Doofus Fascism

The anniversary of the attempt to overthrow the government has come and gone with little fanfare. "Liberals," "leftists" or "progressives," depending one one's self-identity, bemoan the pending civil war, the end of "democracy" and the ever-looming "fascism." "Rightists" and/or "Republicans" spread conspiracy theories and continue to claim the 2020 election was "rigged." Some state legislatures are relitigating the election, and in tandem they are enacting voter suppression laws.

In Wisconsin, the "Republican" speaker of the state Assembly, Robin Vos, appointed a former justice of the state Supreme Court, Michael Gableman, to lead an "investigation" into the election in Wisconsin, but in just five cities - Madison, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine and Green Bay. He has issued subpoenas to the mayors of these cities and threatened jail time, but has no results. It is what is commonly known as a "fishing expedition," but worse. He has a flimsy license, a leaky boat, faulty fishing tackle, and in lakes that have no fish. Gablemen himself has a history of lying about important matters, and is now flailing away at whatever imagined wrongdoers he can conjure up. Madison's mayor responded to his subpoena appropriately.

Mainstream news media, known as the MSM, have treaded somewhat lightly, acknowledging the election was free and fair and referring to Trump's claims of fraud as The Big Lie, but hold back on calling Trump what he is - a deranged and malevolent criminal sociopath. The New York Times explores why so many believe Trump is incapable of lying, largely attributing it to changing demographics. "White" fear of "black" people, a long-standing phobia that is likely ingrained.

I have a slightly different perspective. We aren't threatened by a German Nazi-style fascism or some "revolution" of supposed "white" people. We are threatened, but it is by a purely "American" subculture, what I call Doofus Fascism. As I watched the riot unfold on January 6 of last year I was struck by how similar the mob looked to fans at pro football games. 

And with similar mythical content. Pro football fans are fanatically rooting for a business, a for profit entity that hires people to play a violent ball game. The teams represent a city, a state (Arizona, Tennessee) or sometimes a region (New England). Fans dress up in team regalia, paint their faces, carry flags and banners, and sometimes make noise with horns, bells and various other devices. Masculinity and destroying the enemy team are common themes.

Various members of the mob attempting to overthrow the election also dressed in hyperbolic regalia, exhibited a lot of bravado, and in general had a tone of celebration, enraged merriment, total disrespect and hypermasculinity. Even the one member of the horde who was killed, Ashli Babbitt, though female, was a hypermasculine QAnon fanatic, and in one previous video shown on PBS's NewsHour, made violent threats against the governor of California and others.

A violent mob attempting to overthrow the government is of course several degrees of difference from fanatical sports fans, but the mental state is similar. A friend once told me of the time he went to a Green Bay Packers home game many year ago, and how the crowd turned ominous when the score went against the "Packers." He said it was frightening, and was glad when the game ended.

Violent mobs are as old as the nation, and even older, organizing for just about any reason - taxes, religion, "race," injustice, rumor, bank panics, sporting championships, defeats and political causes. There is typically a carnival atmosphere, with the added factor of violence always lurking close-by. The January 6 mob included some genuinely dangerous people, and thanks to their stupidity and overconfidence they have been easily discovered and brought to justice.

There of course a many more of the same kind milling about around the country, but they likely have used up their fifteen minutes of fame. They put all their faith and fanaticism in the low-level and thankfully incompetent sociopath Donald J. Trump, a career grifter who stands only for himself and his criminal schemes. He appealed to the worst in people, and they responded by becoming their worst selves. Many are now in jail, and many others soon will be. Thousands, who believed his lies about the Coronavirus, are now dead. Their attempt at Doofus Fascism failed.
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Here's a song. Elvis. Costello. World Party. Robert Plant. Quicksilver. The Grateful Dead. Another from the Grateful Dead. Bob Dylan. The Fugs. Warren Zevon. Randy Newman. Robert Earl Keene. Noam Chomsky. Neil Young. Joni Mitchell.

Here's a song for when the Drumpf's followers finally turn against him.

R.I.P. Thich Nhat Hanh. He was too good for words.

R.I.P. Howard Hesseman. He was memorable in Steelyard Blues. WKRP in Cincinnati was entertainment TV at its best.

If you would like to help hold insurrectionists responsible for their crimes, click here. Here's some background.

If there were any doubt that Trump supporters are not the smartest people in the room, here's some evidence.