Set the Controls for Fear and Loathing

INVASION!! Did you know that our country is being invaded? Drop everything and get your "Go Bag" ready! Our President and his acolytes have been raising the alarm and now thousands of American soldiers are deploying to defend our southern border against the invaders.

Upwards of 5200 US troops will bolster the border against... maybe 3500 asylum seekers from Guatemala and Honduras, mostly mothers and children bugging out from a murderous local scene. That's a lot of firepower against teddy bears and blankets. But it's all needed because this foot-borne invasion is an Imminent Threat - they are only 1000 miles away!! By the time they get here sometime in December, our troops will be dug in and ready for action. Unless the migrant/asylum caravan (they are traveling together for group protection) never even makes it to the border, which is far more likely.

By now, we all know how the MAGAbomber and the Tree of Life shooter took their lethal cues from the rhetoric emanating from Trump, the GOP, and Fox News/Hate Radio. Such "caravan people" are criminals, murderers and rapists. MS-13 gang members and Middle Eastern terrorists. Infected with smallpox, leprosy and rabies. Young, strong bad guys. Really bad. Coming to a darkened alley near you.

In fact, today on a radio ad, Virginia gubernatorial Republican candidate Corey Stewart says Democrats "allow criminal illegal animals to assault our daughters, murder our sons, and deal drugs. The Democratic Party of today is an unhinged angry mob of thugs." Such wild, hateful and emboldened racist rhetoric is possible because it echoes the very things Trump has said over and over. It takes a page from the blatant but trusty Brown Thugs Raping White Women appeal.

And, aside from the Democratic Party and maybe ISIS, who else do Trump & Co. hold responsible for this Caravan of Existential Calamity? "Globalists". Like philanthropist George Soros and Jewish refugee agencies such as HIAS. Living in this climate of Fear and Loathing, the MAGAbomber sent a bomb to Soros (and 13 other Trump "enemies") and the Tree of Life killer targeted that synagogue through a "hate directory". It's pretty easy to connect the dots.

Someone who predicted all of this is Daryl Johnson, a former analyst for the Department of Homeland Security. His 2009 report envisioning the current fever swamp of right-wing radicalism was seen then as too controversial. Since 2016, its conclusions are prescient. Please give this a read, it unveils all you need to know about Trump's deliberate rhetoric and the rise of extremism it engenders:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/10/29/trumps-hate-and-lies-are-emboldening-extremists-just-ask-the-analyst-who-warned-us/?utm_term=.e8cfb2488435

Wow. Any questions?

So what does our Trump Administration do to reduce the Fear level it's been churning out? Well, nothing. The band plays on. On the other hand, it has done a swell job in ratcheting up the Loathing quality to the equation. The following is one of the best reads of the year. It's about VP Mike Pence and his decision to bring out a Jews For Jesus "rabbi" at a political event, to say a few words regarding the Tree of Life massacre. Though awful to consider, this piece is very funny, and absolutely to the point:

https://www.wonkette.com/mike-pence-gets-fake-rabbi-to-offer-fake-blessing-sparks-real-outrage

Oh, ho ho. Come for the subject matter, stay for the comments section. But honestly, how was it judged to be a good idea to bring in this "off-brand rabbi", a Christian convert, to deliver up a "prayer" for the Republican faithful in Michigan. It's so hugely insulting, as Five Dollar Feminist outlines in her article above. Although it must be said that Pence is a big Conversion kind of guy. He made his political hay in Indiana by touting "Gay Conversion Therapy" programs. You know, Gays can be converted to Straighthood, ya just need the right tools and a positive attitude. He seems like just the kind of guy who has gone through such therapy. Loathsome? Why yes, yes!

There are plenty of other examples of how Trump & Co. are using Fear and Loathing to manipulate their voter base. Holding them accountable is up to all of us, but in particular it is up to The Enemy Of The People.  Here is a nice rundown on how this can be done:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1055440819283353601.html

And what if these approaches can't help? Well, there's always Divine Intervention. The Creator Of Heaven And Earth has not been pleased lately, as you can detect from the deity's two twitter accounts:

https://twitter.com/TheTweetOfGod/status/1055847614690713600

and

https://twitter.com/TheGoodGodAbove/status/1055905151809150977

Finally, it should be noted that Saturday's Tree of Life Synagogue massacre took place in a neighborhood in Pittsburgh called Squirrel Hill. Aside from being referred to as the intellectual and moral center of the city, it is also known as the home of the late Fred Rogers. It really was Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.

Here is Mr. Rogers himself, speaking after yet another award had been bestowed to him. He really was a gentle genius of children's television. And what he says here resonates so deeply:

"Look for the Helpers. You will always find people who are helping." Amen to that, Mr. Rogers.