Steve Schmidt: We are witnesses to a profound and dangerous repudiation of faith and belief.

[Nevilledog]

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Unrolled thread here
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1420093947645362178.html

We are living through momentous and historic days together. We are witnesses to a profound and dangerous repudiation of faith and belief. We are alive to see the rejection of our national ideals for a new dogma; a toxic philosophy resurrected, yet again from an ash heap, that 1

No matter the length of its’ dormancy or appearance of extinguishment always smolders below the surface with a ready ember, eager to spread, thirsting for the ideological fuel of nationalism, hate, racial supremacy, political extremism and menace so that it may begin the 2

conflagration anew. Tens of millions of Citizens and the whole of one political party in a two party system have rejected democracy at a molecular level. They no longer belief in the system that places the individual atop the power of the State. In the name of freedom they have 3

undone the compact between us. They have unraveled the agreement that has sustained, nourished and expanded all other freedoms in this land. In the name of Donald Trump and in service to his grotesque lies they have betrayed our birthright and desecrated the sacrifice of every 4

American Patriot who built this country. There was no fraud. It is a lie. We all know who is lying. Even liars like @GOPLeader and @EliseStefanik know they are lying. There is no doubt, no mystery, and no question around the

purpose of the lie. It is an attack aimed directly at our system of government. In America, “The People” temporarily grant their fellow citizens, likely members of competing political parties, lawful authority, within the framework of a Constitutional Republic that both

enumerates and restrains the power of government while protecting individual rights. The bestowment of power is decided by majority vote through a system that at long last is supposed to grant full participation to all citizens regardless of race, creed or gender. That is what

Trump and his Legion of millions is rejecting. This is what @GOPLeader, @tedcruz and every GOP State Party, nearly every GOP Governor, GOP Legislator, and generic GOP official is rejecting. The American system requires fidelity not conformity. It demand allegiance to the will

of the people. Government of the People, By the People, For the People is legitimate only by virtue of the people’s vote. There is no optionality within the system; In or out; For or Against. They have turned against this idea because it has become incompatible with their 9

greater ambitions to retain power unconditionally. For the Nationalist Autocrats that call themselves Republican, democracy has become the enemy of freedom. Freedom is always redefined by Autocrats like Trump. For them freedom is the power to rule. Protection of the ruling

minority from the disenfranchised majority is the cause of Liberty to an autocrat. Their is no corruption in this system because the right to take is presumed. The pursuit of self interest and enrichment is an entitlement within the ruling minority. This is what attracts the 11

cynics and businessmen to the cause of “autocratic freedom” The price of joining is low. It requires only submission to a cult of happy obedience and personal loyalty. There is no conflict between the truth and lie in this honest society. Truth is what the

Leader declares it to be. This type of truth removes complexity and nuance from all things big and small. It is a reductive philosophy that makes clear what is important and what is trivial. Dissent is impermissible 13

because it is a threat to autocratic truths. Apostates must be punished for deviations of devotion to the leaders truth. Acts of conscience are selfish acts against the interests of the group and cannot be tolerated. They are particularly dangerous because almost all are rooted

in ideas, ideals and truths anchored too a faith much higher than the false gospels of political power. The disintegration of belief in American democracy has been stunning, fast and brutal. It is an attack from within that has caused this. It is important to understand what

Comes along with these new definitions of freedom, liberty and the truth. The ruling minority will always position itself as being under attack for defending the culture, a superior culture facing destruction from an array of outside threats that always include foreigners, Jews

and minorities. Concepts like personal responsibility are obliterated by the narcotic of group victimization. Collective grievance is the fertilizer that nourishes an expanding autocratic community. Suddenly the marginalized are given a type of cultural absolution, an immunity

from consequences, obligation and citizenship by their Autocratic totems.Suddenly they become righteous defenders of freedom. Defenders of a people who share not common ideas and ideals but blood and soil. People who are members of a culture that is superior and yet threatened by

a numerical majority of people who are less than. The new faith we have witnessed being born is a dark one. It is understandable and predictable because it has arisen before. This is what the next two elections in America will be about. They will determine what version of freedom
gets celebrated on the 4th of July.

[The Magistrate]

1. Hear Hear, Ma'am!

One hates to give props to Mr. Schmidt, but this is the world we live in today.

[AZ8theist]

20. Call it what it is, Steve: The New Nazi Party

[Thomas Hurt]

2. The right in this country are pressing an organized campaign of fascist selective populism...

and attempt to seize and hold the narrative, to create the belief that this country is fascist, that everyone believes and agrees with it.

Trying to convince us that they are right and we should abandon what we believe and follow that malignant narcissist.

Fuck em.

[rickyhall]

3. And it seems nothing is actually being done to prevent it. Sad.

I hoped there would be something left of it for my grand kids and great grand kids. If they ask, I'm advising Scandinavia if they can.

[wnylib]

26. What do you think today's hearing was about?

Sounds like you are giving up the faith without a fight.

Today we saw and heard House committee members and DC Capitol police affirm their faith in democracy and in the oaths they took to protect it. All 4 officers testified that they held their ground to protect the government from a coup because they believe in the constitution that they swore to defend.

If they could go through the horrors of that day for what they believe in, then we dishonor them and the nation they fought for that day if we lose faith.

[rickyhall]

28. The Insurrection

I'm losing faith in seeing our voting rights protected unless we can win big in the next election. I have lived long enough to have no expectations because that usually leads to disappointment.

[wnylib]

31. Kind of self-defeating, though.

If you stop believing, you stop fighting. If you stop fighting, you lose. If you lose, then you are disappointed.

There is no guarantee that you will win when you fight for what you believe in. But there IS a guantanee that you won't win if you don't fight. You fight because it is the right thing to do. You fight because, even if you lose, you still believe in what you fought for.

[rickyhall]

32. I'll never stop fighting but it's not up to me.

[Sneederbunk]

4. Reverse Khrushchev. We will bury us.

[onetexan]

5. Steve Schmidt sure has a way with words - very poignantly & eloquently put.

[Jim__]

6. He is unquestionably right. Now the question is, what do we do about it?

[wnylib]

27. We made a good start today in the House hearing.

But it's not really a start. We have been doing something all along. We voted Biden into office. We took the House and Senate. Slim margins, but we did it. Next we increase those Dem numbers in Congress.

We work for reforms to prevent a future Trump type from getting away with destruction of government institutions. We keep faith and keep fighting for democracy against fascism.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. 1.7% of Americans understand what he's talking about

The issue of course is how you change this path. Steve Schmidt is long on ideology but short on solutions.

[Hekate]

11. The function of Paul Revere's ride was to wake people from their slumbers. So what will WE do? nt

[Elessar Zappa]

16. The main thing

we can do is work for, donate and show up to vote in 2022. We outnumber the fascists but we must get to the polls. It’s going to be harder than ever due to voter suppression but we must prevail.

[Hekate]

17. Yes, we do

[ShazzieB]

18. I'm skeptical about that "statistic."

It seems mighty low to me. Less than 2%? I don't think so. 🤔

[Hekate]

8. KnR

Grief

[Thunderbeast]

9. This is the fruition of the most successful intelligence operation in history.

Last edited Tue Jul 27, 2021, 06:08 PM - Edit history (1)

The Russian government, under the leadership of a KGB/FSB intelligence officer groomed a narcissist businessman to build a movement designed to divide and destroy our nation. Using race (always a good choice to divide folks), the foreign agent stirred up hate and fear to win the Presidency with a minority of voters. He did this using a sophisticated network of social media messengers who begat endless lies and conspiracies about his Democratic opponents.

While in office, this Russian agent amassed great wealth...largely bilked from his followers, or by using his real estate portfolio to launder bribes.

In a crushing operation, these Russian FSB agents manufactured a disinformation plan about masks and vaccines. The willful mismanagement of the worst pandemic in over a century contributed to over 600,000 American deaths.

The depth of the corruption and mismanagement may never be fully appreciated. The links to the Russian puppet masters (and to a lesser extent, The dictators in the Arab Peninsula) are very well known to US intelligence. The fear of political "blowback" keeps the information suppressed.

[Alice Kramden]

14. Excellent summary

Totally agree

[2Gingersnaps]

15. Sadly so very true.

Now we can fully understand how General Smedley Butler felt.

[AZ8theist]

19. Spot on.

America's enemies are the Russians and the Repuke Party. Abundantly clear.

[LittleGirl]

21. And then there's that

Totally

Well said.

[OAITW r.2.0]

29. The situation in a nutshell.

[llashram]

10. every word, true

[onecaliberal]

12. We will wait for the republicans to change it....

That’s what we’re doing currently. IMO we’re just screwed.

[patphil]

13. It's good to see that there are a few Republicans who value their country over political gain.

[LittleGirl]

22. Steve has lots of words to describe our demise...

I’ll have what he’s smoking.

[elleng]

23. I generally agree, but 'faith and belief'?

Depends on in WHAT.

National ideals ARE important. I do appreciate the First Amendment:

'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.'

[UCmeNdc]

24. K&R

[calimary]

25. But I bet you voted for 'em, Schmidt. And at every opportunity.

Up til maybe recently. Nice that you finally came around. But for FAR too long, you worked to make it happen for the GOP. Maybe you’re on the side of The Light now. Which IS nice. But we all are still dealing with the damage you helped cause.

I won’t forget. Not EVER.

[mikeysnot]

30. I don't think he voted for tfg

But I think he knows he bears some responsibility for foisting palin on us which lowered the bar for the orange president.

[calimary]

33. Well, in 2016 I bet he did.

I seriously doubt he was gonna support Hillary. Probably feels chastened by that.

My best friend voted trump-over-Hillary in 2016, much to my disappointment. I know she hated him by the end, though. Voted for some unknown libertarian in 2020.

[ShazamIam]

34. There is nothing new in conservatism, it is hierarchical and oligarical, and that demands

that personal identity is based on a lie that one group is inherently superior to all others, and that is based on the origins of conservatism, theocracies and the belief that some are, closer to God, therefor higher in status than others.

Surrendering to an idea of equality involves loss of identity and why they fight so hard to resist. Their identity is based on the belief of superiority.

Conservatism has depended upon division of the governed populations to keep the masses attacking each other, not the leaders who manipulate and abuse them and the identity is created by propaganda of course.

Yes, it is my opinion and based on the fact that all conservative governments are the same even when atheist like the old Soviet Union and the current China and N. Korea and all the where instead of God there is a personalty cult replacement for the God.

Yes China is conservative the ruling class is as entrenched as any religion and anyone not conforming is the enemy. Putin revived religious oppression and is now like the old feudal system that predates the Soviets which in practice was as feudal as the Monarchies.

[Roc2020]

35. Yes.