Historically, political discourse and debate about the differences between conservative and liberal ideology have been conflictual and worlds apart from each other. However, in the post-Trump era of autocratic governing, divisiveness, corruption, and the demonization of opposing views, the political disagreements of the past between the parties seem benign.
The current Trump-obsessed wing of the Republican party and many of its constituents have decided that lying is acceptable as long as their party is doing the lying. They have decided all forms of law-breaking and immoral behaviors and attitudes are permissible, as long as it is their party committing the acts. In the name of the cult of Trump and the pursuit of power, morality, the pursuit of equality and justice for all has all but disappeared from the loudest voices of the Republican Party.
To test this hypothesis, I put forth these questions to be answered by Republicans, especially those who may not make the connection between how supporting Trump, Q’anon, and White Supremacist ideology correlates with the decline of morality;
- Do you understand what hypocrisy is and that it is dishonest?
- Do you see the hypocrisy in Senator Mitch McConnell’s blocking of President Obama’s appointment of Merrick Garland’s for the Supreme Court in 2012 based on the objection to a president appointing a justice during an election year and his rushed confirmation of Amy Comey- Barrett three weeks before the 2020 presidential election?
- Do you believe future presidents should be allowed to lie under oath, lie to the American people and promote conspiracy theories just to cater to voter support?
- Do you believe presidents are above the law?
- Do you support the right of future presidents to align with dictators over allies on the world stage?
- Is it acceptable for presidents and members of Congress to commit immoral and corrupt acts and remain in office?
- Do you believe over 65 court decisions, including the Supreme Court, ruled incorrectly when they found no significant fraud occurred in the 2020 Presidential elections?
- Do you believe it is in the best interest of American democracy for one party to demonize the other instead of having civil, constructive policy disagreements?
- Do you see the hypocrisy in declaring the GOP the moral, Christian- valued party while it supports Trump and excuses his adulterous past, his blatant dishonesty, his proven violation of the Constitution, his affinity for an autocratic-style of American government, and his inciting the insurrection attack at the Capitol which killed 5 people and injured many.
- Do you tell your children to grow and talk and act like Donald Trump?
Last week, Senator Mitch Romney of Utah was booed at a conference where he merely said, ” I wasn’t the biggest fan of the last president’s character.” A devoutly religious, prior Republican nominee for president being booed by Republicans who support the most immoral, incompetent, mentally unstable president in American history is an embarrassment to the GOP’s reputation. Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are bravely fighting against Trump and his tainted allies’ assault on the American democracy. Supporting them protects the two-party system on which America was founded. Dictators, criminals, drug lords, and liars do not have good endings. Saddam ended up in a ditch, Hitler killed himself, and Mussolini was strung up in the street and beaten like a dog. Basically, good wins over evil. America will heal and recover under the Biden Administration, and Trump and the elected officials he controlled will be nothing more than an embarrassing chapter in American history books.
