By Daniel Nardini
What we are seeing playing out now on TV, on youtube, and even in the streets of our major cities is red hot and literally bloody battles that is tearing our nation apart. We are seeing left wing protesters tearing down statues, occupying our streets, highways, and burning down buildings and attacking people on their private property as part of a war against whatever they see as “the enemy.” It seems a growing number of the news media like the New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and other major TV news networks are providing a sympathetic view of the Black Lives Matter movement, Antifa, and the anarchist groups. On the other side are armed property owners, right wing militias, and counter-protesters willing to fight and kill to protect “American civilization,” private property and “our Christian values.” Blood has been spilled on both sides, and it does not seem to be ending there. Fox News, The Washington Times, and The Epoch Times give the right wing counterpoint of how wrong the other side is. Lost in all this is the fact that Americans are fighting, beating up, and yes killing other Americans. We are at war with each other, and the enemy is us.
I have witnessed it for myself. The Democratic Party has been infiltrated by Communists, anarchists and Black Lives Matter left wing activists who are pushing that party more radically left. The Republican Party has been infiltrated by neo-nazis, Ku Klux Klan, white supremacists, and powerful fundamentalist Christian groups that have been pushing that party more radically right. Both the Democrats and the Republicans claim that they can “control” the more radical elements that have infiltrated their parties, but in my mind I have to ask who is controlling whom? It may not be an exaggeration to say that the Democratic Party is becoming the party of socialism and the Republican Party the party of fascism. What I saw happening over the past four years playing out on a small scale is now playing out on a grand scale—bloody street battles in our major cities, on our college campuses, and from state to state. The corona virus epidemic and how each state handled this has only exacerbated the social and political divisions in this country. Because the largely Democrat-run states held more people on lock-down than the Republican ones only caused a greater perfect storm of upheaval and violence that might have been avoided. Plus, the growing unemployment rates, the economic downturn, and how people were cooped up in their dwellings during the epidemic have all caused people to totally lose their minds and embrace extreme measures. It seems more fashionable for us to pull apart than to work out our differences together.
On a personal note, I am a political independent, a fence-sitter worried about getting shot at by both sides. Yes, this country does need some reforms, and especially in regards to our police departments. Part of this reform is doing away with qualified immunity. Qualified immunity means that individual police and police department cannot be sued on the mistaken belief that they cannot do their job if they “face” lawsuits every time they do something. Qualified immunity is not in the U.S. Constitution and no U.S. Supreme Court decision has ever really spelled it out as constitutional. In my view, this needs to be changed. Police, like anyone, have to be held accountable for their actions. I certainly do not believe in defunding the police, I do not believe in granting the police more powers in dealing with the upheaval that is going on now as the political right would want, and I wonder if there is any middle ground left? Enter the 2020 presidential election, and this volatile mix can prove even more explosive. I have no idea what the endgame will be, and am now more afraid than ever what the endgame will be. One thing I do know, and that is who ever wins the presidential election in November will not solve the culture wars we face now, nor in the foreseeable future.
Between Two Growing Ideological Fires
By Daniel Nardini
I have witnessed it for myself. The Democratic Party has been infiltrated by Communists, anarchists and Black Lives Matter left wing activists who are pushing that party more radically left. The Republican Party has been infiltrated by neo-nazis, Ku Klux Klan, white supremacists, and powerful fundamentalist Christian groups that have been pushing that party more radically right. Both the Democrats and the Republicans claim that they can “control” the more radical elements that have infiltrated their parties, but in my mind I have to ask who is controlling whom? It may not be an exaggeration to say that the Democratic Party is becoming the party of socialism and the Republican Party the party of fascism. What I saw happening over the past four years playing out on a small scale is now playing out on a grand scale—bloody street battles in our major cities, on our college campuses, and from state to state. The corona virus epidemic and how each state handled this has only exacerbated the social and political divisions in this country. Because the largely Democrat-run states held more people on lock-down than the Republican ones only caused a greater perfect storm of upheaval and violence that might have been avoided. Plus, the growing unemployment rates, the economic downturn, and how people were cooped up in their dwellings during the epidemic have all caused people to totally lose their minds and embrace extreme measures. It seems more fashionable for us to pull apart than to work out our differences together.
On a personal note, I am a political independent, a fence-sitter worried about getting shot at by both sides. Yes, this country does need some reforms, and especially in regards to our police departments. Part of this reform is doing away with qualified immunity. Qualified immunity means that individual police and police department cannot be sued on the mistaken belief that they cannot do their job if they “face” lawsuits every time they do something. Qualified immunity is not in the U.S. Constitution and no U.S. Supreme Court decision has ever really spelled it out as constitutional. In my view, this needs to be changed. Police, like anyone, have to be held accountable for their actions. I certainly do not believe in defunding the police, I do not believe in granting the police more powers in dealing with the upheaval that is going on now as the political right would want, and I wonder if there is any middle ground left? Enter the 2020 presidential election, and this volatile mix can prove even more explosive. I have no idea what the endgame will be, and am now more afraid than ever what the endgame will be. One thing I do know, and that is who ever wins the presidential election in November will not solve the culture wars we face now, nor in the foreseeable future.