An ongoing crisis has been created by the collapse of the Republican Party into factions poisonous to reason, comity. compromise and discourse. The Party now combines Christian Nationalists, an OK-Fascist amalgamation of “clowns with flamethrowers,” * Anti-Semites, militia creeps, opportunist politicians – always the gutless ambitious, incels, Putin apologists and lovers, the always present white supremacists and Tech-Boy Ayn Rand fans, a vast assortment of those looking to park their resentments anywhere they’ll be held up for applause, and never forget, the 6-person Constitutional Wrecking Crew of the Supreme Court.
When one party implodes to this extent, normal conservatives, moderates and the anti-Stalinist left should, by tectonic force alone, ally. Through Op-Eds, long essays, social media posts and a hundred thousand commentaries, an alliance is beginning to take shape.
Right now, the stone and mortar of that alliance might look like this:
A common belief in observable reality, in facts, in evidence.
The acceptance of all human beings as human beings and not as pawns, objects or targets but as people worthy of respect and care.
A belief in the rule of law and in boundaries surrounding the exercise of power.
A belief in democracy and thus in the vote, and in political wins and losses dependent solely upon the demonstrated will of the voters and not upon election deniers, corrupt State legislatures, etc.
Finally, utter contempt for Donald Trump, the most depraved American political figure of our lifetime.
All the policy decisions to come … well … everything to do with our survival as a democratic United States, depends on those 5 propositions.
Everything else is noise.
*Tom Nichols’ apt description of people like Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, etc.
