It's about grievance, not governing
Love chaos? Republicans this week have offered a look into life should they retake the White House and Congress.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-QAnon, spelled it out when she declared there’s a civil war in the House. Among Republicans. As a result, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Trump Toady, could find himself out of a job if he doesn’t do what the tRump Caucus demands on Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in a Manhattan court room, the once and potentially future president has mumbled, scowled and sneered at potential jurors in his criminal fraud trial, intimidating several of the would-be panelists.
All for doing what they think is the right thing.
And before we move on to the main events, let’s spend a moment to acknowledge the House Un-American Activities, er, Education Committee hearing on antisemitism in college campuses. A hearing led by members of a party that stood largely silent when khaki-clad neo-Nazis carrying Tiki torches marched through a college town chanting “Jews will not replace us.”
The Grifters, Obstructionists and Perjurers Party has been facing a choice: stand up to the genocidal war on Ukraine launched by Vladimir Putin or face the putsch threatened by the Jewish Space Laser Lady against Johnson, who only days ago stood in the warm glow of Trump after advancing his whopper of a lie about stolen elections.
Johnson, who, pardon the expression, finally found religion about the nature of Putin’s psyop war on America, thought he had a Solomonic decision in splitting a proposed foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, humanitarian Gaza relief and Taiwan.
Split the baby four ways and let MTG go after his gavel knowing some Democrats would have his back.
But the Georgia Peach Pit won’t make it easy on fellow Republicans who stand with Johnson. One of her amendments to the Ukraine bill declares:
"any member of Congress who votes in favor of this Act shall be required to conscript in the Ukrainian military."
All this is taking place in the backdrop of the unearthing of a memo written by Russia’s Foreign Ministry to promote a new American Civil War:
“Using much tougher and blunter language than the public foreign policy document, the secret addendum, dated April 11, 2023, claims that the United States is leading a coalition of ‘unfriendly countries’ aimed at weakening Russia because Moscow is ‘a threat to Western global hegemony.’ The document says the outcome of Russia’s war in Ukraine will ‘to a great degree determine the outlines of the future world order,’ a clear indication that Moscow sees the result of its invasion as inextricably bound with its ability — and that of other authoritarian nations — to impose its will globally.”
Ah yes, Moscow Marjorie bringing full-throated meaning to the concept of a useful idiot.
Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, the puppet master sought to use facial expressions after Justice Juan Merchan imposed a gag order preventing him from verbally attacking potential jurors in his trial for attempting to interfere with the 2016 election by paying a porn star for her silence. Said one women excused from serving:
“‘I’m sorry. I thought I could do this. I wouldn’t want someone who feels this way to judge my case either. This is so much more stressful than I thought.’”
For now, the legal system is holding up to the assault. Trump’s repeated efforts to delay or dismiss his day in court haven’t been able to foil the New York proceedings. Yet.
But there’s still far too much deference being given to someone whose antics would have relegated anyone else to a cell for contempt of court long ago.
The key word here is contempt. Contempt for the rule of law. Contempt for the idea that reasonable people can sit down and work out differences without insults or fists flying.
We saw how that worked on January 6, 2021.
There’s no denying that working class whites have some legitimate grievances about the loss of jobs as a result of globalization and the increasing importance of a college degree over a skilled trade. Some of the other beefs — like the impending loss of majority status — are indefensible.
But exploitable. By the very “elites” like Trump who has mixed an outer borough inferiority complex with some vicious racist and misogynistic memes to recreate the words of an aide to former Massachusetts Governor Edward J. King:
“We put all the hate groups in one pot and let it boil.”
But the events of this week reinforce the reality that it’s not about grievance, governing.
Because if they can’t govern themselves how can we expect them to govern anything else?