by Scott Gilbert
I listen and listen, waiting for some real substance to be discussed, nay debated, at the latest Democratic candidates’ debate. Yes, they talked about Healthcare: Should there be Medicare for all? Or not? And newscasters hypothesize, “Will this question of changing healthcare systems defeat the Democrats in the upcoming elections?” Yes, they talked about foreign policy: The topic of withdrawing US troops from Syria, US national interests in that region of the world, and, shamelessly, how will this affect American lives? Oh yeah, and taxes, will they go up?
The pundits went on and on: “Who can beat Trump?”, “The tactics of who attacked whom in the debate and what does this mean for the pecking order of the candidates?”, “Who will have enough money to make it to the next debate?”, “Will the Democrats defeat themselves?“ And finally, the New Yorker posits, “The deeper matter was to what extent the Democratic Party has remade itself in her [Warren’s] image.”
In the midst of all this, there was a bit of discussion about impeachment, including reluctance from some of the candidates about even impeaching Trump, let alone having an inquiry.
Oh my goodness! Kamala Harris takes on Trump! Harris called for Twitter to suspend Trump’s account! Is this to stop the Trump/Pence’s regime from spewing out white supremacist, nationalist, misogynist, xenophobic venom that unleashes their social base, determines policy, and keeps its opponents off kilter? No, it’s to hold Twitter accountable for being Twitter. Ahh, Shakespeare would be proud as this is truly a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Meanwhile, millions of people, millions of us who despise the day-to-day crimes against humanity of this fascist regime, wait desperately (why do we expect the Democratic leadership to act any differently than they have over the last three years?) for naught as none of the candidates mention: Concentration Camps on the border…environmental devastation accelerated…the danger of war, even nuclear, threatened…white supremacy rules…fascist mobs and racist murderers…truth and science erased…the right to abortion near gone (my bad, it was mentioned in passing)…the rule of law and democratic and civil right are stripped away…
No one, NO ONE, addresses the central question facing us and all of humanity. No one, NO ONE, not one of the democratic candidates uses the “F” word. With the largest platform in the world, not one of them acknowledges the greatest existential threat to the planet: fascism. For them, order is more important than justice.
I have read the “Emperor’s New Clothes” to my kids on numerous occasions. They always laugh louder every time I read it to them. They can’t, CAN’T, understand how anyone can not see what is going on! Total disbelief. Ah, the joy of children and their lack of tact! Their ability to see what is before their eyes. They cry out in unison, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!” And, their imagination to see what is possible to change the situation.
Imagine if Klobuchar, no Booker, any candidate (!) calls for people, its social base, anyone with a sense of justice, to be in the streets day-after-day, night-after-night, saying “NO MORE!/ ¡NO MÁS!” to drive out the Trump/Pence fascist regime, all of them! The whole cabal! Alas, they are unable to do so. They have chosen order over justice. Therefore, it is incumbent of us to put out the clarion call, “In the name of humanity, we refuse to accept a fascist America!” as no one else will.
The world as we have known it is being torn asunder. We must cast off fear and passivity, and not allow our differences to stand in the way of rising together in the unprecedented, unrelenting non-violent mass #OUTNOW! Protests to drive out the Trump/Pence regime. We must seize on the impeachment crisis now erupting, taking history into our own hands and turning dread for the future into a force for hope – joining together behind the single unifying demand: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go– NOW!