The Republican Party is building a political bomb.

[Ford_Prefect]

Last edited Sun May 30, 2021, 05:08 PM - Edit history (1)

Someone in the MSM is paying attention...I wonder who else will wake up?

(CNN)Today's Republican Party is building a political bomb -- and the ingredients for the explosive concoction are being mixed before our eyes. When it all blows up -- and it will, unless the party changes course soon -- the result will be not just rhetorical extremism but could well include real violence.
Frida Ghitis CNN Opinion 5/29/2021

If you thought the events of Jan. 6 were shocking, what comes next could be far worse.
A chilling new poll by PRRI, the Public Religion Research Institute, found that nearly one in four Republicans (that's tens of millions of people) believe the QAnon mythology that "the government, media, and financial worlds in the US are controlled by a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles." You might just shake your head and laugh at this nonsense, except that that they also believe that "because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country."

This is no fringe cult. The number of people believing these and other outlandish QAnon conspiracies is enormous. There is a current of poison circulating in American society, threatening its cohesiveness and its social and political order. "If it were a religion," according to PRRI founder Robby Jones, "it would be as big as all white evangelicals Protestants, or all white mainline Protestants."
Poll after poll has also found that a majority of Republicans, 61% according to the latest from Reuters/Ipsos, believe the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

Inspiring these legions to keep their weapons handy for political purposes are the likes of Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who has taken to campaigning with that other GOP "luminary," Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. During a joint appearance with Greene in Georgia on Thursday, Gaetz declared that the Second Amendment is "not about hunting." Instead, he said, it's about "the ability to maintain an armed rebellion against the government if that becomes necessary."
*******************************
---Then they are told by Republican outrage peddlers that the US Constitution protects their right to own firearms for the purpose of rising up against the government. And then -- the match to start lighting the fuse -- they are told that Democrats are similar to Nazis.
If that's not the recipe for disaster -- not just for Republicans but for the entire country -- tell me what it is.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/28/opinions/republican-party-building-political-bomb-ghitis/index.html

[Content edited 5/30/2021 to comply with Copyright & TOS] F.P.

[Beakybird]

1. Probably a parent punishing a child by throwing out his/her guitar.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

2. The 2nd Amendment is there so that South Carolina can defend herself when the Portuguese fleet shows

up off their coast and starts an invasion, without having to wait for a federal army to show up to protect them.

Just to use a random example.

These people don't know what they're talking about.

[HUAJIAO]

17. Of course the one of the whole points was to avoid even HAVING a federal military.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

18. Specifically not a standing army, yes ... there was only meant to be a permanent Navy

Due to the costs of ships, the need to train the sailors, etc.

[HUAJIAO]

19. Thanks. Didn't know about the Navy.

As a humorous aside... not a standing, walking army, just a sailing one...

[The Wizard]

3. My guess is that Parler

was made functional again so the radical Republican jihad could be monitored. The difference is the government is no longer headed by a Russian agent who approved of and the coup d'etat and failed to mobilize for the insurrection.
I would think the forces to turn back another Trump Coup attempt will be dispatched with prejudice, possibly extreme prejudice.
The simple fact is the Republican Party is being controlled from Moscow, and it's leadership is on the Putin payroll.

[pandr32]

9. +1

[Johonny]

4. It already exploded once

And we know they're scared to death of their own voters they've brainwashed because they don't allow weapons near their conventions.

[Haggard Celine]

5. A lot of the Republican Parry is dead set on

starting a civil war and/or a race war. That's Trump's goal, and they're followers of Trump. All of this shit they're saying is intended to incite rebellion. It's just a matter of time, probably not much longer, before they tell their followers very clearly to arm themselves and prepare for combat. There will be preachers telling their congregations to fight as well, just as the preachers in the South did before the Civil War. We'll just see what Biden chooses to do about it.

[KS Toronado]

23. Unfortunately you are correct, we are living in some very dangerous times.

I'm sure Biden has advisors looking into all the right wing nut-jobs, hopefully they will give excellent advice on
how to deal with this national threat before they take to the streets under orders from IQ45. Arresting Matt
Gaetz right now for his 2nd amendment comments a few days ago would be a good start.

[wnylib]

36. The hope of starting a race war

was around long before Trump's one term in office. The hate groups are not new. They support Trump because they see him as one of their own. He gave them open legitimacy, but did not create the civil war idea. He and his circle of loyal politicians are using the belligerent backing of those groups to hold political power, so they encourage the already present violent tendencies in their followers.

[Frustratedlady]

6. Does anyone even know what the Gaetz/Greene tour is all about?

Of course it's hard to tell how many people are attending but they are certainly enthusiastic.

They are both so mouthy, it's hard telling what they are spreading in their messages, but we can see they are working hard to manipulate minds. Who is this for? Trump? An overthrow? I wouldn't put anything past either one.

I'm curious to know if they will be joining Trump in his new rallies that are to begin in June. Anyone know?

[fwvinson]

8. I'm guessing that Gaetz and Greene, for sure, might better watch their backs.

When the shooting starts, they could be the first taken out.

[Traildogbob]

14. I hope

Major Trailer Queen gets pregnant on the tour, Is forced to carry Matty The Mattress Flipper’s child to birth, and it comes out with a head the full size of his, and in the process he gives her herpes and numerous other SDT’s he and the Tax Collector certainly carry. And no vaccines allowed for her to fix any of the bugs he gives her. She is probably already a Petri dish for Gym Generated viruses. Wuhan Lab has less pathogens than she carries. People say!!!

[calimary]

49. Gotta say I like "Major Trailer Queen."

I confess I thoroughly enjoy “improving upon” her name, too.

She certainly is - um - an “inspiration,” isn’t she!

[Traildogbob]

62. Don't like making fun of someone's face

But she’s a treasons asshole. I think she looks like Joe Camel of cigarette fame. What a CU............LT worshiper. Have family in Georgia. She is no surprise. A hero there.

[bdamomma]

56. MTG

looks rather strung out on whatever she is on. Poor excuse as a human being,

[calimary]

63. Totally! Poster child for "rode hard and put away wet."

Or maybe “ridden hard and put away wet.” Grammar uncertainty here.

[Lonestarblue]

20. What Matt Gaetz said about using the 2nd Amendment to take control may be illegal.

Here is what Gaetz said. “The Second Amendment – this is a little history lesson for all the fake news media. The Second Amendment is not about, it’s not about hunting, it’s not about recreation, it’s not about sports,” the 39-year-old went on. “The Second Amendment is about maintaining, within the citizenry, the ability to maintain an armed rebellion against the government if that becomes necessary. I hope it never does, but it sure is important to recognize the founding principles of this nation, and to make sure that they are fully understood.”

That is not the purpose of the Second Amendment, but that is a call to be prepared for armed rebellion against the government. Do we have to wait for the actual order to take up arms and start killing government officials before something can be done?


Reading the text of 18 U.S. Code § 2385 - Advocating overthrow of Government is interesting. I won’t repeat the full text here because it is long, but here’s the gist of it.

“Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or

[snip]

Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.“

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2385

[Frustratedlady]

33. Thank you for that post. Plain enough to me. I wonder how the GOP can change the message?

They seem to twist facts to fit their situation AND Gaetz is their present situation.

If Gaetz had any sense, he would be working on his present problems, rather than forming new ones. I'm sure the counseling of his new partner, MTG, keeps him fired up and ready to go. What a pair.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Harvesting money from the rubes. . . . nt

[GoodRaisin]

22. This.

They've seen the sheeple sending Trump their money and they want some of it. Making hay while the sun is shining.

[Mr.Bill]

30. It's all about raising money.

That's all. Period.

[wnylib]

37. No, raising money is only part of it.

The rest is about holding power and gaining more of it. If a violent assault on government and/or citizens who oppose them will help them hold and expand power, they will incite it, as they are doing now.

I don't understand how anyone can brush off their willingness to use violence after Jan 6. Or underestimate their ability to incite, arm, and train a large number of people to follow through.

[Mr.Bill]

40. Holding on to power is all about

the ability to steal more money. These people don't stay in Congress to collect that government salary alone.

[wnylib]

41. And holding onto power and money means

using any means to change the system to work for them. I'm not ok with changing the system iinto an authoritarian oligarchy. Are you?

[Mr.Bill]

52. Of course not.

Why would you even ask that?

[wnylib]

53. Because you seemed to be dismissing

them as mere money grabbers when the threat that they pose is greater than that. They intend to take over the government by political means backed by violence.

[SCantiGOP]

7. And it is fairly common

for terrorist’s bombs to explode and kill the bomb maker.

[sarchasm]

11. So basically what we're saying is, zombie's are real.

Once infected it spreads to those closest to them and eats their brains from the inside out.

It's no wonder this movie theme is so popular, or possibly even Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

[Hekate]

12. KnR

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

13. We dodged a bullet on 1/6.

Actually, thousands of them. Can you imagine what the results would have been had the insurrectionists armed themselves with assault guns, like Gaetz and other RW crazies are saying are the only way "to take back their country." It would have been a bloodbath.

[Alwaysna]

48. It would look like a scene from the Hulu series "Handmaids'Tale".

There is a scene where congress is blown away with automatic weapons creating a blood bath.

[bdamomma]

57. they had a gallows erected

I wouldn't put it pass them they would have used it, if it wasn't for our Capitol police pursuing them.

[AZ8theist]

15. The Repukes are playing a dangerous game...

...and walking a VERY THIN tightrope...

Do they ACTUALLY THINK the left will not take up arms to defend the Constitution against their Fascism?

America WILL NOT be Nazi Germany in the 1930's....

[wnylib]

38. +1,000,000

[Trueblue Texan]

44. +1

[Reality Primate]

16. "You know, Nazis were the National Socialist Party," Earns Greene 4 Pinocchios at WaPo

Greene’s ahistorical claim that the Nazis were socialists:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/29/greenes-ahistorical-claim-that-nazis-were-socialists/

[wnylib]

39. Nazis as socialists is a popular

notion on the right and has been for a few decades. They base this claim on the full name of the Nazi party, the National Socialist Workers' Party. They conveniently leave out (or never knew) that Hitler took control of a socialist party and made it into a fascist one.

[AZ8theist]

46. Empt Teee headed Gangreene is a fucking moron.

With ZERO understanding of history or geopolitical interactions or relationships.

The product of the Reich wings 50 year war on education.

[Jon King]

21. Facebook, Twitter, Google, mega corporations.....

They have the power to really dampen the spread and over a few months even cause this to start contracting. Very silly of them not to, so what if some right wingnuts sue them. Just censor out as much right wing stuff as possible.

All of these corporate executives have great lives. Their kids and grandkids have great lives. Their nieces and nephews have great lives. And these lives will be great under Dem rule, cleaner climate, still make tons of money even if taxes a a tad higher. At least they would still have tons of money and a stable country.

I don't get why big corporate executives don't get this. If the Repugs succeed, the country will be in chaos, unrest by the majority in the streets. And none of that is good for business or their kid's futures.

[pazzyanne]

24. May I add, ripe for possible foreign take over, like Russia or China? nt

[usaf-vet]

27. I never know whether I should scream or ROFL. Every time the repugs say if the Democrats have....

..... their way your kids will have to pay the national credit card debt.

WHO IN THE HELL DO THEY THINK IS GOING TO HAVE TO PAY FOR OUR FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE. Our roads, bridges, schools, utility companies, and the lists goes on and on are broken NOW.

Our infrastructure is not a living self-healing organism. Its scrapes, bruised and broken parts ARE NOT going to heal themselves.

OUR KIDS WILL HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL or live in a polluted broken environment that has gone beyond saving.

Those of us that have been diagnosed with cancer and have heard the doctor say it looks like we caught this early enough and with quick treatment, we can beat this cancer.

This should be a lesson to all who have seen family members and friends face cancer knowing that early diagnosis and treatment is the best hope of survival.

Denying that our infrastructure has cancer but now is not the time to fix it is deluding ourselves and condemning our children by lying about the current state as if it will cure itself.

IT WON'T

[KentuckyWoman]

51. There's no downside to supporting the crazy.

Media generally, and social media especially, makes money off engagement. They have a financial interest in keeping the crazy front and center.

Even basic outlets like ABC, NBC, CBS - Their reporting is whatever dramatic footage they can drag up from the world on a given day. There's very little effort given to put events in context, add related information etc. The whole point is to get viewers to watch more news.

Republicans have been using that to their advantage for decades without any check against it. Unfortunately, I don't see a shift any time soon.

[ancianita]

25. This is from a K St. right wing non-profit. I'm not buying what they say they're measuring.

They say 5,000 people from their online site survey. The sampling is "weighted" to represent America, but it's too weird to beliieve. PRRI report and so the extrapolations to "Americans" in general is not believable from the getgo. And 86% of Americans reject or doubt anything Q these days. This opinion piece doesn't actually look at the polling very well, but just cherry picks percentages from the alleged representative sample.

Even the extrapolation to Republicans in general -- who are 23% of the total population -- is not believable because the bigger public polls that we've posted on DU show that a good sized number of Republicans support the Biden agenda.

Even when considering the influence of talk radio, there are 20 daily talk radio shows; nine of those are conservative.

So we don't know whether actual Republican voters were in this survey, or talk radio listeners, or if they're just religious members of PRRI, whose founder says that White Christians need a moral awakening. In general Christian morality across denominations wouldn't rest on storm & violence Q themes, anyway. Nor do we know if the rest of America is really as concerned as this opinion writer is because over half of America doesn't identify with any denomination.

An opinion piece like this tries to amplify unverifiable polling to help sell fear of a violent movement. No doubt there will be some who want a movement, but that movement right now, if it exists at all, doesn't consist of tens of millions of Republicans. 74 million who voted Republican is only 23% of the American population; 25% of that 74 mill is only 18.5 mill, not tens of millions.

So the "bomb" and "blow up" language isn't grounded in fact, if it's grounded at all.
The only group with facts of such plans has been the FBI.
So I'm not buying what the opinion piece says, either.

[hay rick]

28. I share your skepticism of these polls.

I also think a lot of polling is geared to elicit the "correct answer for our side" as opposed to honest answers.

[ancianita]

29. Yep. And I'd trust FBI numbers over any right wing poll any day.

[concretebluetwo]

32. While I agree with your skepticism of the polls

While I agree with your skepticism of the polls, it would be foolish to ignore the potential for serious, organized, armed and violent insurrection from the far right. They are emboldened and their leaders are not being held responsible.
Yes, this article is alarmist. That in no way discounts the very real threat the idiot fascists represent.

[ancianita]

35. I hear you. But I'll believe FBI numbers over these in order to get a clearer map of "potential."

So far, no terrorism has been connected to christian nationalists (and certainly abusing the word christian since Jesus would weep), and what there is, is mostly white supremacist. Some christians in name only.

Look at attacks from the 10's and 20's to see the majority of sources.

[EndlessWire]

26. It won't be easy for them.

Next time, there will be blood. The rest of us are not going to allow fascists to take over. The Democracy is worth saving. It's not as if life will go on unchanged if we allow the fascist Repubs to prevail.

I am appalled at what we are seeing. The Repubs have surrendered all their honor and fallen in a trance worshipping Trump. It's just astonishing. They say that when you are dying, you suddenly wish for life and see things differently. If you jump off a bridge in suicide, you will have deep regrets. Those that survive confirm this. I can see where those Repubs that are participating now in these despicable acts will one day claim that, oh, they just didn't know.

Well, they do know. They absolutely do. They are proving it by their voting to basically save themselves. Our country needs to know. It isn't judicial economy that they voted for. It is a coverup where there are sitting Republicans complicit in the Insurrection. They know that under Biden, the truth will come out.

Isn't Gaetz the guy who led a charge on some classified meeting that was taking place? And now he's up there advocating people get ready for, you know...why does he get to say this stuff? Is he protected by free speech, or does he get to incite a second wave right under our noses? Why is he sucking up to Trump like this? He belongs in jail. We can put him there because he can't keep it in his pants.

I believe that Pelosi stays up extra late making plans to thwart the Repubs. She's not surprised by these boys in shorts. We just have to go it alone without the participation of the Repubs. I believe that taking the vote before Memorial Day weekend satisfies the requirement of extending an opportunity of bipartisan support. The Dems are not surprised by the results. I want them to continue relentlessly to preserve our Democracy, and I want them to crush the likes of McConnell, Green and Gaetz.

[llashram]

31. yep

building and building toward... big time...

[The Jungle 1]

34. The thing to watch for are the lone loose cannons.

Our military would not even break a sweat taking on any organized rebellion in the USA.
Round up some Apaches, a bunch of zipper bags and back to the base for lunch!

[NullTuples]

42. A few thoughts...

"If it were a religion," according to PRRI founder Robby Jones, "it would be as big as all white evangelicals Protestants"

I thought that was already assumed to be a single-circle Venn diagram?

But while we're talking about how many there are and who they are...at some point are we going to seriously start talking about the Constitutional Sheriffs & other law enforcement who believe they are they only valid source of law in America? And the observation that they seem to be everywhere? Should we maybe discuss that law enforcement in most cities appears to be allied with the same groups that staged an insurrection? Because if the Republicans' really do stage something even bigger than January 6th, whose side will law enforcement be on? That question scares me.

[UCmeNdc]

43. Agree 100%. The GOP is going to blow this country apart with its power grab agenda.

The GOP only cares about grabbing power and protecting their money.

[jaxexpat]

45. Try this on.

The military, ex-military, retired military, National Guard, ALL the guys you count on to "keep you safe, to keep you free" were intentionally pushed, cajolled, instructed, indoctrinated, shamed into sympatico with the Republican party by their superiors.

Okay, let's see a show of hands for how many out there think that indoctrination didn't work. You, in the back, work? not work? You, over there in the cammo sporting the holsters bulging with sidearms. Did it work on you? Willing to indiscriminately shoot-to-kill your neighbors?

[DownriverDem]

47. My Question

So what do those of us who disagree do? I donate money and volunteer. What else can we do?

[calimary]

50. Good piece. My only question is - are our Dems still ASLEEP?

WHY aren’t we out there doing the fire ‘n’ brimstone thing?

WHY are we still clinging to some fading dream of “bipartisanship”?

WHY are we STILL coddling these bastards, trying to compromise and be nice and conciliatory and trying to get along? That stuff only works when both sides are willing to participate.

And we

DON’T

HAVE

THAT

NOW

!!!

FUCK “bipartisanship”.

[Ford_Prefect]

54. I have seen no reason yet to expect the kind of response we need to have.

I get the impression that too many Dems are invested in the idea that there are "Normal" republicans left in the party leadership. The GOP metastasized from the Tea Party era onward. Under Cheney/Bush/Neo-Cons they had a taste of how much they could get away with dismantling and destabilizing Federal authority. They also stocked the Police and Military with like-minded zealots. The DNC and the rest of our leadership haven't decided how much of a genuine threat the current GOP is. They seem to ignore the well documented idea that very wealthy white conservatives have coordinated and planned for decades to achieve the overthrow of Democratic Federalism. They have been at it since Truman threw them out of the 1948 convention. They built a propaganda machine to do this and Putin enabled it in ways they had not dreamed of. Now a significant number of ordinary citizens believe that the Democratic President and Party are running the government illegally. This is NOT insignificant. The Truth and a better infrastructure will not make this change. We need much more, and we need to be brutally honest about the goals of the GOP and what they are doing to obtain them. They have taken hostage a number of states through gerrymandering and straight-up ballot theft (as in Ohio and Kentucky). They are now passing outrageous laws by the truckload as a form of secession by state legislative fiat and attempting to disenfranchise anyone who might vote against them. They have set the expectations that any election they do not win must be rigged and are using the Faked-Audit process to create the false impression they are correct. Where this stops I do not know.
I lived in a time when the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ was far more aggressive and assertive of Federal purview. I cannot understand how that is not happening now. I also keep asking why the FBI is not investigating the illegal coordination between Koch, Mercer, the Heritage Foundation, the Council For National Policy, RAGA, and the GOP leadership in Congress prior to during and after Jan. 6th.

*******************************
As Republicans pave the way for another insurrection, this one potentially much better attended than the Jan. 6 disaster, the leaders of the party, the "grownups," have abandoned their responsibility to the country, focusing instead on winning the next election. America may blow up, but at least they'll try to eke out a majority in Congress -- even if it means blocking an investigation of the Jan. 6 assault on the US Capitol by enraged Trump supporters.
*******************************
Some may view these maneuvers about the Jan. 6 commission, the reluctance to declare the legitimacy of the election and the implications of the increasingly extreme rhetoric as just a sign of a more polarized political system. This thinking fails to grasp the seriousness of what is building. And unless GOP leaders wake up to the danger, the US may soon face something far more dangerous than over-the-top rhetoric and a disputed election.[div]

[calimary]

55. By now, what with the way trump is talking (about being reinstated in August),

I cannot help but fear that what he's doing is signaling the MAGA mob when to launch the next insurrection. The January effort was just a trial run, evidently.

[bdamomma]

60. They

(the GQP) did not vote for the COVID or Jan 6th Commission, it can't be any clearer where the GQP allegiance lies, IT IS certainty not us. They are weighing down Biden's agenda, McConnell already has said it to not give Biden anything.

[PA_jen]

58. This needs to be our wake up call. Seriously!

[uponit7771]

59. Judges agree with the author, they won't let certain 1/6 terrorist out because of potential violence

[WiffenPoof]

61. What I'm waiting for...

…are the numbers of people we saw in the streets when Trump was inaugurated. Millions Abbas millions of people. I’m concerned that we may not see that kind of uprising against the Trump agenda. We must take this seriously. Our very democracy is at stake.