By Scott Gilbert |
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage lives, so does the Trump/Pence regime. After the April 13 White House Press Briefing, the media was talking about the missing month of February in Trump’s response to the crisis, a fact which was left out of his self-congratulatory propaganda video.
How the Trump/Pence regime has responded to this crisis is a concentrated example of how a fascist government operates. The following is a brief timeline on recent increased attacks on opposition, refusal of any oversight, and disregard for the norms of law.
- A Brief Timeline
3/20/20: At the White House press briefing, when reporter Peter Alexander asks, “What do you say to Americans watching you right now who are scared?” Trump answers: “I’d say you are a terrible reporter. I think that’s a very nasty question, and I think that’s a very bad signal that you’re putting out to the American people.”
3/30/20: Trump lashes out at reporter Yamiche Alcindor. “Come on, come on. Why don’t you people — why don’t you act in a little more positive? It’s always ‘get ya, get ya, get ya.’ And you know what? That’s why nobody trusts the media anymore. … Be nice. Don’t be threatening. Be nice.”
4/3/20: Trump fired Michael Atkinson, Intelligence Community’s Inspector General, for informing Congress about a whistleblower complaint.
4/6/20: Trump attacked the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services for releasing a report revealing the extent of hospital shortages of supplies to fight SARS-CoV-2 calling the report a “Fake Dossier.”
4/7/20: Trump removed Pentagon Inspector General Glenn Fine to oversee the newly created Pandemic Response Accountability Committee to monitor the $2.2 trillion CARES Act while appointing a White House attorney who defended Trump from impeachment, Brian Miller; and, Trump has refused to comply with provisions in the CARES Act for Congressional oversight continuing his stonewalling of evidence since the Mueller investigation.
4/9/20 Mike Pence, after days of refusing to allow Dr. Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx from appearing in CNN interviews unless the network aired the White House press briefings in full, was forced to reverse his position.
4/12/20 Trump retweeted a message that contained the hashtag #FireFauci, despite the fact that Dr. Fauci has done very little to contradict Trump’s misinformation and disinformation.
4/13/20: In a highly contentious press briefing, Trump aired a video full of lies condemning the media and lauding himself, put Dr. Fauci on the stand to defend Trump’s response, and again evaded and verbally attacked a CNN reporter. He also said he has authority over governors to decide when the country re-opens: “When somebody is president of the United States, your authority is total.”
4/14/20 Trump cuts funding to the World Health Organization
- A Bibliography
Articles in the media this last week also demonstrate the acceleration of consolidating fascism in the U.S.:
Trump Uses the Coronavirus Crisis to Push his Broader Agenda, MSN, April 5, 2020
Team Trump Won’t Let a Pandemic Get in the Way of Its Far Right Agenda, Salon, April 6, 2020
The Coronavirus Has Not Halted Trump’s Power Grab, The Atlantic, April 8, 2020
Oversight erased, Supreme Court hijacked: Trump turns the presidency into a dictatorship, USA Today, April 9, 2020
There are many more examples of how the Trump/Pence regime and state level Republicans have been consolidating their fascist program in every facet of society during the pandemic:
Increased attacks on science and evidence-based medicine (Salon)
Clamping down on civil liberties (MSN, Truthout, New York Times)
Denying basic needs for prisoners and opposing the accelerated release of prisoners (revcom.us)
Voter Suppression (New York Times)
Increased conservative and theocratic overhaul of the Supreme Court and Federal Court system (MSN)
Increased attacks on healthcare (CNN)
Increased attacks on immigrants (New York Times)
Ramped up attacks on women and their right to control their bodies with further restricting or outright banning abortions (New York Times)
New attacks on Transgender population (Reuters)
Further weakening of environmental standards (Vox)
Increased threats of war (The Hill)
In spite of the recognition that events are getting worse; in spite of the fact that Trump has said his political opponents should not be allowed to win the 2020 presidential election; in spite of the fact that Trump has threatened to not recognize the results of the elections if he loses; in spite of the fact that Trump has declared a national emergency and he could use these executive powers to suspend the November elections or declare martial law, there is nothing like the Refuse Fascism Statement of Conscience, calling for what is needed to stop this fascist juggernaut before it is too late.
As noted recently in “COVID-19 is Deadly, but the Trump/Pence Regime is Making it Deadlier”, many more people are questioning the legitimacy of this fascist regime. Signing, spreading, and donating to the new Statement of Conscience/Call to Act is an important way for people to be organizing and getting ready for when the floodgates crash open to drive out the Trump/Pence regime:
“There is a way to stop this. We will follow our conscience, sound the alarm, and organize so that it becomes possible for thousands to take to the streets across the country in non-violent sustained mass protest demanding Trump and Pence Out Now, growing to millions, and staying in the streets until our demand is met. This is not the easy road, it requires sacrifice, yet our actions will reflect our love for humanity, in stark contrast to the hate and bigotry of the Trump/Pence fascist regime, and create a serious political crisis for the ruling powers, leading to a situation where this illegitimate regime is removed from power.”
In the Name of Humanity, We Refuse to Accept a Fascist America!