I find it difficult to watch the news these days.  I am seeing things in this country that I find hard to fathom. I thought that we could stand strong against the threat of fascism.   I was wrong.  And for those who seek clarity, here is the definition of fascism per my Google AI search: “Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian ultra nationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, suppression of opposition, and a belief in a natural social hierarchy. It prioritizes the nation or race above individual interests and emphasizes strong regimentation of society and the economy. Fascism is fundamentally opposed to democracy, liberalism, pluralism, and socialism.” 

Does any of this sound familiar? Hang on, kids. This is going to be a bit of a ramble.

I can vaguely remember talk of the John Birch Society in my childhood.  It was founded in 1958 by Joseph Welch. Its members were rabidly conservative and opposed to Communism and a one-world government (see UN). JBers were also fond of outlandish conspiracy theories, such as their belief that Eisenhower was a communist agent. Industrialist Fred Koch sat on the board of John Birch Society. He was the father of the infamous David and Charles Koch, whose millions in dark money financed many subsequent conservative movements.

Over time, we have seen these radical right groups morph into the Moral Majority, the Tea Party and others. Now we find ourselves with the whole motley crew running the show from the White House.  The collaboration of the Birchers, right wing fundamentalists,  Christian Nationalists and Opus Dei Catholics (see Leonard Leo and his Supreme Court picks) has resulted in a total upheaval of life as we know it in these United States.  And with Fox News faithfully pumping out conservative propaganda, millions are convinced that  this march to fascism is brilliant.

 There is some really scary stuff going on and the Supreme Court just keeps greenlighting it all. The wholesale kidnapping of immigrants by masked badge-less men is frightening.  Who are these masked men? Bounty hunters? Proud Boys? Pardoned J6  insurrectionists?  No one knows. And where are those captured being sent?  They have been disappeared to foreign countries where they have no ability to plead their cases or put in camps in our country with horrible conditions. All this in spite of the fact that fewer than 9% of those taken have committed violent crimes.  This is what happens in a police state.  Chilling.

I saw a video of a woman who owns a small business. She said that when it comes time to pay taxes – and she pays a lot – what bothers her is not the single mom down the street with two kids who receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. What really angers her are the rich folks who get huge tax breaks for their businesses and handouts from the government. 

She thinks it is criminal that big corporations like Walmart and McDonald’s pay their workers so little that many of them qualify for SNAP benefits.  The federal minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour.  If you worked a 40-hour week at that rate, your yearly wage would be $15,080 and you would qualify for SNAP. 

I think this is at the heart of what has gone so wrong in our country.  The powers that be want us to be angry at someone – to believe that someone else is getting what rightfully belongs to us.  They point the finger at immigrants, suggesting that they are taking our jobs. The truth is more complex.  Immigrants are doing jobs that no one else is eager to do.  Historically, this has always been the case.  Our nation has never been the most welcoming place for a stranger. Over the years, America has mistreated many who sought a better life.  The Germans, the Irish, the  Italians, the Chinese and Japanese: all have faced discrimination here.

But never before have we seen roving bands of government sponsored kidnappers grabbing people off the street.  This is new and  terrifying, and it can’t end anywhere good.