More proof of concept
This is another proof of concept which I explained in my opinion "Are MAGA's Fascist?" a couple of days ago. I clearly denounced that viewpoint as far as I am concerned.
56.8% of Americans polled feel that Biden's speech is a dangerous escalation meant to divide Americans. 7% were not sure. Most with a negative view were Republican and Independent but 18% of Democrats hold the same view.
Rhetoric like this is irresponsible and inflammatory. Backtracking the following day is insufficient. There is also the fact that Biden has had to backtrack many statements, which begs the question whether he discusses any of these statements with advisers before making them. It actually seems fairly likely he does, considering his penchant for using a teleprompter.
Many people have remarked about the red lighting and marines in the background bringing up mental images which are not precisely positive mental images. Roger Waters has made the apt comparison to the intentionally intimidating imagery used during his own concerts, which are intentionally meant to be allegorical to fascism.
None of this is discounting the irresponsible and divisive speech and behavior of his predecessor. Though we do know that Trump did not ever discuss statements with advisors prior to making them. Much of his behavior was unquestionably dangerous.
At this point we have gone from one administration to another appearing to strive not to calm national tensions but to throw a torch into a powder keg for the sake of political domination. Each of us should be questioning and condemning any end goal this will lead us toward. This behavior will serve to destroy us as a nation and a society.
What comes after that? This is not a game. We cannot react emotionally and not try to look further into the future. How many books can be banned or burned? How many websites can be taken down? How many journalists and public voices can be imprisoned and silenced? How many more prisons can we build, who will be placed in them and for what offenses? How many more militarized police can patrol our streets? When will it be our own turn in the stocks? Is it possible that those stocks will turn into firing squads? It is seeming more and more likely.
One can say I am exaggerating but 10 years ago most would have called the past 6 years an exaggeration and that we would not be where we are right now.
When will it become treason for me to write these words or for you to read them? Is all of this a test, just to measure our reactions and ascertain our support for such extremism? Is that what this is? If so, then at what percentage point will we see martial law and imposed by which side? Anyone who has studied history knows that we have seen this before and it did not turn out well. Or is all of this, from both sides, an active and coordinated attempt to incite a violent civil war on our streets?
Is this what freedom and democracy are supposed to look like? I don’t think so.
https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/news/nat-issues-biden-speech-0905/