Today it's been four weeks since dt was sworn in as the 45th president of the USA.
It seems like four years.
It's a nightmare from which I do not wake.
On KPFK today there was talk of how we need to resist fascism--while we still can.
https://refusefascism.org/
http://www.risingupwithsonali.com/about-us/ Sonali Kolhatkar hosts Rising Up with Sonali.
http://kpfk.org/programs/programschedule#.WKirW_krKM KPFK is a left-of-NPR radio station in southern California with a sister station KPFA in the San Francisco Bay area.
I've never been completely clear on what Fascism is, but now that I see it happening, I'm starting to understand.
- Jailing those who disagree with the leader(s) in power. Some Germans tried to resist Hitler, but not enough. First Hitler jailed people associated with the Communist Party. Then other groups were jailed. (Thus: resist while we can...)
- Decrying the media as false -- a key tool used by Hitler to prevent Germans from learning the truth.
- Ultra-patriotism... as in "America first!"
- Populism--a false populism that appeals to the people but leads to authoritarian goverment.
What a pleasure to hear former president of Mexico Vicente Fox speaking on BBC's Hardtalk today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04rhb0g
He was interviewed by Stephen Sackur, who sounded like a Trump supporter, continually asking questions that sounded slanted against Mexico.
Fox did a great job of presenting his international expertise as well as his adamant opposition to invasion and to any additions to the existing wall along the US-Mexico border.
When he called dt "crazy," "dumb," and "stupid," Sackur argued that Fox should show more respect for the US president.
"If he wants respect, he has to start respecting others," said Fox.
"He proposed to Pena that he's willing to send US Army. Go to hell, Trump. Mexico does not admit in its territory by Constitution no armies coming from anywhere in the world."
"Use your army, Trump, to stop the consumption of drugs, to stop drugs circulating all over United States every day. In every single corner of United States there is drug consumption, and he complains about Mexico. Why don't he stop drugs circulating in the United States?"
Then Sackur challenged Fox on his comparison of Trump to Hitler.
Fox answered that dt's followers include the Nazi Party and persons in the Republican Party who follow him blindly--as Hitler was followed.
"You don't follow a false prophet when he's taking you to the desert," Fox concluded.
Sackur argued that Mexico does not adequately police its southern border. Fox answered that Mexico uses compassion when handling people trying to cross its border into Mexico. "There is hunger, there is poverty."
On the subject of fighting violence associated with the drug cartels, Fox was eloquent:
"That doesn't give Trump the right to intervene in our internal public policies. That doesn't give him the right to treat unhumanely most people from anywhere of the world."
"Mexico has to correct yes, the problem of drugs and violence, and we're going to legalize drug consumption so that we take away the money from the cartels, by the way money that comes from United States consumption.
"And #2, we have to move the economy to create jobs, to create opportunities, which we're doing now. In my part of Mexico, we are full employment right now, full employment and salaries going up. So we are doing our work. It's not as we wish, we wish we could do more, but again, I think it's a threat that we have been brought, and its a dangerous threat."
Sackur did not acknowledge Fox's points but kept arguing that Mexico does not adequately police its southern border.
"Yeah, our border to the south is not what it should be because there is hunger, there is poverty," answered Fox. "Mexico uses compassion when handling people trying to cross its border into Mexico.
"Everything you've done, and I'm talking about you and your successors, has completely failed to stop the flow of drugs into the United States," repeated Sackur.
"We're fighting a war against drugs which is not ours," answered Fox. "I ask you and I ask Trump and I ask the American people, what happens once those loads of drugs cross the border? Where are US authorities? Where is the army? They do the consumption, they're happy consuming, and we pay the blood. 160,000 kids have died on President Calderon's admin and Pena's administration, 160,000 kids that were not born criminals."
Fox then cited Portugal's legalization of drugs and US states where marijuana has been legalized.
"I am for legalization of all drugs. We human beings should be responsible for our own health. And that's why the world has now to accepting abortion, accepting marriages of different sexes, because we are and have to be responsible of our own behavior. The state, governments, will never solve the problem from us. It's a promise that has never been complied with."
"Forty years ago President Nixon launched a global world war on drugs, and what happened? Total failure. Consumption goes up and up. And yes, we have to correct things in Mexico, we're not happy with what we have. But again that doesn't give Trump the possiblity or the prerogative of speaking so many stupid things during one single day."
