Okay, first things first. Yes there was no Friday Link last week, but it was Christmas Eve. I've been busy.
This morning I was scrolling trough social media and I came across an outstanding video clip from TikTok user @isabelleleeanne. It begins with some piece of bigot, racist, white trash, wannabe Conservative Christian social media thing (@riannasun) saying if you are upset about cultural appropriation, then you can't celebrate Christmas unless you're Christian or Catholic (or?!?). What takes place in the next few minutes is a history lesson (courtesy of Izzy) on how pretty much every major modern Christmas tradition, from the date itself, to the decorations, to Santa, are all things which have been culturally appropriated by the Christians from Pagans and Druids (TRUE!!!).
Watch the take down here: https://www.tiktok.com/@isabelleleeanne/video/7038700379315375365
In standard Conservative fashion, once she had multiple people point out how dumb she was (you really have to be brick stupid to make such a post without doing basic research on the point your making), the fool deleted the post and then went on the Right Wing's standard "I'm the real victim/You people are obsessed with MEEEEE(!)" stand. You can't fix this idiot. And frankly, her being called out will likely lead to her getting more media opportunities from far right media who specialize in narrative validation.
But one thing she did which is truly horrible is how she threw the Christian faith under the bus in order to validate her feelings towards minorities who are rightly upset about their culture being misappropriated. Setting aside churches are currently desperate to get anyone in their doors, so putting up barriers is something any sane religion would be against, the fact she so quickly used her religion, Christianity, a religion based on love, welcoming, compassion and empathy, as a weapon against her perceived enemies is REALLY horrible. It takes a pretty special kind of jackass to do that. Jesus would not be on your side.
This trend, to say Jesus and the Bible are on the side of your modern day far right politics, bigotry and racism, is becoming a common trope in Conservative circles. Earlier this year I was in the hospital and had a staff member come in who knew what I do for a living, liberal radio talk show host. He said he had a bone to pick with me about politics. I said sure, but I did give my usually warning: "I do this for a living. I'm not a rank amateur. I've been doing radio for 30 years. I know my facts and my points. We can talk about anything else. Are you sure you want to do this?"
He implied I was afraid to debate him (HA!) so I said fine. He tried to go for a kill shot on the first point, abortion. He accused me (and any Christian who is pro-choice) of being a 'cafeteria Catholic,' only following the Bible when it was convenient. I started to laugh. I asked him when did he throw the Gospel of Matthew out of his Bible. That's the Gospel which talks about feeding the hungry, taking care of the sick and welcoming in strangers from strange lands (and so much LIBERAL more!!!). He then tried to imply the Gospel of Matthew gave outs if your political beliefs differed from it (?!?). I asked him to tell me what Bible passage that was. He said he'd have to get back to me and QUICKLY left the room. The next day, he came back into the room and insisted he was really busy so he didn't have time to chit chat. I said fine, but as he left, I asked him what Bible passage allowed people to ignore Jesus' teachings if they went against their political beliefs. He said he'd stop by and tell me later.
I never saw him again.
Republicans have become something truly ugly. The only thing that mattes to them is their politics, and nothing else! They'll trample their religion, their families, their healthcare, their community, their schools, their own financial wellbeing; NOTHING matters to them more than validating their political point of view. They'll use anything to feel like they've won their grunting contests. Religion doesn't matter to these people, and it hasn't for a long time (and I 100% stand by that statement). Many on the right have evolved into truly horrible people, but over the last few weeks, we gotten a look at how degraded the Republican mind has become.
Republicans have giddily embraced the chant "Let's go Brandon." The term comes from a NASCAR broadcast where some drunken idiots in the crowd were chanting "f*ck Joe Biden" and the announcer, trying to clean up the broadcast, said it sounded like the crowd was chanting "Let's go Brandon." Considering Republicans have the mindset of an 8 year old, and it allowed them to 'swear' in public without really swearing, they embraced it as the chant they hum as they self gratify. Doesn't bother them that 'Brandon' kicked Trump's ass, but whatever.
There used to be a filter on Republicans, where the childish stupid things like "Let's Go Brandon" would be left at home in certain circumstances, but not any longer. President Biden was touring tornado damage in Kentucky when a local screamed "let's go Brandon." President Biden was there to help these people and it's incredibly likely the idiot righto who screamed it has lost everything to the storms. It didn't matter. Any benevolence or charity from Biden was shouted down by a fool who didn't even see the forest for the trees; their life having been destroyed, and Joe Biden as the man there to try to help rebuild it.
Then on Christmas Eve...let me repeat that; THEN ON CHRISTMAS EVE, when the Biden's were taking calls from families getting ready for Santa, some moron from Oregon decided to yell "Let's Go Brandon." Once again, ON CHRISTMAS. Christmas didn't matter to this jackass, only getting his swipe in on Biden. The idiot Oregonian first tried to imply there was a secondary unknown meaning to "Let's go Brandon" that wasn't an insult, but after he stumbled to explain it, then took the "I'm the REAL victim" stance, insisting his freedom of speech was violated. Dude, you said what you said so your Freedom of Speech is fine. You don't have "Freedom from Criticism." You're not a victim, you're an a$$h*le.
And it goes beyond 'Hate Jesus' and "Let's Go Brandon." Republicans today are fanboy-ing Kyle Rittenhouse, the kid who shot and killed two people in cold blood, and, after the most fixed trial I've ever seen, was found not guilty. Seriously, that is one of the all time worst miscarriages of justice! Yet, because a bias judge helped Kyle walk, he's a rock star for far rightos who feel Kyle has just taken the next natural step in far right policy; inserting yourself into a situation you had no right to be in and legally shooting people you politically disagree with.
Rittenhouse, knowing he has a target on his back for the rest of his life, seems to be trying (somewhat) to stop this hero worship. Granted it's because he knows his family will lose everything in the civil trial and still have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life, but he does seem bothered by the thought of people turning his actions into something righteous and noble. Regardless, Republicans are already trying to figure out a way to erect a statue in this monster's honor.
Compare that to the Right's reaction to the outcome in the Kim Potter trial, the former Brooklyn Center Minnesota police officer who confused her gun and her stun gun and ended up killing Daunte Wright. The defense in the trial tried their hardest to paint Potter as having committed an 'honest mistake,' but then also argued she did the right thing by murdering Wright because [paraphrasing] 'if he would've done a string of things HE DID NOT DO, he would've then been a credible threat.' These two polar opposite arguments are constantly echoed by Republicans since the verdict came down. They're so infuriated by the 'Guilty' verdicts they've dropped all of the smoke screens and are saying the quiet part out loud: "So I guess you can no longer even accidentally shoot a black man!" WOW!
Trump has validated this ugliness, insisting it's a virtue. He kept screaming "It's not you being a 20 time failure, a racist, unlovable loser. It's them!" They've been told they're the victims because they can't yell their hate, their racism and their ignorance into people's faces. They've been convinced by a mad fool (Trump) their mad babblings are coherent political dialog. Trump needed ignorant hate filled morons as his 'base,' and now he's convinced them they were right all along, needing to force their opinion onto others. And when their ignorance get's so obscene and out line they themselves can't deny they've crossed the line, they hide behind the "I'm the REAL victim" argument to prevent from admitting they're just anger filled douchebags. These people hate most minorities and non-Christians, but their most vile hatred is now reserved for Democrats, Liberals and Progressives, the ones who constantly remind them of their racism, ignorance and hate.
There is no point in trying to discuss reality with them. They don't care. The modern Republican is so unable to face reality, they're willing to fight to the death to defend the fake world they believe in. History are full of these people, and this SAME EXACT SITUATION! Trump's not Hitler, but he sure follows Hitler's playbook. The Beer Hall Putsch was Hitler looking at German drunks and losers and convincing them to rise up under his banner. Evil dictators always find some group (racists, the ignorant, the gullible poor, the desperate) to be their foot soldiers in their coup attempts. 1/6 was the same thing! These were Trump loyalists who were trying to overthrow the US Government. The fatal flaw for them were they were idiots being led by idiots. Their lack of brains was one of the reasons the country didn't fall on 1/6.
How do you fix these clearly broken people? No idea. They've created a bubble universe where their insanity is validated, and their enemies deserve torture before death. You can try to shutter their social media accounts, but they find new platforms with 200 more fans than before, more fools who are just like them in their bigotry and hatred. They're unapologetic in their stupidity, and refuse to budge.
One bit of warning. I mentioned the Beer Hall Putsch from 1923 for a reason. It failed, but in the aftermath, because the German government did not deal with those traitors appropriately, Hitler was just getting started. You have to figure out how to get Trump's worms back in the can, because if you don't, we are going to be dealing with attempted government overthrows for the next 30 years, and maybe one of them (GOD FORBID!) actually succeeds.
