1/ It's definitely maddening that our country is on the verge of a fascist takeover by the GOP & a majority of Americans - and the entire press corps - is acting as if this will be a normal election
But.
I think this is actually a silver lining. Not kidding.
2/ The only way Trump (ym'sh) has been able to succeed has been to fake that everything is normal. This is Barr's main trick; how he nerfed the Mueller report etc.
But when they get sloppy & act too overt, the public outrage is enormous. See: Lafayette Square, or USPS
3/ That most Americans are expecting to vote in Nov. & have their vote counted is a major benefit to stop them successfully stealing the election. No white guy thinks it's OK for Barr's DOJ/DHS troops to seize ballot boxes or stop mail vote counting
4/ The entire premise of the hyper "LawAndOrder" gambit has been to say that street-fighting and lawlessness is something DJT is against. Barr's goons showing up & stopping the vote, or Florida sending electors against the popular vote win, or anything as overt as the Bible stunt
5/ They've avoided these things because they're trying to act as if everything is normal. It's like how W Bush launched two wars without a draft or taxes by sending National Guard & mercenaries. They normalcy is their only cover
They burst that and they're exposed
6/ Mind you, they may think the exposure is worth it. But they've avoided an overt fascist power grab so far, and given the backlash after the Bible Stunt & even after Floyd's murder, show me that they are afraid of going that far
And I think they should be afraid
7/ The GOP success has been to act as if everything is normal. I'm certain (no data, sorry) that most Americans absolutely won't accept *overt* fascist theft.
We who are scared right now are a small minority. We're educated: we know what will happen b/c we know the past
8/ As I said right at the top: we scared people are driven crazy by the majority acting as if everything is normal, but I'm using this to prove my point: the moment the normal bubble is broken, the GOP will lose.
9/ That article describes how a non-violent uprising taking to the streets, if it's 3.5% of the population, has been enough to topple governments. That's 11 million Americans
We can do that number EASILY, b/c a fascist grab would spark at least the same # as the Floyd protests.
10/ Acc. to the Wiki, the Floyd protests were 15-26 million.
Florida making new electors or DHS troops seizing ballot boxes etc would be that and more b/c the goofy 'undecided' voter's view of America, the Myth of Liberty, will need to be preserved
11/ My perspective may feel Pollyannaish, but I also believe the GOP will try their fascist power grab in as subtle a way possible. My point is that if they get desperate & turn overt, they risk the backlash of the very normalization they've depended on to get as far as they have
12/ It's possible that Barr will force open conflict because that may be his only exit plan. But I believe that will lead to a major non-violent backlash. It'll be chaos & historic, but the docile people we see expect stability & will reject chaos.
13/ This is part of the 4th comfort in my pinned thread. I'm using many of the panel discussion results I've read as support, the perspective of interviews & the MSM normalizing as well.
227.02/ #ChochmatNashim for #ChayeiSara 5784 2023 (LAST YEAR) @ChochmatNashim.
Downloadable PDF with working links to Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars. 19 pages. #ChayaSara #ChayeiSarah
227.03/ The first time through the cruel & stupid Trump (ym'sh) circus I read the news with trepidation because I didn't know what terrible thing he'd do next. This time, I read the news with contempt & anger because the MSM helped elect him and wants him to succeed.
225.02/ Finally dropped off our ballots this morning & took a selfie. A fun thing then happened: a young dad carrying a baby arrived after us & he said that it was his first time voting after becoming a citizen! So I insisted on taking a photo of him (with his camera). USA! USA!
225.03/ Yes, I'm the one who waited all Shabbas for the poll, taught my kids how polls work (social science PhD, baby) & what I hoped would happen (GOP leading by only 5). And they got to see my stunned elation in real time when I read the news.
224.02/ There's sticker shock and then there's "standing on the bathroom scale after 3 three-day yuntifs and 2 major fasts over 3 weeks" sticker shock.
224.03/ BTW, Trump (ym"sh) abd the MAGA-GOP going completely mask-off with racist nativism was very much on my BINGO card.
223.02/ Downside of "October is the Best Sports Month" - mixed blessing really - is that at 8pm tonight 3 of my teams will be on at the same time. NYMets facing elimination, #LIGHTITUPNYL in the last game of the finals, and the Steelers on SNF.
223.03/ #ChochmatNashim for #Vezot #SimchatTorah #SheminiAtzeret 2023-5784 (LAST YEAR). @ChochmatNashim
Downloadable PDF with working links with Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars on the topics of the week. 23 Pages drive.google.com/file/d/1pQso-a…
222.02/ #ChochmatNashim for #Sukkot 5784 2023 (LAST YEAR) @ChochmatNashim.
Downloadable PDF with Divrei Torah by Orthodox women scholars on the holiday & other weekly topics. 15 pages. drive.google.com/file/d/154AH4_…
222.03/ Another October sports is awesome moment: Mets playoffs, Yankees playoffs, Monday night football plus the #NYR at home. Pretty much all at the same time.