Might is Right

From Wikipedia:

Might Is Right, or The Survival of the Fittest, is a book by pseudonymous author Ragnar Redbeard. First published in 1890, it heavily advocates egoist anarchism, amorality, consequentialism and psychological hedonism. In Might Is Right, Redbeard rejects conventional ideas of human and natural rights and argues that only strength or physical might can establish moral right (à la Callicles or Thrasymachus). The book also attacks Christianity and Democracy. Friedrich Nietzsche's theories of master–slave morality and herd mentality serve as a clear inspiration for Redbeard's book written contemporaneously.

Individualist Anarchist historian James J. Martin called it "surely one of the most incendiary works ever to be published anywhere." This refers to the controversial content such as the viewpoint that weakness should be regarded with hatred and the strong and forceful presence of Social Darwinism in the text. There are also controversial parts of the book that deal with race and male–female relations, claiming that the woman and the family as a whole is the property of the man and proclaiming the innate superiority of the Anglo-Saxon race. 

I looked up this title, because, increasingly, I have become aware that our President, and his supporting cast (the old, now dead GOP) seem to be advocates for this concept.  Nothing seems to matter either to Trump, or to idiots like McConnell beyond gathering and using power. The more power, the better.  Apparently, they have now exposed the Evangelical Christians to this mindset, and those folks agree. Power is all.  All, repeat ALL, moral or ethical principles have now been shunted aside in favor of power.

Lately, I have begun to wonder whether Donald Trump has broken into some time machine, and he is busily carrying us all back to the 15th or 16^th centuries, or even earlier.  We have a Constitution, and a Bill of Rights, and we have laws and rules that govern the operation of our government and the relationships among the three nominal branches, but all those rules and laws seem to have been swept away, and we now operate with one rule: whatever Donald Trump says or does is correct, and no other views are acceptable.

We had rules on presidential appointments and the right of Congress to approve, but they seem no longer to exist.  He simply makes temporary appointments and all is well.

We had rules about emoluments, but our president simply ignores those rules and goes about continuing to enrich himself at our expense and at the expense of logic and honesty and the wishes of the people.

We had rules about the ability of presidents to hire family members into government, but Donald Trump ignores those rules, so apparently they no longer exist.

We had rules about who can enter our country and how they are to be treated, but our president wants all agencies to ignore those rules and adopt savage behavior to all incoming people of color, or religions other than Christianity.

And on and on. He lies with impunity, even when it is patently obvious to all and sundry that he is lying. He cares not, because he never thinks before speaking. He says whatever is on his mind at that moment. If it is found to be a lie, by comparing it with something he said ten minutes ago, that is fine with him.  We are to say nothing.  There apparently are no rules that attach to him. None.

And so, I see us all being dragged back into the dark recesses of history to periods when absolute monarchs were the rule everywhere.  This is how he sees himself, and, worse yet, his supporting cast, sees him in the same way. They support his every move, however awful be that move.  Oh, the opposition, Democrats, and the actual news networks, yell loudly, but he simply ignores them, and nothing happens.  Curiously, he just suggested that we (the nation formerly known as the USA) need a government news agency, because all the private news agencies are so biased and fake.  He ignores apparently the fact that he already has a government news agency, called Fox News, or The Faux News Network.

And it is a curious fact about his behavior that he always ascribes to his opposition the very faults of which he is guilty. If he is lying about something, he accuses his opposition of lying. He has always routinely described the real news networks as “fake news”, ignoring Fox, the real fake news.  I still await him describing a shooting out on Fifth Avenue . . . we will then know he has carried out the wishes of his faithful followers.

And, as we are all dragged back into that 15^th century, I find myself wondering how this will all turn out. Will he begin executing his opposition? Will he begin an actual war somewhere (Iran, Mexico, North Korea), just because he desperately wants to be a war-time president? Will he simply join forces with Vlad the Impaler and forge a new Alliance of Evil?

And while he goes about his merry way, doing whatever the hell he wishes, I observe other dark forces at work, often of a Christian origin. Think Texas and their law punishing women with Death should they dare to abort a pregnancy.  Think Florida and its “stand Your Ground’ law that has already resulted in the death of a person of color.  The KKK, the Neo-Nazi’s, the Christian Taliban are all hard at work to legitimize their dark principles of horror. They wish America to be a different place, perhaps a 12^th century Christian place ruled by an absolute monarch who obeys their dark principles. And America just goes rolling merrily along.  If only I were, say 30, instead of 85, I would now be scrutinizing the principles evident in other nations, and readying myself to emigrate. Much as my ancestors decided to leave their countries of origin and migrate to this once proud nation, I might emulate their fierce determination. And in their honor, I end this rant with that original poem: The New Collossus, by Emma Lazarus, 1849 – 1887.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Remember please, what we once were: a proud and welcoming nation. When you vote, never forget.  We need to rid our nation of the dark forces that now inhabit the pinnacles of power.