Column

Beginning to connect the dots of the new regime

By Marguerite Jill Dye

Capitalism, social democracy, free society, our Constitution. Immigration, cheap labor, scapegoats, enemy. I’m beginning to connect the dots and decipher the meaning of what’s happening in spite of the daily chaos and diversionary tactics of the new regime. This isn’t your everyday connect-the-dots game. It’s more like a doctoral thesis in economics and government gone wrong, where deception, corruption, thievery, and illusion are leading the charge.

Billionaires, Wall Street, large corporations, the Koch Brothers, Citizens United, and tax cuts for the wealthy. When the right hand man of the president announces that their goal is to deconstruct the very government they are leading, there is a problem. If the left announced such a tactic would it not be called “anarchy?”  What is it to be called when the new American Alt-Right implements such maneuvers? What is it to be called when the secretary of state, attorney general, president’s council, and president have had ongoing communication before and since the election with Russia and Putin? It’s no normal day in Washington.

EPA, regulations, air and drinking water; big oil, mining, fertilizer, pollution, and global warming. Did you catch the short-lived political comedy/drama/satire series on T.V. called “BrainDead?” I agree, the name wasn’t exactly a winner, but it was quite appropriate for the political scenario it depicted. In brief: the Russian-planted insects hiding and reproducing in the cherry blossoms entered Washingtonians’ ears and altered their brains. Overnight, scientists became climate deniers, liberals became hard core right wingers, and Toby Shalhoub led the crazies who were taking over control of the House and Senate. The heroine’s brother, a young Democratic senator, asked his sister to help as he settled into his post. She and her courageous cohorts solved the mystery of what was transpiring and were trying to save the day but the FBI didn’t believe them. It’s eerie to see behavior that seemed impossible in the series being acted out by our so called elected officials on the Hill. The level of high crimes and more than misdemeanors is escalating day by day (as the cherry blossoms bloom early due to global warming).

Brainwashing, media, fake news, lies, free speech, censorship, secrecy, deception. It seems likely that “BrainDead” may have been too close to the surreal and outrageous reality taking place in Washington now. It was, indeed, science fiction. But as it turns out, it was no stranger than the truth that is unfolding among scandal, deception, and intrigue. Instead of modifying brains through an invasive species of insect, many Americans brains were modified through a more sinister, unscrupulous, yet conventional strategy using “friends” like Rush, Bill, and Sean. While assuring their followers of their balanced worldview, they laid a foundation of fear and division through a daily diet of hate-filled rhetoric. A billionaire businessmen like Rupert Murdoch who owns and directs the media (Fox) seeks the re-education of America to fit his philosophy and serve his purpose. Without their prep work, the dismantling of our nation would not be taking place by a Russia-assisted, and possibly orchestrated, neo-Nazi Breitbart coup. (The documentary, “The Brainwashing of My Father,” is an excellent resource to learn more.)

Voting rights, gerrymandering, election interference, espionage, Russian hacking. If these words seem harsh, then you may not have been keeping up with articles and reports from widely reputed and independent sources whose journalists actually specialize and have higher degrees in political science and economics. What’s happening in America is beyond the pale. What is transpiring is the systematic deconstruction and downfall of our democracy, Constitution, and rule of law. We are about to enter a degree of infiltration, contamination, and destruction that our nation has never before seen and from which it may never recover.

Breitbart, deconstruction, autocracy, totalitarianism, coup d’etat. If you value your freedoms and our democracy, don’t wait another minute. Healthcare, housing, public education, the arts. Choose the issue you care about most then stand up, speak out, and take action. Join Indivisible and pray that it isn’t too late. (Indivisible.com and IndivisibleGuide.com.)

Free speech can be a life and death matter. Many aren’t accustomed to such an association in America. But the time has come to connect the dots, examine our thinking and the influences that have formed our perceptions.

Marguerite Jill Dye is an author and artist who lives in Killington and on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Photo by Marguerite Jill Dye
A paper cut assemblage portrays an interpretation on connect the dots, politically speaking. 

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