bookmark_border“No kings in America…”

No kings in America…

But yes to mandatory medical procedures.

Yes to society collectively making decisions about which risks people should be allowed to take, rather than people making decisions about risk for themselves.

No kings in America…

But yes to viciously tearing down statues of those who fought for the losing side of a war.

Yes to obliterating all representation of people who are different from the norm, in our public spaces, in our society, in art and culture.

No kings in America…

But yes to the criminalization of political dissent.

Yes to demanding unquestioning, unthinking submission.

Yes to mindless compliance with social norms.

Yes to morally condemning the entire concept of rebellion, of revolution, of resistance to authority.

Yes to using the terms “insurrectionist” and “traitor” as pejoratives, as if the concept of resisting authority is so self-evidently shameful and bad that it ought to be used as an insult.

No kings in America…

But yes to tyranny, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism.

That is the message of the “No Kings Day” protests.

bookmark_borderOn Trump’s birthday, Flag Day, the Army’s birthday, and protests

Happy belated birthday, both to President Trump and to the U.S. Army. These birthdays coincided with Flag Day. Below is some social media coverage of the festivities that brought a smile to my face:

 

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A post shared by Kid Rock (@kidrock)

 

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A post shared by The White House (@whitehouse)

 

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A post shared by The White House (@whitehouse)

 

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A post shared by Newsmax (@newsmax)

 

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A post shared by Fox News (@foxnews)

 

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A post shared by Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson)

 

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A post shared by House Republicans (@housegop)

 

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A post shared by The White House (@whitehouse)

As for the protests held by authoritarians to mark the occasion, the word that predominantly comes to mind is “hypocrisy.” I use the word “authoritarian” to characterize anti-Trump protesters, and I use that word deliberately. The people who proudly proclaim, “no kings” and “united against tyranny,” are largely the same people who demanded mandatory medical procedures and the obliteration of memorials honoring the losing side of a war. There is nothing more tyrannical than that. The fact that people would be outraged by a leader holding a military parade on his birthday, but consider it perfectly fine for a leader to force people to undergo a medical procedure against their will, is a demonstration of complete and abject moral bankruptcy. It’s disgraceful.