing with matches in a garage full of gasoline cans. What could go wrong.
And today’s horror show in Washington is the direct result of decades of voter ignorance, stupidity and misguided self-service. In a functioning democracy, people vote their best interests. We haven’t done that for a very long time. Maybe we need this vomit-inducing regimen to wake us the f*** up to what it means to honor a democracy, those who actually fought and died to protect it and do rid ourselves of make-believe morons with severe mental diseases.
Maga movement’s grasp for authoritarian control is out of step with the ever-evolving cultural changes that are inevitable in an open/free society. You can’t fight “Mother Nature” and win. Magas hostile overreach is causing unnecessary turmoil, confusion and fear in the general population that needs an outlet. Trump and his sycophants are playing with a ferocious fire that they won’t be able to contain even with their old dominating authoritarian ways.
After reading much about the Kochs, they aspire to return to the first Gilded Age, or pre-FDR. FDR took way too much profit from the family business and turned the USA into a welfare state. The progress for others flies in the face of Ayn Rand’s objectivism. Ayn would call John Sorg, “a sucker” for having religious faith. It’s all about the individual – objectivism. What an excellent belief for greedy bastards and narcissists. 😉
Sheila forgot to mention Canada as our 51st state. However, it would be more than one state. It would add ten states (ten provinces), all deep blue states, destroying the current makeup of Congress and the Senate. Hell, we might finally get universal health care. Let Trumpolini keep pushing.
Watching USAID and NED get destroyed on X is rather satisfying, primarily because of all the nonprofits used to manipulate our media here and globally. Internews received half a billion dollars to manipulate the global press. They influenced all of Ukraine’s media (which was obvious) before the 2014 coup under Nuland. Of course, our entertainment media was trained by the same manipulators. It’s always been known that the CIA had/has implanted their people into news agencies across the globe and within the states. Boy, was this evident last Spring when the college students protested against genocide across the country. All of our entertainment media referred to them as “pro-Palestinians” or “pro-Hamas.” There are MAGATs in Congress who want to deport all those students.
By the way, Politico was receiving well over $1 million annually from the federal government for “Pro-Subscriptions.” Do you think that might be a conflict? 😉
Shit is hitting the fan, and I can’t keep up…
The anti-Semitism and pro-Christian executive orders have already been signed with no objection from our Hoosier representatives. I am sure Micah was bragging about Trump’s order in church yesterday. Can I get an amen?
One of your best, Sheila. Please stay safe. We need you.
I find it interesting, John, that you so often quote the Bible, which does have its moments of wisdom, but also was cobbled together, old and new, in an age of deep patriarchy, wherein the female half of the population was nothing but subservient, just the way the proponents of Project 25 want it to be.
Serious regression.
“I have noticed that many newscasters refer to MR. Trump.” They’re being too generous with MR. He has not earned the right to call himself President. In our house, we merely refer to him as trump or better yet Dump. It’s become natural to use such a description. He used to be called THE DONALD. How about THE DUMP.?
We just had THE cultural highlight to many Americans….”the Super Bowl is a startling example of a shared cultural experience. It checks so many boxes important to Americans: competitive sports, violence, rabid commercialism (the ads!), and the frenzied entertainment of the halftime show.
Up to the final whistle, online betting lures in millions more fans. Add in the frisson of sex — wardrobe malfunctions! — and you have the monoculture on steroids.”
Alex Beam – Boston Globe
Everything I have read in the news says that because of Trump’s power to pardon, there’s nothing that can be done to directly stop what he is doing. Dan Balz of the Post wrote an article about things that could still slow down Trump, and he mentioned the courts, but left out an important detail. Trump’s pardon power does not extend to civil cases, and all of these lawsuits are civil cases. Now that a District Court has ordered Musk out of the Treasury department, if he goes back in, the District Court could charge him with Contempt of Court and have him put in jail for at least 6 months. There is no bail for contempt of court, and because the Case before the court was civil not criminal, Trump could not pardon him to get him to get him out. Musk in prison for six months! Wouldn’t that be wonderful! I wrote the following letter to the post about this in response to Balz’s article article in the Washington Post
“As the Trump upheaval continues, are there restraints that could slow him down?” by Dan Balz
I was disappointed that Mr. Balz did not say more about what might slow Trump down, or even what acts might be used to do that slowing, He spent more space setting the stage than discussing what might slow them down. Even if the court orders Trumps minions to slow things, including things like Musk, down, has Musk or have others, actually stopped doing what the Courts say he or they should stop doing? If he’s not stopping, He certainly could be stopped. Federal District courts have the power to throw Musk and other Trump appointed officials in jail for contempt or Court. Wouldn’t Trump just pardon Musk or any others? Here’s the beautiful thing. All of these lawsuits that the courts are acting on are Civil suits. Trumps pardon authority only applies to pardoning people for Crimes. He does not have the authority to pardon someone charged with contempt of court in a civil suit. Musk, or any of the Federal Department secretaries, could be given significant prison terms, and Trump could not pardon them*. Musk and a couple of cabinet secretaries, or agency heads getting even 60 day prison term would likely slow things down a bunch.
*https://www.fjc.gov/history/work-courts/contempt-power-federal-courts
If we truly were is what we claim to be, we would simply give aid, help build or rebuild needed infrastructure, show farmers the best ways to cultivate crops, and say our goodbyes. We’re still too preoccupied with “Commies” to understand that cultivated, unused good will is far more likely to help us in the long term. USAID should take the lesson to heart, if they win their lawsuit.
So far the courts are holding. We can thank the Democratic State Attorneys General, the unions, and the ACLU, together with a few other interest groups who have brought suit to stop much of the madness. We’ll see how long it takes for Orange Jesus to decide that the courts don’t matter. After which we will find out if our Armed Services will follow their Oath of Office and the law and refuse any illegal orders. If they do, we’re saved. If they don’t, we’re screwed.
It is much worse than a change of values. They have no intention of obeying judges’ orders. They mean to destroy the Constitution and vest all power in the executive branch.
The phone lines of all our congressmen and our attorney general are full or not answering. Time for more drastic action.
Part of this worrisome mix of events is the takeover of agencies and their computers by persons who do not like facts. From Trump’s first administration we learned that they want their own facts. Now they have a means to create whatever facts they need for their message of the moment. Think job numbers, GDP, crime stats, average income.
Anne Johnson; it takes Congress to stop what Trump is doing and he owns the House and the Senate and is backed by the Supreme Court with immunity. The courts which are trying to stop him will probably only be able to stall some of his actions because Mitch McConnell began under President Obama to fill the federal court system with those who brought Trump to the public attention to release their militant actions on racism, bigotry and hatred as their right.
The media is being thrown out of the Pentagon and silencing the freedom of the press. CNN and MSNBC are beginning to lose their following and are releasing top journalists to be replaced with younger, cheaper salaried reporters. We are buried under Trump’s dumping actions, we are not “circling the bowl”, we are buried under his two-hole outhouse leavings.
“Rather satisfying” to see the end of USAID means that children dying, ebola outbreaks, HIV/AIDS resurgence and starvation of whole populations are clear indications of sociopathic tendencies.
Civil cases can drag on for years, time we may not have. When I see a man wearing the uniform of Eric Prince’s paramilitary private force blocking U.S. Senators from entering a federal building, you know that we are experiencing a coup. Where are law enforcement and federal police? If they are compllicit, what does that portend for the future. “A Handmaid’s Tale” realized?
Explosive, articulate and spot on column, Sheila, one of your best, although the others are hard to beat!! As I read through the throughtful and packed comments, I realized, yet again, what a critical outlet you provide. Your courage, intelligence, use of information and writing (not provided by “influencers”), not to mention your talent for expressing your views—exceptional and essential. Thank you!!
Opinion, the largest number of Republicans were born that way. Live in a dominated
Republican state or county, parents & family ALWAYS have been REPUBLICAN.
Same for Democrats.
The largest number of both parties are working people, who don’t have the time or energy to do the research that would help them make the best choices of who to put in places of power.
Not talking about MAGA.
Run of the mill Republicans should not be hated, these working Americans are who we need to reach. But how is the real question. & Democrats have been doing a poor job. have No answer just questions.
Yep, JD, watching USAID get destroyed is very satisfying. It turns out the government paid $13 million to Politico for “professional subscriptions,” which isn’t even offered to the public. We also spent over $400 million to InterNews to spread propaganda worldwide and in the US. How are cutting those programs going to kill children?
Well, if you believe our entertainment media, you would think that all money flowing into USAID was being used for humanitarian aid. That’s complete bullshit and they know it, but they sure won’t report it as such.
Just remember, BOTH political parties voted to give USAID their monies knowing precisely what it was being used for, and none objected. Musk and Trump still claim it’s a “liberal” or “woke” organization, but that’s not the case either. Republicans benefited from USAID’s mission as much as Democrats, maybe more.
Here are two articles from our entertainment media, and both are chock full of lies and only point out “dying children” that need our help.
What they don’t ever do is hold Israel accountable for killing innocent children in Gaza or ask what our oligarchs get in return for feeding Ethiopians. Oh yeah, those mining licenses!! 😉
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/09/illicit-gold-exacerbating-ethiopias-conflicts
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/popes-point-man-migration-aid-concerned-usaid-cuts-118640675
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-is-usaid-trump-musk-shut-down-budget-funding-doge-rcna190441
JoAnn,
I really wish there was some sort of a instantaneous magic pill that would make everything better, unfortunately, that’s only in science fiction.
Now, as you can see by some of my other stuff, at one time I was a pretty nasty piece of work. And I used to forcibly resist those who were pushing this type of agenda that’s happening now. But, all of that time I wasted, all of the pain that was inflicted on me my brothers, also those that I roiled against, served no purpose. Nothing changed. It was just always knives out. And what’s the point? The conflict is nothing but a fool’s errand, and it’s gotten worse over the years because of social media! Where it might take an ideology many decades or more to establish, now it just takes a couple of days.
During the first world war, men who fought and died during that terrible war, came back to this country, and were murdered because these men knew how to use weapons and knew how to kill. That instilled so much fear, those men were hunted down like dogs.
“As long as my breath is within me
And spirit from God is in my nostrils,
4 My lips will not speak unrighteousness; Nor will my tongue mutter deceit!
5 It is unthinkable for me to declare you men righteous! Until I die, I will not renounce my integrity!
6 I will maintain my righteousness and never let it go; My heart will not condemn me as long as I live!” Job 27: 3-6.
The righteous never have the earthly authority. They never have. They would fight without hope, because there was only the human way. Once you figure it out, things make more sense. Those who foster a false authority, always look for the weak-minded and uneducated to promote their own dogma. And as a result, people turn against an alternative that is viable, because it has been taken over by unrighteous impostors, seeking glory for themselves, and using God as a hammer to beat everyone else into a submissive state. This conduct is not scriptural, but it is talked about ad nauseam, because people have not developed the will to research what they claim they believe in, and others who claim that belief is ridiculous.
It’s a story as old as humanity itself, so there must be a better way.
Is there anyway for Americans to support the health programs being dropped at USAID by creating a new nonprofit or using an existing nonprofit program that can be expanded? Since the money is most likely being cut in the form of federal grants and not private spending.
According to what I have read online. The largest cuts in USAID would be made towards Ukraine and other nations in the middle east like Afghanistan, Egypt, and Syria.
Mitch,
Don’t drink the Kool-Aid! Folks really don’t know what the Bible says, they know what they’ve been told. Religion is not scripture! It has nothing to do with scripture for the most part. Religion as it stands today is a construct of humanity, nothing else! Slavery, woman beating, women being treated as slaves, is not promoted in scripture. Some things it does discuss, but it’s not discussed concerning approval. Read Galatians the 5th chapter, that’ll tell you all about scripture and conduct.