When you spread misinformation that results in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, why isn’t that a crime?
When you attempt to overthrow a legitimately elected president, why aren’t you held accountable?
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In any other country, you would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, yet in these United States you are more likely to face much harsher punishment for selling loose cigarettes or trying to pass off a phony twenty dollar bill.
Instead of a slap on the wrist, or in some cases, a pat on the back, these individuals need to face the harsh penalties that befit their actions. They need to be charged with war crimes.
The Pandemic
As the pandemic took hold over the entire nation, Donald Trump tried convincing the gullible that it was a hoax, that it would “simply disappear” and that masks were nothing more than a left wing scare tactic. Scientists estimate hundreds of thousands died who didn’t need to if they had followed CDC guidelines and been vaccinated.
Indeed, as the numbers of deaths skyrocketed, Trump was more interested in his re-election than battling the pandemic. Instead of addressing the deaths of thousands, he continued his tried and true rants against illegal immigrants and a rigged system despite the success of Operation Warp Speed that led to the development of vaccines to battle COVID.
Even with Trump out of office, Republicans continue to push anti-masking measures and fake “cures”. As a result, the Delta variant of the coronavirus has caused a dramatic surge, both in cases and deaths. Apparently Republicans would rather people die than to have the virus eradicated on Joe Biden’s watch.
This stream of misinformation extends to right wing media with their nightly rants against mask mandates and vaccines. Turn on Tucker Carlson, if you can stomach it, and you will hear a fact free tirade of verbal diarrhea every weekday evening. Yet, more of those on the right would rather believe him than learned scientists or medical professionals.
Spurred on by this actual Fake News, those on the right, who demanded schools reopen at the height of the pandemic, are attacking school board members for trying to keep children safe by enacting mask mandates. Armed with misinformation, ignorance and self righteous anger, these anti-maskers have been hijacking school board meetings and even confronting board members outside of the meeting places, sometimes even petitioning their homes. This has led many members to resign or not seek re-election even as COVID cases among school-aged children is on the rise.
More Americans have died from the coronavirus than all of World War II. As deaths continue to rise, there is a feeling of cultural genocide. Unlike the purges of Stalin and Mao, where intelligentsia was marked for elimination, those on the right are allowing their own supporters to die. The right has declared a war on their own, and a war on facts. By allowing so many to die needlessly, they are guilty of war crimes.
The Coup
As time passes, and investigations continue, it is becoming more obvious that the January 6th insurrection was just one in a series of attempts to subvert the will of the voters. And these efforts are ongoing. From an allegedly drunk Rudy Giuliani’s election night rant to “just say we won” to the continuing attempts to alter the outcome by demanding endless recounts, Republicans are refusing to concede the 2020 election results. Instead, when asked if Joe Biden won, they will coyly respond, “Joe Biden is the president”. This doesn’t acknowledge Biden’s victory, but instead implies that he may hold the office, but casts doubt on his legitimacy.
As the investigations into attempts to overturn the election continue at a maddeningly slow pace, some say we are in the midst of a slow motion coup. The repeated lies about a rigged system and a stolen election are undermining the foundations of democracy by casting doubt on the electoral system. In doing this, Republicans are indicating they will dispute any election they lose in the future.
Congressional investigations revealed a six step plan that would allow then Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election results. Prior to certifying the results, Pence even consulted former VP Dan Quayle to see how it could be done. When Pence was informed that his role was largely ceremonial, this led to an Oval Office confrontation where a petulant Donald Trump stated “I don’t want to be your friend anymore”. This comment sounds more like something coming from a third grader than the supposed leader of the free world.
The clock is ticking on Congressional investigations into the events surrounding the January 6th insurrection. Should Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives, these investigations will surely come to a grinding halt and those who attempted to overthrow the government will escape punishment. Indeed, judges are already slamming prosecutors for the weakness of the charges being brought against those who took part in storming the Capitol.
In most countries, those who took part in a coup would face harsh penalties. The death penalty for treason is not uncommon. Yet, not only are those who took part in the insurrection and surrounding acts of political espionage getting off with little or no penalty, some are even being considered for future roles in the Federal government. This includes a probable run by Donald Trump in 2024.
In most countries, this would never happen. In most countries, these would be war crimes.
Racism and Immigrants
When it comes to the insurrection, Republicans try to equate the rioters to those who took part in the Black Lives Matter protests the previous summer. This blatantly racist comparison fits right in with the White supremacists’ views. Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson went as far as to make the racist claim that he would feel safer with the insurrectionists than if it were the Black Lives Matter protesters.
In addition to attempting to shift the focus of the January 6th insurrection to Black Lives Matter, Republicans are also trying to deflect with both the issues of illegal immigrants on the Mexican border and the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Whenever issues of voter suppression, abortion or the Big Lie come up, Republicans quickly maneuver the conversation to the “border crisis”.
Using the racist Replacement Theory, right wing media, and even Republicans in Congress, are catering to their White base and creating an atmosphere of hate. First, there is the hatred of immigrants, both legal and illegal, with the claim that they are only being allowed into the country to upset the racial balance in America and create a more liberal voter base.
When it comes to admitting refugees from Afghanistan, Republicans are both criticizing the Biden administration for leaving those who aided Americans and blaming him for allowing potential terrorists into the nation, with Donald Trump going as far as to label them as such. Of course this is spilling over to the situation on the Southern border because Republicans lump them into the same category.
In a recent report, the FBI listed domestic terrorists, in particular White supremacists, as the greatest threat to the United States. Despite this, Republicans are increasingly fomenting division by supporting these groups.
There are many examples of nations being torn apart when one group is singled out as a scapegoat for that country’s ills. When the dust finally settles, it is usually those who created the issue that are ultimately brought to justice, but this isn’t always the case. The Nuremberg trials are a prime example of the persecution of a particular group to elevate another.
Those who attempted to overthrow the government where largely White. They shouted racial slurs at Black members of law enforcement, yet are being let off with a slap on the wrist.
Instead, they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. They should be charged with Hate Crimes, and their racist attacks should also be considered War Crimes.