AND SO?

  "Another fine mess you've gotten us into." I can just hear the classic comic duo going at each other for exactly that. Another mess of their own making through which they had to navigate safely along with an ending which pleased all and left nothing with a bad taste behind. Good clean laughter. Always a positive feelgood ending.

However, that is not the way of real life, is it? Watching Laurel and Hardy go at each other, one knew there would be a happy ending. They were two best buds, and nothing could ever sever their tie. Abbott and Costello. The Three Stooges. All followed a similar path. And America laughed. All would be well. But she is not laughing today. 

While we have stooges aplenty within the administration, too many, we have nary a one who can reach out, would reach out, to the people of this nation and be heard. That would require trust in the speaker and where is such a being now? We now sit in our homes and wonder. What is the future after these rash, mad deeds of Trump and his flock of sheep?  What will be forthcoming presently? 

How will this nation handle the tension, the dissension? Can it even begin to try, let alone succeed? Are we safe. and more importantly, are our kids safe or are we going to have a Vietnam era once again, where the streets roil and boil and myriad numbers of our young men leave the nation, refusing to fight in a war which never had to take place? Think this is over the top? Think not so, for any number of online news site are already discussing the draft process?

Is this unilateral unannounced to the nation and Congress, Declaration of War enough to be the final step, the final nail needed to permanently exile Trump from politics? Now. Unfortunately, I doubt that would take place. This nation is not prepared to do that. Not when we have the likes of Senator Markwayne toeing the line. Praising a briefing granted to a bipartisan committee, albeit late in its taking place - after the deed was done and after more such deeds were suggested to follow.

Sure, why not go after Greenland and Denmark, bust up NATO and then what? Perhaps we will all learn Russian and Chinese for the New World.   Or we have the likes of Josh Hawley. He who ran away like a frightened chicken when his compatriots of the same political outlook chased after him. Just as much as they chased after anyone who knew the whereabouts of Nancy Pelosi or Mike Pence. Anyone they deemed a traitor to Trump in his thankfully defeated aborted   rebellion. 

This nation has been torn asunder for the past decade, if not longer than that. But it has come to a head during this decade. We have a consummate liar at the top of the heap. A man who rattles off dangerous inanities. A man who spouts words of hate. A man who is a foe of democracy? A man who runs this nation as a dictator. Seeking to benefit his own needs and desires along with those of his buddies. A man clearly in the throes of a growing dementia and a declining state of physical well-being. 

Now there are rumors that way back when he was promised by Putin to make a trade. Venezuela for Ukraine. Aha, if so, this actually makes some sense of what actually has occurred over the years and is still occurring today. It makes me shake when I wonder if he has made similar long-term deals. For example, he stands by Israel, then allows it to weaken, and then appears the deal made years before. To desert Israel, abandon her to the hands of some Arab nation or another and he gets whatever he desired in that trade. I shake at the thought. But anything is possible within his twisted mind and soul. Simply take a look around and see with clear eyes what he has already wrought and sent into motion.         

I don't know; I just do not trust that man. Neither do millions within this nation. And add to that those around the world who agree. Winds of mistrust and distrust flow violently round this world of ours and the future is unclear as the winds batter all and the future is not rosy at all.  

An observer from outer space watching what is going on now, listening to the words being bandied about, would be justified in thinking that this must be an epic.  A remake of those iconic books of dystopian times. 1984. Brave New World. Even Animal Farm. Yeah, that's what that is. It couldn't be real. It must be movie making. That makes sense. For certainly the nations of the world would not cede their freedom and democracy so easily. 

But that is not so, is it? We had a once upon a time strong democratic nation which wavered. Fell in line. Confused. And that strong once role model of a nation, not perfect, began a process of deterioration and disappearance.  Other nations followed and a return process, a healing pathway, has not yet been perfected nor successful.  

Trump and his followers are totally inimical to the continuation of a strong, safe, confident Democratic nation. The word democracy has already shifted from that capital 'D' to the small 'd'. I am beginning to believe, unfortunately, that the population of this nation does not contain within it a solid core of those who would resist the transformation of this nation from democracy to autocracy. There are too many who revel in Trump's new strictures. In the deliberate allowance for ugliness and hate to spew forth, to be praised. These haters are rejuvenated by and with their newborn freedom, the license to be deliberately offensive and hurtful of others.  By the violent expression of this hate. Approved of and urged on by no less than the federal government.   They beat about themselves with well-oiled sticks of brutality. They pull out their guns easily, along with all the weapons available to them. Powered pressurized water hoses. Pepper spray. Tear gas. Stink bombs. Violent arrests. Even to the point of disappearing some people, including children.

Who are these people? These are men and women who perhaps needed a job. So why not? These are men and women who perhaps needed an outlet of violence which allowed them to reduce their inner pressure. Or are these people who are simply nasty, inborn bullies, who now glory in the permission they received to do whatever the hell they want. To spew forth whatever lies they can concoct. And have the President and his lackeys back them up.

There were those who say that perhaps this is the time to take it all down. Rebuild it from the very start. From basement level. Once again. But we cannot afford to do that. We must take other steps quickly now. We must, in the next elections, oust those who would toss out America. We must make it very clear to those who run for office that they had better understand the people of this nation. That they had better take their temperatures right and get it right. Immediately. 

We need to pursue the course of justice and take those who rebelled against this nation, those who refused to admit their guilt, take those who allowed a president to go wild and broke the bulwarks of the law, the Constitution, to break before their charge to face the consequences of their treachery.          

And finally, not only the people of this nation, not only Americans, but people of all the nation states around the world, be it Great Britain. Bosnia or Slovenia, Canada or Mexico, or the Netherlands, or the Seychelles it matters not. The choice is the same all over. Will we, the human species, understand our responsibilities to ourselves and to others? Do what is right. What is a must? And take our nations back. Exile those leaders who mean us only harm. Fight against tyranny. And stand for democracy. Will we finally stand up and say loudly, clearly, positively and determinedly - Enough. 

We had all this yesterday. We thought that today would be a different time. Now we are finding out that tomorrow is also broken. That is, unless we act. Unless we take the proper steps. The quicker we do it, the cleverer our use of legal means, the sooner we will be better off. And safe. Trusting once again to the rule of law. And to the return of democracy to the nations of the world which once had and to those who are seeking it.

And once again, a reminder. The power of tyranny remains strong only when those who must resist it do not do so. We must have the will to do so. And we must find that will now. There is no longer any time to wait. I and most others would prefer to do this bloodlessly. With arms open to welcome those who truly regret their misdeeds. We truly wish to avoid that. It's Trump and his bagatelle of sheep who are pushing for violence. They had one try at it and will go at it again. They want to push us to the barricades. 

We must avoid that. 

We must. 

But time and determination are of the essence.