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"Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018)
"A Vote for 'ABBH' (Any Body But Harris) is a Vote for Trump and Republo-Fascism" (S. Jonas, March, 2024)
I've used this one, from an anti-Trump demo. in London, before. It's still good.
(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Alisdare Hickson from Canterbury, United Kingdom) Details Source DMCA
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Introduction: In July, 2005, for a weekly on-line political commentary called The Political Junkies, I published a column entitled "Which Side are you On?" That web-magazine is long gone, literally as well as figuratively. But since that column had much in it that is still relevant to the political/historical potential-disaster that our nation is in, I decided to re-run it here in my space on OpEdNews.com, with some updating. And so here 'tis (with certain names of certain persons removed, because I have not been in touch with them for a very long time, and thus I have no idea what their political positions might be at present).
It is important to note that I introduced that column, written in 2005, with the words: "we must recognize that we are in a war with the Republican Religious Right over Constitutional democracy." Of course, that war rages on, and has gotten steadily more intense. It hasn't reached the violent stage yet, but hey, you never know. Of course, as is well known, the leader of the Republican Religious Right (who happens to be one of the least personally religious persons ever to occupy the Presidency [and yes, he did occupy the position rather than carry out its Constitutionlally-described duties --- see Article II]) wants to get it back. And he is increasingly desperate to do so, for if he doesn't, he eventually will either be in prison or out of the country.
My editor at the time provided the following Introduction for the column:
"Dr. Steven Jonas authors an article today that puts the problem that threatens the vitality and reemergence of the Democratic Party. Dr. Jonas frames the issues with simple perfection: 'Do we want to win? Do we really want to restore and preserve our precious constitutional democracy and above it, the Rule of Law? [If we do], the first thing we have to do is recognize that there are sides in this battle and then recognize who is on which side.' [In his column] Dr. Jonas draws the sides and provides some critical [recommendations] for Democrats."
And here 'tis:
Over the years, this battle has raged back and forth, and of course, Democrats have held the Presidency for a significant amount of time during it. We have thought, at one time or another, that we as a nation were at a crisis point. So far, it is has never come to that --- until now. Trump and his allies have made it very clear what they intend to do with the Presidency if they manage to claw it back. As I have written, the installation of the doctrines of "Project2025" would actually very significantly amend the Constitution, almost out of recognition, without the benefit of a Constitutional Convention, but rather by decree. Trump, getting completely out-of-control, even for him, talks about "going after" (without defining how he would actually do that) the "Enemy Within," such as, in his words, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and present Congressman Adam Schiff. It is now well-known that two former generals who formerly served in his administration have described him as a "fascist." (I have not seen the definition of the term either of them were using. Mine, familiar to readers of my columns, appears in an appendix below.)
As we come into the election of 2024, of course there are only two major parties contesting it. But as is well, known, in certain states that are critical to the outcome because of the very-well-known-legacy-of-slavery, the Electoral College, "third party" votes could be critical to the outcome, even in a case in which Vice-President Harris would win the popular vote (just as the fact that Democrats in several recent elections have won the popular vote, with the Presidency going to the Republican, due to the existence of the Electoral College). And of course, as most readers who have gotten this far will know, we are talking about Dr. Jill Stein. (In common with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. when he was still running on his own, before switching over to supporting Trump, one or more family members have unsuccessfully asked her to drop out.) Since I have dealt with her politics and her candidacy in earlier columns, I will not go back to that subject here.
BUT, in this election there are only two sides. I don't like the "Israel/Gaza/Palestinians" policy of the Biden Administration any more than she does (or do many leftists who writings I read do, for that matter). In fact, I have been writing on it for over ten years now, with good summaries of my position appearing here and here. I have looked for an alternative policy that that Biden Administration could adopt before the election, given that the Democratic Party is dependent on both the votes and the money of many U.S. Jews who support the Israeli government to a greater or lesser extent. I have not been able to find one.
As we come down to the most critical election in U.S. history since that of 1860 (with the potential for the destruction of people and property on a scale so much larger now than it was back then than anyone could imagine), if one cares about the future of Constitutional Democracy in the United Sates, in the service of a capitalist system and its accompanying capitalists to be sure, but one that maintains the separation of governmental powers and preserves certain individual liberties, there are only two sides, not three. If one wants to maintain Constitutional Democracy, again capitalist to be sure, as we know it, rather than substituting TrumpRepubloFascistP2025 for it, one must vote Democratic in any state in which the electoral votes are up for grabs.
To summarize the choice we as a nation and as people face, let me share with you the lyrics of a song, which often bring tears to my eyes when I think of them, and do now as I write this. Will we need to have a book entitled Cry the Beloved Country written about our glorious land too? For me, these words just resonate so well down to our own time, sadly on so much larger a scale. This song was written in 1931 by Florence Reese, the wife of a union organizer for the coal miners who worked (literally) in the belly of the beast, the coal-mining company owned by one J.H. Blair.
"They say in Harlan County there are no neutrals there
You'll either be a union man or a thug for J.H. Blair.
"Chorus:
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on?
"My daddy was miner and I'm a miner's son
And I'll stick with the union 'til every battle's done.
Come all you good workers, I have good news for you
I'll tell of how our union has come in here to dwell.
"Chorus:
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on?"
"Oh workers can you stand it?
Oh tell me how you can;
Will you be a lousy scab or will you be a man?
Don't scab for the bosses, don't listen to their lies
Us poor folks haven't got a chance unless we organize.
"Chorus:
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on?"
In defense of the Constitution, flawed as it is, there are only two sides. Just as on the slavery question, there is no middle ground. You are either for it, or agin' it, as they would say in the hills of Kentucky, and North Carolina too, for that matter. The only question now is: is our side going to organize for its defense and protection before it is destroyed by the Republican Religious Right, led by the TrumpFascists, and win the battle through electoral politics? Or will we have to fight --- and I mean fight --- for its Restoration after they have completed the campaign of total destruction leading to theocratic fascism they are currently engaged in?
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Appendix I: Fascism - a definition
There is a single, all-powerful executive branch of government, in service of a capitalist ruling class that controls, for the most part, the basic functions of any economy: production, distribution, finance, and exchange, of goods and services. In the fascist government there is no separation of the principal powers of any government: executive, legislative, and judicial. There are no independent media. There is a single national ideology, based on some combination of racism, misogyny, religious bigotry and authoritarianism, homophobia, and xenophobia. There is a single political party supporting the movement, and there are no others. There is a state propaganda machine using the big and little lie techniques. There may be a full-blown dictatorship, a charismatic leader, engagement in foreign wars, and the use of the mob/private armies to enforce governmental control."
Steven Jonas, MD, MPH, https://www.stevenjonaspolitics.com/; Oct. 13, 2022
P.S.: If you want to see how far back I go, writing on this subject, and had the then-oncoming Republo-"Christian"-fascists nailed (with Democrats of the era enabling them), see my 1996 book, The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-2022, as projected from 1996. Purportedly published in 2048, by Jonathan Westminster, recently republished on Amazon Kindle, with a print version coming on shortly.(Article changed on Oct 25, 2024 at 1:01 PM EDT)