In August of 2022 I wrote: “The reason why fascists and other autocrats always claim to be victims is because fear and loathing is their stock in trade, and feelings of aggrievement and victimhood are the accelerants kindling the fear, the loathing, and the anger that justifies the unjustifiable in the minds of the right wing.” Trump, the fascist, seeks to portray himself as a martyr, and (forever oblivious to all inconvenient inconsistencies) he also vows to be the avenger punishing all who oppose him. Now, thanks to a would-be assassin, Trump has achieved his martyrdom at a very low price (Low for him – just a nicked ear. Not low for some others – one of whom died).
It goes without saying that rule of law is the bedrock of all democracies, and that assassinations and other acts of political violence have no place in any democracy regardless of how dangerous a candidate or political party may be. That we must and do condemn the senseless act that now allows Trump to play the part of the martyr, however, does not change the despicable agenda of project 2025 or the fact that Trump poses a grave threat to the freedom and democracy we hold so dear. The fact that many of Trump’s followers will undoubtedly use this attempted assassination as a justification for committing unjustified acts on Trump’s behalf is something we must be prepared to confront. We must not let this senseless, violent act become Trump’s Reichstag fire!
It is time to stop waving the soggy sheets at Biden (who won the primaries) and get to work on his campaign. Trump has become a martyr for tyranny, and that makes him even more dangerous than before. He, Trump, must be stopped at the polls! We must reach out to the American people and convince them to use their votes to express an overwhelming rejection of fascists and other aspiring autocrats who want to undo the 248 years of progress we have made in trying to perfect our democracy.