From Minnesota, With Love
By a Son of the North Star State
The Rubicon must be a winding river because we have crossed it repeatedly during Trump’s unprecedented rule. The transition from democracy to dictatorship takes many twists and turns, but America is nearing the final crook with the MAGA secret police paving the way for the Insurrection Act and the military takeover of cities and states committed to democratic elections and free speech.
I heard long ago that the American people should never nominate or elect a morally compromised presidential candidate. The reason has become abundantly clear of late. A president with something to hide will go to any length to protect their secret. Thus, they are vulnerable to blackmail and do not act in the best interests of the country. In fact, they will go so far as to abandon our allies and cater to our adversaries to keep their darkest crimes under cover. Couple that with a malignant personality disorder and a penchant for corruption and before long the country is in the grip of a traitor—backed by a partisan Supreme Court with contempt for the Constitution that has given the president unlimited immunity—who has infiltrated an easily manipulated and amoral political party that will not convict a twice impeached and criminally convicted felon who would burn the Constitution to stay out of jail while simultaneously transforming the White House and other national treasures into gilded monuments to his enormous ego. The final phase of authoritarianism—after dissenters, protesters, and scapegoats are eliminated—is to create a permanent presence of illegal troops throughout the country to subvert democratic elections.
The current occupation of Minneapolis is not for border security or the deportation of violent, undocumented immigrants. It is an occupation by a paramilitary organization against the wishes of state leaders, citizens, and local law enforcement. It is white supremacy enforced by violence. The pardoned January 6th, 2021 insurrectionists, Proud Boys, and other low-lifes have been unleashed on American citizens. The paramilitary and federal military must never be used to crush protesters. The Capitol riot would have turned into a blood bath if Trump applied his current tactics to that situation instead of trying to overturn an election. The Justice Department is now the convicted felon’s retribution for his criminal trials. It’s obscene and it’s overkill.
Long before Trump came on the scene, a former student told me I would be wise to stockpile guns for the day the government turned against citizens. I dismissed the notion as paranoia. What chance would we have against the U.S. military? It turns out he had a point, but who knew it would be his gun rights cult leader who would send 3,000 federal agents to cause chaos in our state? They are not here to protect our safety and everyone knows it. Kristi Noem lost all credibility when she concocted a false narrative about the shooting of Renee Good before the gun had even cooled. Trump cynically used his populist rhetoric to win the power to protect the powerful elites his base despises. He made them hate liberal democracy more.
The president could stop this now, but he is inflaming the violence just as he did when his fascist followers attacked the D.C. police. He is not fit to rule. Now would be a good time to release the Epstein files and end the distractions that are threatening democracy and freedom of speech. Now would be the time to invoke the 25th amendment. Oh, and the President can feel free to flip his tiny middle finger at anyone who hurts his feelings, but it’s not a good look. He needs to be removed from office and placed in a care home for his mental decline. There he could shout obscenities at the sky all day. And please take away his phone. Neither event will happen, but history has taught us hubris goeth before the fall. He can be stopped if his ridiculously rich backers, tech bro genetic engineers, religious zealots and protected pedophiles were exposed, condemned, and held accountable for their crimes and conspiracies. Of course, that would take the kind of courage Minnesotans are showing the nation.
In short, “Minnesota nice” is a real thing. Rooted in our Scandinavian heritage of hospitality and helping each other survive a sometimes hostile environment, we like to live and let live. We want to live in peace, but compliance with illegal authoritarianism results in anything but peace if history is any guide. We cannot allow bullies and domestic terrorists to drive us to violence. Non-violent resistance is our patriotic and civic duty. In the meantime—a very short time and a very mean time—I suggest the above photo be Trump’s permanent portrait in what’s left of the White House. There is something about it that captures what Trump has done to America, though I can’t quite put my finger on what it is.
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