Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1.  Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Entry #430 was the most recent “sense check.”

ENTRY #449 BEGINS: I realize that no amount of logic is going to change minds of hard-right Republicans. If you’re gullible enough to buy Trump’s lies on any topic, then you’ll ignore any degree of logic, and probably this note.

For those Republicans who have played along with Trump, but still have some gray matter that functions, maybe it’s time to take a stand for democracy and what’s right for the country. While taking a stand for democracy might alienate some fellow Republicans and may even force you to vote for a, yikes Democrat in the 2022 midterm elections, not taking a stand might result your rights disappearing. Zealots view only those equally committed as safe harbors. All others are enemies of their cause and need to be treated as enemies.

You might consider the term “brainwashed” as too harsh to apply to Trump supporters. However, consider this example. I have a former business colleague who is an ardent Trump supporter. “So, what,” you ask. “What’s the big deal?” The big deal is the colleague’s heritage is 100% Mexican. In Trumpworld, being Mexican, born in the US or not, means you’re from the wrong ethnic group.

When the Trump-led ethnic cleansing starts, guess which group will be on the list of non-western European groups that need to be cleansed? Yep, my friend with Mexican heritage, you’re one of “those people.”

What’s the risk of someone like my former colleague finally speaking out against Trump? BTW, his ranch is an area much like Uvalde, TX, where 19 4th-grade students and two teachers were gunned down. His risk at the worst is maybe some “loss of face” among family and friends, but, not much else. In fact, he will likely gain respect for having the courage to admit a mistake.

For those not on the white nationalists’ “preferred list,” continuing to support Trump means risking harm to yourself and family. If you don’t think harm can come, you need to study Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.

If logic mattered to Trump’s core, they would support abortion rights and Roe v Wade. Statistically the birthrate among blacks and Hispanics is higher than for whites. Banning abortion means more black and Hispanic children will be born who can “replace” whites.

In addition, according to Trump supporters, blacks and Hispanics do not contribute their fair share to the economy. Banning abortion would create even more of a drain on the economy plus the added cost for schooling and support as adults. Zealots have a hard time connecting two dots. In Trumpworld, illogic becomes logic.

How can Republicans with some brains left get their party back? Two options and the first might not work.

1) In political races where a hard-right Republican is the nominee, vote Democratic. Even if you are a life-long Republican, and you view Democrats as a bunch of socialists, voting Democratic is the preferable option to voting for a hard-rate Republican. Not voting is abdicating your responsibility to the democracy.

In Entry #448, I talked about jumping in bed with Liz Cheney. I disagree with Ms. Cheney on virtually every policy issue, but I view her as a patriot for upholding her oath to the Constitution. In my view, Liz Cheney’s commitment should be a model for all Republicans.

Yes, if you vote for a Democrat and defeat a hard-right Republican, the Democrats might be in power for a decade or so. Fear not, the pendulum will swing back toward the center with more Republicans in Congress.

2) If voting Democratic doesn’t stop Trump’s allies, the only other option seems to be an armed conflict. In my view the US has already started experiencing its 5th revolution, aka the Revenge Revolution. The severity of the revolution is going to get worse. Based on tactics of the hard right, a fighting Civil War may be the only way to stop the hard right from completely taking over many states in the south in the middle of the country.

An added layer of risk is a president who attempts to use the military to overthrow those states which do not fall in line with his thinking. As president, Trump repeatedly ignored the Constitution and tried do use the military to quell even mild protests. Fortunately, the military brass blocked his efforts.

However, the January 6 Committee apparently has evidence that some high-ranking officers in the military ignored their oath to the US Constitution and supported Trump’s efforts to overthrow the government. How the military brass will respond in the future crises is not clear.

Well, Republicans there you have it. If you’re a hard-right Trumper, you probably quit reading this entry some time ago. If you’re a Republican with gray matter left, you have a serious question to ask yourself, “Am I willing to risk the democracy now and for the future by voting for a hard-right Republican?” Voting for a Democrat versus a hard right Republican won’t kill you. It just might save you. END ENTRY #449

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