Time to Drop The F-bomb

A Fascist by Any Other Name

Cell Block F

October 27, 2017

Our motto here at Paying Attention is: Panic first, ask questions later. This is not a matter of pride, just honesty. In his seminal book Catch-22, Joseph Heller wrote, “Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.” Ed Venture says, “Just because you’re panicked doesn’t mean things aren’t terrifyingly out of control.” We believe it is practically impossible to overreact to abject lunacy that is Donald J. Chrump.

Though we may long have had more such tendencies than we would care to admit, Donald Chrump has brought us to the brink of fascism in America like never before. Never say never.

A Night at The Garden

Chrump's fascist tendencies are as natural to him as breathing, lying or self-obsession. Chrump has lived his life as something of a dictator, or petty tyrant from early childhood to his current state of childhood. He probably has no idea that he is a fascist.

To be fair to Chrump, as the most ignorant SOB ever to carry the mantle of president during my lifetime (although let us not forget how pathetically dim George W. Bush was), he has not the slightest hint how the government – or anything else in the real world for that matter – works. I am sure the fact that Chrump was allegedly conspiring with his fascist hero Putin is strictly coincidental. He could not have known that Putin was a Russian. And Chrump is as allegedly in bed with Putin as Nixon allegedly recorded everything that happened in his Oval Office and then allegedly erased 18 ½ minutes of said alleged tapes and then was allegedly about to be impeached. We may never know what really happened to Richard Nixon. Many people are saying that he still lives in the White House.

“Chrump have good brain. Chrump very intelligent person.”

It’s New. It’s Improved (Not Really). It Still Sucks Bigly.

The new fascism might not have storm troopers kicking in doors, but it is fascism nonetheless. The old fascism could actually be better because its presence is unmistakable. The new American fascism will almost certainly not resemble that of days gone by. It may very well avoid the untidy cliché of mass arrests, disappearing dissidents and improbably lopsided elections. It is already eating away at the fabric of what makes us a democracy – to the degree that we still are one. This erosion is well under way and, in fact, is supported by a considerable portion of the populace. We have already seen our Celebrity-in-chief stand up for supporters of the old-style fascism who marched in the streets, carrying torches and chanting Nazi slogans, saying some of them were “very fine people”. Ah, the good old days.

Any questions?

You Say Racism, I Say Fascism. Let’s Call The Whole Thing Chrump.

Instead of the old style fascism, you might see something like an unduly elected leader harping obsessively about African American men exercising their First Amendment rights by protesting the killing of young black men (and women) at the hands of police across the country. He might say things like, “If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!”  

I will ignore, if only briefly, the overt racism at the heart of this entire episode since the focus of this discussion is the blatant fascism. Chrump shrieks about how kneeling during the anthem disrespects the troops, the police, the flag, the country and the kitchen sink. What he is really doing is trying to perpetuate the race war he inflamed during his campaign – the race war some of those “very fine people” were more than happy to embrace as they carried Chrump on their white supremacist shoulders into the White House. Okay, I admit it, I did a crappy job of ignoring the racism thing. So sue me.

When people believe, and are supported in that belief by their nation’s leaders, that they are not racists because they are not actively lynching people or burning crosses on front lawns or holding a Night of Broken Glass, there is a serious problem in perception. Musician/activist Tom Morello said it well, “They felt comfortable marching without hoods [in Charlottesville] because they are now without hoods in the Oval Office.

Funny thing, the man who started this peaceful and very respectful protest, Colin Kaepernik, took his cues from an ex-Navy Seal, who suggested that kneeling during the National Anthem was a good way to make a statement without disrespecting flag, anthem or country. No one shows more disrespect for flag and country, especially the Constitution he swore to protect, than this fake president.

The same idiot whose mail-order Slovenian wife had to nudge him to put his hand on his heart as the anthem was being played is lecturing us about respecting the symbols of America. Let us forget for a moment that the Constitution itself supports one’s rights to disrespect these symbols. In fact, let us forget everything and just be happy.

More recently, at an Air National Guard hangar in Middletown, PA, Chrump remained seated and talked to his propaganda minister, Sean Hannity during the playing of “Retreat” and “To the Colors”. The Commander-in-oh-who-are-we-kidding was presumably able to see everyone else rising to their feet while he just sat there on his very good brain, saying to Hannity, seated next to him, “What a nice sound that is.” Chrump of course had knew nothing of the songs’ significance as he sat there joking with Hannity that they were being played in his honor.

According to the Army website, these songs are played, “to signal the end of the duty day and pay respect to the nation’s flag.” It is “one of the oldest traditions in the Army, which dates back to the Revolutionary War.” Respect the flag? Apparently that is only required of black men. Chrump can do whatever he wants, like “grab ‘em by the p***y.”

Chrump has shown his commitment to his country for a long time. Besides stiffing creditors and avoiding paying taxes, during the Vietnam War, ‘liddle’ Chrump received four draft deferments for being a college student. He then got a fifth deferment for “bone spurs” in his head…I mean heels.

No Self-Respecting Fascist Can Abide a Free Press…

Chrump is threatening to do away with legitimate news organizations because they disseminate objective truths that conflict with the alternative truth festering within the dye-soaked skull of said leader. Or if such a leader says things like, "A few days ago I called the fake news the enemy of the people, and they are — they are the enemy of the people." As is always the case, regardless of who seems to be the target of Chrump’s words, whether those words be nasty or nice, he is only and always talking about himself. To be fair though, still pretty impressive for an anthropomorphic circus peanut.

Naturally, Chrump’s propaganda squad at Fux News, whose viewers, according to repeated research, are consistently misinformed about regular facts, is now jumping on board with the down-with-the-First-Amendment chant. They prefer their alternative facts and cannot be persuaded to abandon them, or their Twitter-happy Confounder-in-chief. Poor Chrumpy, the press is so unfair, what with all the investigating, and direct quoting and all.

…Or Independent Prosecutors

Next on the Chrump agenda? He is interviewing lawyers for positions as federal prosecutors. After branding every legitimate news organization as fake news, what could be more fascist than hand-picking prosecutors who will refuse to prosecute you for all your crimes against the American people? Chrump only seems interested in appointing his own prosecutors in jurisdictions where he might come under personal scrutiny for his shady business dealings. Chrump might be a moron in idiot’s clothing, but he does have good survival skills. As Mel Brooks said so eloquently in History of The World, Part I…

 Chrump’s alternative fascism is fascism nonetheless.

I. Mangrey reporting.

Now here it is, your moment of Jazz:

Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi U.S.A.