Sunday, February 26, 2017

Leanne Coffman is Speaking to Us


I don't normally turn this site over to other writers. In eleven years and 694 pieces, I've only done that twice. I'm about to do it again. This is no ordinary time.

I have never met Leanne Coffman (much as I would like to). She is a successful businesswoman who lives in Indiana. The following essay, which she posted yesterday on her Facebook page, sent me into the clouds. I am reposting it here with her kind permission. It needs to be shared, and read by all.

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My pal, Leanne Coffman
Dark venting: A Jewish friend wisely pointed out to me that we (I) shouldn't be too cavalier in making comparisons with the era of Hitler to now. This week, another friend, who is a German citizen, and I had a conversation about the type of government/societal conditions that existed during the 1920s-1940s. Both were correct in that we aren't seeing a mass extermination of a race/religion of people and we should not equate anything of the Holocaust to now because that would be quite insensitive of us.

However, I still find these comparisons to the white nationalist/dictators of that era and those are precisely what I am concerned about:

1) Mussolini and Stalin and Hitler, were keen on blaming liberals, immigrants, minorities.

2) They despised any in the press that were honest or against them and thereby prevented them from freely speaking.

3) The charismatic, narcissistic leader who speaks to the population only adds to that image. Mussolini said, “Italy wants peace and quiet, work and calm. I will give these things with love if possible and with force if necessary.” Could I see Trump paraphrasing that? Of course I could, because any dictator wants to rule by force and I do put Trump in the role of dictator-wanna-be, not because he seems to actually be smart enough to want that, but his narcissism seeks to be fed and he's surrounded himself with people who seem to align with white nationalism/rule by force and lies, not diplomacy.

4) Adding to that, the callousness of a significant percent of our population is hideous (and I see that a lot here in the rust belt, where wanting to do for other people or caring about society is met with hatred and disgust and sometimes threats by Trumpists).

5) Additionally-- knowing that a person such as Bannon is at the right hand of Trump, along with others who share similar ugly views, is not comforting to me. Bannon has been quoted as saying that he comes to "destroy" aspects of our government and I truly believe he means it. His brand of racism and hatred have no business shaping our policies or whispering in any US President's ear.

This cannot end well. I honestly do believe that martial law is not far behind. In fact, I could imagine that martial law/ extreme civil unrest is only months away.

I can also imagine people being destroyed for speaking the truth, either professionally or personally, through threats or real actions by this government and/or the group of people who align with Trump.

Fear of reprisal will most certainly be a tool used by this administration if this continues.
 
There will never be a period in time that compares to the horrors of the Holocaust. But I do believe millions will be harmed here and around the world by this Presidency, from loss of healthcare (which will impact the poor and fragile the most) to the environmental harm that will impact the planet and its people, and loss of freedoms and potential wars/civil unrest that will happen here and globally.

We will never recover from this in our lifetimes. 

It takes longer to rebuild than it does to destroy.

Already our global reputation is damaged. (Even if we elect someone else in four years that is markedly different, the world knows there are a significant percentage of Americans who align with at least some of Trump's policies. Racism in our country will not diminish in four years and we've pretty well shown that ugliness to the world.) Add to that the environmental losses that the world and generations will feel, the healthcare changes that will effect at least some American lives and the quality of those lives; the refugees we could be saving, but will perish due to our callousness; the immigrants lives we'll destroy during these four years - those things we won't recover from. No new election will bring back those people.

The America I loved is not dead, but her pulse is weak.

I'll fight for the future as long as I have means to do so, but I'm well aware that neither myself, nor anyone reading this, may fully see the recovery of America.

Leanne Coffman
 
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Thank you, Leanne, That was as good as it gets!

Jessica Graae
SUGGESTED LISTENING:

Jessica Graae has a new recording. It bears a listen.

America is dying
When hate has found its home


All proceeds from the download are being donated to the ACLU.

https://jessicagraae.bandcamp.com/

Shh, listen....

10 Comments:

At 9:11 AM, Blogger l rector said...

True words of wisdom dear friend :)

 
At 2:34 PM, Blogger Sara Niles said...

I suggested the relationship between Hitler and Trump several months ago, long before Trump made my case. Trump is very dangerous to democracy, and to global safety. The egos of both Hitler and Trump are at odds with altruism; although many have a hard time seeing past the smoke screens and charm thrown up by Trump and his helpers. The very suggestion of 'dismantling' the American government, agency by agency, and vilifying and banning the free press, are two of the latest manifestations of dictatorial behavior from the Trump Administration. If that is not enough to make people pause and rethink their positions toward Trump, then add the fact Trump tries to control everyone, the judicial branch of government, as well as the long arm of law, as seen by his attempt to manipulate the FBI while actively investigating him and the Russia relationship.
This is no time for being politically correct and proper, this is time to see the raw truth for what it is...before we are forced to say "We were once a powerful democracy".

 
At 11:36 AM, Blogger woodenman said...

The US is becoming a rabid dog in international politics. We are at this minute building up military forces in Poland and other countries that rival the buildup in WW2. All to counter a non existent threat from Russia. We are sending troops to Syria which will also escalate tensions with Russia.

Trump caved in to the pathologically warlike deep state when he let Flynn go who was a moderating voice in regards to Russia. Now we have McMasters in and he believes all out war with Russia is unavoidable, necessary and something to be desired.

The upcoming calamity promises to make WW2 look like a drunken picnic brawl and if there is any history to write about the US will be looked at like a diseased pathogen that suicidally ended tried to end life on Earth.

 
At 6:41 PM, Blogger Majormajor said...

Woodenman 1954

Didn't you post here that HRC, if elected, was going to lead us into war with Russia?

 
At 4:28 AM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

Woody, Trump and his buddies (including Putin) want WWIII. Russia is a legitimate threat and trump is in bed with Putin.

The oil deal alone should wake you up, but apparently you are deeper in the bubble than we thought.

 
At 4:54 AM, Blogger Clay said...

Excellent post, Ms Coffman.

 
At 10:25 AM, Blogger Darrell Michaels said...

"We are at this minute building up military forces in Poland and other countries that rival the buildup in WW2. All to counter a non existent threat from Russia. We are sending troops to Syria which will also escalate tensions with Russia."

Wait a minute, sir. Did Trump collude with Russia or his is building up to fight against them? I am confused, Woodenman.

 
At 12:36 AM, Blogger woodenman said...

to Trump who wanted to reverse the whole cold war buildup.Obama started and orchestrated the Ukraine regime change, it cost us 5 billion, a real bargain. The pro Russian leader was replaced with a western puppet who promptly started a civil war with the predominately Russian speaking parts of the Ukraine. Much of this action was in the Crimea, an area that held the largest warm water port for the Russian navy.

The Crimea was part of Russia for hundreds of years but a drunken Khrushchev gave it away to the Ukraine in 1964. Now the Ukraine wanted to give the port to the US which forced Russia to take it back which made the people of the Crimea very happy.

While all this was going on a massive disinformation campaign was started in the US and Europe about Russian aggression and a military buildup to retake all the former Soviet satellite states back. Sanctions were put on Russia by the US and Europe which brings us up

What ever his reasons he was almost alone on this issue. The Dems and Repubs, the MIC and all the intelligence agencies were against Trump on Russia. The Flynn scandal was manufactured as was the Russian hacking story, I have read too many articles from well placed and knowledgeable people to believe what the mass media says.


The all powerful deep state always gets what it wants and Trump had to capitulate and chose McMasters to further the US ambitions to be the sole super power, even if it means nuclear war.

 
At 12:07 PM, Blogger woodenman said...

Some how the beginning of my post got messed up and parts are missing, first time that ever happened to me.

 
At 12:21 AM, Blogger Aunt Bo-Bo said...

My Jewish husband, who lost over 150 relatives in the WWII Holocaust, has long said this is the way Hitler started. In terms of Bannon who wants to "bring the government to its knees," we can see his, or someone's positioning of opposites. In the White House, we have White Nationalists, White Supremacists, and Jews. In the cabinet we have appointments that are antithetical to the department to which they are appointed. We already see the destruction happening. One of the Jewish people, Stephen Miller, is what is called a "self hating Jew." He dismissed all of his non-white friends when in high school. After that he became involved with White Nationalist groups and such. He holds opposites within one body Why he is accepted, I do not know. He can bask in his White Nationalists ideas for now, but I am certain he will be thrown under the bus by them at some point. Even though most people in the cabinet are multi-million, or billionaires, the ones Trump is placing in the limelight are Jews. This can be a type of anti-Semitism. Many people believe in the Protocols of Zion. This can increase that belief about wealthy Jews taking over the world. One might ask why Trump's daughter married a Jew. At first I thought it was just another case of someone not liking who his child married. I now think Trump goes after money whenever and wherever he can find it. Kushner and family have gobs. In terms of nothing as bad as the WWII Holocaust never happening, I wouldn't count on it. Many genocides have happened all over the world. Nazis in this country want Jews killed. White Nationalists say they are inferior, and just want them separate...segregation. So many other racial/ethnic and other groups have been singled out, as well. The German Jews never thought something like the Holocaust would happen to them. Jews have seen pogroms, more than one holocaust, and have been refugees who are spread all over the world. This has gone on for thousands of years, and there is no reason to think it will stop, especially at times when people are carrying signs about killing Jews and making the sign of Hitler. Muslims are in grave danger. Mexicans are being dragged out of their homes. We have a window. So far, people are resisting. Courts have made decisions against Trump's orders. We have investigations that we hope will lead to arrests. We have the mid-terms coming up in which we have the possibility of adding progressives to government. This will either be a time when the chaos causes positive change (for me a more leftist or progressive government), or we are going to completely fall into the decay of a dictator. Our eyes need to be open. We must not allow people to split the populous by race, creed, sex, ethnicity, or in any other way. If we do, we are doomed.

 

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