Obeying in advance

December 15, 2024

    If we have learned nothing in the 40 days since Election Day, we have learned that white men can get away with anything and pretty white men can get away with murder. Although Trump won the presidency by one of the smallest margins since the 19th century, the response from the mainstream media and the Democratic Party has been one of appeasement and timidity that would make Neville Chamberlain blush.

   After months of beating the drum that Trump posed an existential threat to democracy, “Morning Joe” hosts Joe and Mika wasted no time in racing to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring.   They then had the temerity to scold their audience for calling them out on their 180, (Source:  “At the crossroads of news and opinion, “Morning Joe” hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting,” by David Bauder, ap.com (11/26/24).

      The 2024 edition of the Trump transition serves up a fresh hell every day.  Each new cabinet nominee is compromised and incompetent.  Several are also sexual predators.  Trump has proposed establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”),a new federal agency tasked with “eliminating government waste” and cutting Two Trillion Dollars from the federal budget.  To lead this effort, Trump has tapped a drug-addled billionaire with nostalgia for apartheid and a bootlicking poseur, neither of whom has any idea how government works.  We know that DOGE’s real mission is to purge the government of experts and regulators in order to grease the skids for naked profiteering for Trump’s corrupt cronies.  A key aide to FDA designee, RFK, Jr. sued to revoke the authorization of the polio vaccine, one of the true miracles of modern medicine, (Source:  ““RFK Jr key adviser petitioned regulators to revoke approval of polio vaccine,” by Ed Pillington, The Guardian, 12/13/24).  Trump is assembling a horde of demented ghouls who will wreak havoc on the health and safety of 330 million Americans.

   Yet the response of Congressional Democrats has been disappointing, to put it mildly.  Congressman Ro Khanna posted a credulous opinion about working with DOGE to cut defense spending, as if Musk, whose SpaceX is a defense contractor, is going to focus cuts in that sector.  Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman decided to use his debut on Trump’s Truth Social to call for Trump to be pardoned in his New York State “hush money” convictions, wasting no time in placing another target on the back of Alvin Bragg, the Black D.A. who secured those convictions, (Source: “First Democratic Senator Joins Truth Social,” by Irie Sentner, Politico.com, 12/11/24).

     Meanwhile, the broligarchs who run social media platforms and other tech companies have been rushing to show their fealty, pledging seven figure contributions to Trump’s inaugural festivities, (Source: “Meta, Amazon, and tech CEOs make $1 million investments in Trump’s inauguration,” by Kathryn Watson, Libby Cathey, CBSNews.com, 12/11/24).

   These are truly disturbing harbingers of things to come.  Trump has never been shy about his aim- to destroy our current system, flawed as it may be, and replace it with one that rewards his friends and punishes his enemies.  Trump believes that the Rule of Law is for suckers, and has always acted accordingly.  His behavior is not surprising.  What is shocking is seeing how quickly and completely those who derived the most benefit from the American legal system are folding like a house of cards.

     Their obeisance speaks volumes.  They are capitulating because they don’t think they will suffer and don’t care about those of us who will. They think that they have enough money or intellect to either buy off or outwit Trump.  They don’t really oppose white supremacy, they just don’t want to get their hands dirty.  Don’t believe me?  Just look at how quickly Jordan Neely’s murderer was lionized. Good Morning America rushed to book him for an “exclusive” interview, a mere 48 hours after his acquittal, and a mere 24 hours after Jordan’s father tearfully asked at a rally,”What are we going to do people?  What is going to happen to us now?  The system is rigged.”  What, indeed, when a vigilante can murder a mentally ill Black person on the subway and not only escape accountability, but be celebrated?”

     But the assassination of United Healthcare CEO by pretty boy killer, Luigi Mangione, is proof that everyone is at risk in a society without the Rule of Law.  Although it’s true that Mangione is in jail and may spend the rest of his life there, Brian Thompson is still dead.  The public reaction to Thompson’s murder should be a warning to those who think they have nothing to lose in the coming kakistocracy.  If you create a society awash in guns and elevate a government that treats its people not as citizens to be protectedg but as marks to be fleeced in a highest stakes game of Three Card Monte, marginalized folks won’t be the only targets.

      All I know is that Black people in this country have a centuries’ long head start on how it feels to be hated and hunted.  We know how to create community and take care of each other.  As for the folks who think they have nothing to lose, we’ll see how that works out for you.

Respectful discussion welcome!