Tip of the cap to Crooked media for pointing this out to me. They introduce it as:

This one-line story from the Associated Press underscores just how medieval Republicans have become, by setting the bar for what counts as moderation from them these days:

The John Birch Society was, at the time of its creation in 1958, the lunatic fringe of the far right. Formed by several wealthy right wing businessmen in a rage against the “activist” Supreme Court that unanimously declared segregation of public schools unconstitutional, Birchers believed this communist judicial activism was leading us down a slippery slope toward “forced integration”, integrated labor unions, full rights for women and other abominations of majoritarian tyranny. Movement conservatives steered clear of these rich extremists who saw commies everywhere, pulling the strings, making intolerable outcomes happen — like forcing whites who honestly hated Blacks to send their children to school with… you know. The lunatics who started this paranoiac right-wing interest group (which is still alive today, google these insane funsters) included wealthy fossil fuel baron Fred Koch, admirer of Mr. Hitler and father of American far-right titan and architect of the modern Republican party, Charles Koch. They’ve come a long way since 1958, taking over the Republican party with the vitality of their big ideas, as Heather Cox Richardson explains:

In Michigan, Republican Ryan Kelley, who is running for governor, has openly attacked the idea of democracy. “Socialism—it starts with democracy,” he said. “That’s the ticket for the left. They want to push this idea of democracy, which turns into socialism, which turns into communism in every instance.” Kelley’s distinction between “democracy” and a “constitutional republic” is drawn from the John Birch Society in the 1960s, which used that distinction to oppose the idea of one person, one vote, that supported Black voting.

In turn, the Birchers drew from the arguments of white supremacists during Reconstruction after the Civil War, who warned that Black voters would elect leaders who promised them roads, and schools, and hospitals. These benefits would cost tax dollars that in the postwar South would have to be paid largely by white landowners. Thus, white voters insisted, Black voting would lead to a redistribution of wealth; by 1871, they insisted it was essentially “socialism.”

source

Democracy, a dirty, slippery slope down to providing equal rights and equal protection of the law to everyone. Where does this decadent slide toward socialism end? Socialized medicine, a so-called right to affordable health care in the richest nation in human history? Making billionaires, who made two trillion in pocket change during the pandemic, pay more than 8% tax on that money? Jesus, socialism is un-American, as anti-American as anti-fascism and the millions of unhinged “woke” maniacs protesting when one black guy, with a criminal record, no less, gets accidentally killed by four cops. God save our flawed vessel king! Who are you gullible dummies going to believe, the fake news or Jesus Christ Himself?

One of America’s great, no bullshit journalists, Mehdi Hassan, lays out a bit of Trumpie’s penchant for encouraging violence in his followers, and the need to hold the plotters of the Hail Mary “legitimate political discourse” (political violence) of January 6th legally accountable:

In June 2020, during ongoing multiracial protests across the country after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, in a show of strongman strength, Trump used force to break up a peaceful protest in Lafayette Square Park. Bill Barr dismissed claims of racism and ordered federal anti-riot forces, including troops from the Bureau of Prisons, to unleash force to disperse a peaceful, crowd of protesters lawfully assembled, seeking a redress of grievances. Arrests were made, though in the end no charges were brought against any protesters.

Afterwards Barr lied repeatedly about the need for and the extent of the force used, denying tear gas was deployed, claiming angrily that pepper spray was not a chemical irritant and manfully refraining from using the n-word in expressing his contempt for millions of idiot Americans pretending there is widespread racism at law in the USA.

Trump had been angry, and no doubt felt humiliated, because the day before, after being rushed to an underground bunker during a night of protest, the lying Press traitorously reported his dash to the bunker. Made him look like a coward, the worst thibg for a strongman to be. This was the night  before he unleashed armored riot troops, many on horseback, to disperse a peaceful protest by his critics.

The day his rush to the bunker was reported, he arranged a conference call with Republican governors. Lambasting them for looking like pussies, he told them that they had to show strength, dominate the streets, that they couldn’t let these black sons of bitches and woke trans anti-fascists win.

Sometime after that photo op in front of the church, Trump had a non scalable fence/wall put up around the White House for his protection from violent mobs of anti-fascists (unAmerican scum!) and BLM terrorist sons of bitches. This barrier protecting Trump from the people was in place on November 3rd 2020, Election Day, and can be seen behind him two months later at his rally at the Ellipse when he stood behind bulletproof glass and exhorted a crowd to go down to the Capitol and strengthen the spines of his vacilating party members to do what must be done to reverse the treacherously stolen election — an election, quite frankly, stolen by Blacks and their pathetic, sick, politically correct enablers, in both parties.

Now, in a way you have to tip yer yarmulke to the bloated orange Hitler admirer, his hunch has so far proved right.

Brazen it out, haters love an angry lie, plus, if your followers are angry enough they will dismiss any mountain of evidence they don’t like. Prosecute your enemies and pardon your friends, Barr was with him every step of the way, before Barr treacherously betrayed him in the days before the permt- free march and his “will be wild” riot jumped off.

Soon enough, after initially condemning his insane acts on January 6th, all of his eager lackeys were once again lined up behind him, to kiss the rings (on his crusty colon) and the Republican party position became that the riot was not a riot at all but “legitimate political discourse”.

The injured Capitol police? “Fuck those traitor cops who wouldn’t let my people into my house to do my urgent business...”

Then of course in stark contrast to the June 2020 photo op, the Trump rioters were allowed to peacefully disperse after ransacking the Capitol building, halting the certification of the duly elected president’s victory, threatening the lives of elected officials and putting dozens of police in the hospital. And, of course, also defecating in the halls of the people’s house, as you do when engaged in legitimate political discourse.

You know just like those Black Lives Matter and antifa terrorist sons of bitches did a million times, and nobody said anything about them!!!! And what about fucking Hunter Biden!

Fortunately for all these criminal conspirators and conspiracy theorists, elected and unelected, the Democratic Party leaders are ultimately beholden to the same large, dark money donors who put every president in the White House. Democracy was an experiment anyway, and who can prove actual intent, ever? Not to mention the First Amendment right to scream fire in a crowded theater, which is second only to the Second Amendment right to take a gun anywhere and shoot anybody you’re afraid of!

USA! USA!!!

Glenn Kirschner describes what ought to be done, in a functioning democracy, when candidates for lifetime appointments on the nation’s highest, unappealable court lie during their confirmation hearings about what is settled law and what is “egregiously bad settled law”.

If those who technically control Congress only had a collective spine…