by NoahNext to his dereliction of duty in the fight against COVID-19, Donald Trump's biggest achievement may end up being the fact that he has emboldened and encouraged the Republican Party to take the final step in more fully revealing its true nature. Yes, the Republicans of the last 50+ years have always shown their racist and Nazi predilections, and the Korporate Dems have moved to the right in a senseless effort to meet them halfway, but, under Trump, the Republicans no longer feel they have to hold back or hide. Call it Trump's "Permissive Society."Other than the occasional smirking denials, Republican actions tell the tale. Their increasingly escalating efforts at naked voter suppression are only one vile manifestation of their growing boldness. Their latest efforts in that area don't even pretend to be anything but what they are. When 62,000,000 vote for you, why even pretend anymore? Likewise with their current increasingly vehement fights to preserve statues of Confederate traitors as monuments to their beloved heritage of slavery and torture even as a few legislatures and local governments finally do the right thing after over 100 years.The tiki torches of Charlottesville were no one-off. Trump's description of those followers as very fine people was designed to encourage more of the same. To Trump, if another woman or two gets deliberately run over by a Nazi-driven car, so be it, and to Trump, if it is a woman...all the better. The fact that Republicans have also made Tucker Carlson's Nightly White Supremacy Hour the number one prime time TV "news" and opinion show, followed close behind by that of his mentor and fellow white supremacist, Sean Hannity serves as another measure of who and what republicans are. They might as well just call the Nielsen ratings people and just say "Count me in" and then invite them over for a cross burning in their front yards so everyone can see! "Hey, look at me! I'm burning a cross! This is who I am! I'm letting my freak flag fly!"In recent years, I have watched the eyes of Republicans I've encountered literally glaze over at the mere mention of one word, Obama. It's easy to figure out why. They'll tell you it's because "he's a socialist" but since Barack Obama hasn't a socialist bone in his body and is a centrist at best, hmmm, it must be something else. Now, today, if you want to get the same effect from Republicans you have the misfortune to know, just say three words instead of one, Black, Lives. Matter.The parades of the flags you see in tonight's meme are on the increase since Traitor Don was inaugurated, as are the numbers of swastikas in public places as opposed to behind closed doors. The parades don't always feature Confederate and/or Nazi flags but they sure do feature the sentiments. Case in point: The little "White Power! White Power" golf cart parade of Turmp supporters in Florida a couple of weeks ago; happily tweeted by Trump to his followers, of course. It makes them feel not alone. It encourages them.What's next? I'm glad you asked. How about a nice Russian flag with Trump's name on it? It's even better that those "I'd Rather Be A Russian Than A Democrat" T-Shirts.
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