Republicans have become the Nazi Party
by Nancy Voight
This is the unspoken fear we’ve lived with for the past four years and it’s not going away just because Trump lost the election. It’s time to act before it’s too late. The Nazi Party’s priorities were power and supremacy and feeding their people lies to obtain these objectives. The Republican Party’s priorities are the same while feeding the American people lies to protect their own self interests. They no longer have a platform they are backing. They have no new ideas and are not trying to accomplish anything outside of maintaining their own political power. Trump is their Hitler, and he continues to influence Republican politicians to fuel the flames of hate and fear to ensure his own survival. Republicans comply to ensure their own political survival. Their arguments of support for Trump’s base as constituents who would keep them in power reflects their empty morals and disregard for the Constitution, and even more important, for human life.
According to a draft report from the Department of Homeland Security, white supremacists present the gravest terror threat to the US today. This is how Nazi Germany started. It didn’t happen all at once, it took time, to let their people know that their fears and hatred of those not like themselves was supported and encouraged by the leadership of their country. Our history books don’t focus on the other politicians and countrymen who went along with the genocide and agreed with the outcome, the only focus was Hitler. Human fears and hatred of others unlike themselves or with differing beliefs is not a new concept. History tells us that for thousands of years wars have been started over different belief systems, religion, race, or even witches.
Unfortunately, humanity is still not a common ground accepted by many people today. People generally hide their seemingly malicious thoughts of hate and fear unless given permission and approval by those in power. Trump gave the white supremacists that approval climaxing on the day that will live in infamy, January 6, 2021. Republicans who were attacked that day, including Vice President Pence, continue to dismiss the national implications in favor of their own political survival. And while Republicans continue to deny the seriousness of the events, even many of the rioters knew their actions carried consequences or they wouldn’t have tried to hide their weapons otherwise.
Republicans have also used the term “betrayal” a lot lately, yet I would argue their definition is limited, if not entirely empty or void of meaning altogether. Trump has demanded blind loyalty which has never proven to be a two-way street for him, even for family members. Republicans have recently attacked their own for supporting Trump’s impeachment as a form of “betrayal”. While infighting is expected in both parties, the elected Republican officials have gone too far. Their behavior is so obviously reflective of their fears of losing office, that they are willing to sell their souls to the devil to hang on. They’ve contradicted themselves on tape so many times, it’s hard to not believe that they are all chronic liars. And is that what these last four years have been about? To peddle away the truth in favor of self-serving lies? To deny democracy and the votes and will of the people? Our country has become a world-wide laughing stock thanks to these Republican politicians denying democracy, embracing lie after lie, betraying our Constitution, and entertaining autocracy.
Republicans have embraced their betrayal of truth, and yet religious leaders continue to support them to which I would argue they betray their allegiance to their God. Exodus 20:16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” is just one such biblical passage concerning truth, yet Trump and the Republican Party continued to spew their lies without proof or evidence resulting in a mob attack against the Capitol resulting in many lost lives.
Conspiracy theorists and QAnon believers have also been ingrained into the Republican Party to which there has never been any proof for their theories. When enough people believe in something it becomes psychologically ingrained regardless of logic. Fox News host, Tucker Carlson, has recently joined this platform with statements that the Democrats are trying to control what you believe and that they will take away your money if you don’t comply, which is absolutely absurd, yet the lies have become our new norm. The argument here seems to be related to the recent censorship in the private sector against the many Republican politicians and their followers who have spread lies to the detriment of our society, resulting in the loss of human lives at the hands of mob attacks in defense of those lies. How do you fight the norm of lying to the American people if they don’t require proof of what you are telling them?
And what about Trump’s betrayal to his base? He and Fox News denied the rioters as his own and blamed ANTIFA. He condemned their violence after telling the Proud Boys to stand by. He did not pardon them for their actions that he encouraged. What had Trump ever done for them to believe he would? He was a known liar with over 30,000 documented lies, many of which his base knew full and well that he had lied (drink bleach to cure COVID, you need to show ID to buy groceries, serious plumbing problems in the US, windmills cause Cancer, airports in the Civil War,…). Why would anyone ever believe a chronic liar? Perhaps his lies could be overlooked as he validated their hates and fears that drive them.
The Proud Boys recently wrote, “At least the incoming administration is honest about their intentions.” Some Proud Boys now say in online posts that they should retreat from political life by cutting its affiliation to any political party. “There is an alternative. Abandon the GOP and the Dems.” So now white supremacists may not even be voting for these Republicans who are backing them up.
Republicans have also argued against Democrats’ call for unity, yet again, their definition is flawed as no one would call for unity with those that wish us harm. Rather, we call for the majority to unite against those who wish us harm. Advocating for throwing out more than half the votes of Americans and supporting an insurrection is far more divisive than trying to make those individuals responsible and accountable. Republicans such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) who has boasted, supported, and recommended executing Democratic leaders is not in alignment with the support of unity. America has more guns per capita than any other country. For Rep. Greene to proudly boast about gun ownership signifies both cowardice and being fine with killing another human being or many.
Republicans and Fox News have been falling in their ratings, likely due to their undying loyalty to Trump and his 30,000 plus lies leaving our country in ruin at the hands of COVID and our failing economy. And yet, as much as there has been widespread support from the private sector against Republican actions, it may not be enough. Axios reports, “A Republican group is raising and spending huge amounts of money defending Sen. Josh Hawley after he was ostracized for early January’s attack on the U.S. Capitol.” Sen. Josh Hawley openly supported attacks against our government and is receiving support for those actions. CNN also reported that “House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy and nearly 150 GOP lawmakers voted against certifying the Electoral College results.” Republicans started the riots and now take no responsibility and expect no consequences.
All of this adds up to treason. Treason is defined as the crime of betraying one’s country, and/or by attempting to overthrow the government. Trump is not the only one here who is treasonous against the United States of America and its citizens. Every Republican in support of Trump and dismissing the concerns of the riots that took place on January 6th are just as complicit and deserve consequences for their behavior. They should all be expelled and prosecuted as the law allows.
How long did it take for the mainstream media to say that Trump was lying? Too long. Trump has shaken our country’s sense of norms, that politicians don’t make blatant lies over and over again out loud. It took time for the media to step up and call his falsehoods out and out lies, likely due to the new political environment they found themselves in with Trump. This is now the norm for the Republican Party as we can see, regardless of Trump losing the election.
Our two-party system didn’t used to be so fractured. As voters, we should choose the politician that we have the most faith in to make a difference. That choice could often be either a Democrat or a Republican depending on the candidate and regardless of party affiliation. Today, that no longer seems to be the case, but perhaps, that isn’t quite true. There are likely more factors than a party’s platform that lead individuals to call themselves either a Democrat or a Republican. Family political alignments, small towns, big business executives, to name a few, that would likely always vote Republican, regardless of the party’s values or platform. Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to not vote for Democratic candidates that betray their party’s values and platform.
Trump has been talking about starting a new political party. If he succeeds, the Republican Party will be over. Ironically, it would be the Republicans’ fear of Trump and their self-serving priorities which will be their undoing and not Trump.
Trump and the Republican Party have been said to be moving toward a fascist agenda, as was clearly evident in the outcome of our latest presidential election. Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultra-nationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and strong regimentation of society and of the economy. Alternatively, Democrats have been called Socialists as a derogatory term. Socialism is a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. Americans have been divided by these terms that many Americans likely don’t even understand. The idea of socialism is greater aligned with our Constitution and our supposed commitment to democracy.
The Washington Post reported that, “Across America, people are lining up for food — on foot and in cars, at churches and recreation centers and in school parking lots, in wealthy states and poorer ones… They often spend hours waiting for as much food as will fit in a box. They hope it will be enough to get them through the week, or the week after, when they will line up again for another box.” What are Republicans doing about this? Blocking Democrats in trying to get Americans help.
What do we do now? We call Republicans who are out to destroy democracy Nazis and expel if possible. We vote and work towards eliminating the electoral college. We focus on improving educating Americans of all ages. We make our factual history and political systems a required educational curriculum. We maintain hope. We strive for living in a society with a village mentality where we take care of each other. We never give up.
It shouldn’t matter what party a President belongs to in considering insurrection a crime. None of the rioters would have been at the Capitol if it weren’t for the President’s call to action. Hitler’s followers wouldn’t have committed genocide without his orders. Followers under each leader were just waiting for the directive, which is perhaps the scariest part of all. What self-respecting American, regardless of party, is in favor of a violent overthrow of the government to eliminate democracy? No party I want to belong to. When Political Party is more important than human life, democracy, the Constitution, and country, then it’s time to switch parties. The Republican Party is now a Nazi Party and it must be called out.