I’m losing track. It started with the inquiry.
We just had an impeachment in the House (Wed 18 Dec 2019, mark this day). This outcome was written before the vote came; Democrats had the majority and had voted on impeachment three times prior. Those previous attempts were certain to fail–and are now held up as Democratic bias–but relatively inconsequential otherwise. Let’s face it: if the Republicans didn’t have an excuse for the accusation of bias they’d create it anyway. This time, the impeachment, stuck and it stuck with such gravity because of those who came forward.
Those close calls.
The whistle-blower might just have saved this country (TBD). Go read about the timing of their statement and how it affected Trump’s deceit. Similarly the 2018 midterms. Similarly the narrow defeat of the Obamacare repeal that McCain historically shut down. So many close calls that it’s terrifying. We get lost in the mishandling–politically, strategically–of Mueller and we forget to parse the luck, but laser thin luck, that we’ve had. That deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, churlish coward he became, started the Mueller investigation. That AG Jeff Session, fundamentalist carryover from the 19th century he is, recused himself. We have had so many close calls. The seeming infinite destructions (environment, race, international, economic) make you forget. Again, the midterms.
Impeachment. Everything is here god bless Wikipedia.
At-or-around October, the House held an impeachment inquiry where we witnessed the most dedicated, intelligent of those a society can produce, and yet also the most craven. The latter being Republican characters that will recur throughout the story. The cowards:
Rep. Jim Jordan (OH, 4th, no jacket asshole) – Allowed male wrestlers to be sexually abused at Ohio State.
Rep. Devin Nunes (CA, 22nd, just dumb) – Moronic compared to any human, more so since his role on the Intelligence Committee is countered by a Rep. Adam Schiff. Schiff graduated Harvard Law School; Nunes has a masters in agriculture and is suing among other entities an internet cow.
Rep. Doug Collins (GA, 9th) – His role was more during the hearings and final vote (I’ve watched so much and so get confused by the separate actual events. All is the same.). Loudmouth; graduate of the school of “screamed repetition is truth.”
Steve Castor (shaved head. long face) – I started out hating him, still hate him, but have a twinge of feeling sorry for him because he was so over his head so so so over his head that it hurt.
The heroes were better than you or I will ever be.
Fiona Hill‘s (stark, destined to be played by Kristin Scott Thomas) testimony was humblingly erudite and still had a clarity that was necessary for anyone to understand the situation (her aside on the Ukraine story being Russian propaganda will be immortalized in history books). She was countered with shit-ass, logically insubstantial questioning and Destroyed Them. Loaded questions were not just answered but deftly followed up with appropriately condescending counters. She could not be played by the questioners. It was good.
Vindeman (round face, unemotive and disarmingly youthful yet sincere), first hand witness and speaks Ukrainian so he knows both sides of the discussion. Like the Gold Star families, smeared by Trump and diminished as possibly disloyal to the US because he was born elsewhere. He is the poster child of why we should string up Trump and Trump supporters, Mussolini-like. And no: me wishing ill on them is not the same on the Trump crowd’s ill-wishing. My hatred is based on injustice, theirs is based on prejudice and an attempt to deny justice. Different beasts. And my hatred of Rs for their fair weather respect for the military is… burning.
David Holmes (cut features, FPI-looking maybe 007, blonde) testified with Fiona Hill. She was stand out but his statements I remember in character but not in specifics.
William Taylor (sandy haired, older) was not taking their shit, but I really don’t know that he survived it as well as the others. He was more easily manipulated.
Where are we at
There is no good end game. Rick Wilson’s book “Everything Trump Touches Dies” is heartfelt and bleak. He’s a Republican “operative” who has done, unflinchingly, his own damage in his time but never imagined we’d be at where we’re at. And his shame and rage at where the Rs are at is both schadenfreude for a liberal but sympathetic because his beliefs (and I understand their value) have been shat upon. The ugly that we’re seeing is unprecedented until it’s not and more unprecedentedness is accomplished. Everyone wants to but no one wants to do the Godwin thing because crying wolf feels like a cottage industry that is undeserving. Let’s face it: we’re in a horrific time and Godwin’s gone out the window.
There are many statements of “X will not save you” pointing out that neither Mueller nor Pelosi nor Schiff will save us (see the justifiably strident Sarah Kendzior). I don’t want these investigators et al. to save me; I want them to exert their power because I don’t have that power. I do what I can (my fault if I don’t) and my reliance on those with greater is not a weakness but a strength. The insult of “X will not save you” is an unfortunate child of the oppressed feeding on the oppressed. Don’t insult me for looking for help elsewhere because I’m also trying to help.
Trump was impeached and that means that.
We will never convince the True Believers and so don’t waste it. I think, and think I don’t have a right to say how scared I am about our future. The African Americans can always one-up my fears. They’ve lived it their lives, and I am just me. The Jews. Hell just women. This is the point where I realize that we are fucked for decades. I will be gone but this will all be here. My nieces will be here and they have environmental and political–and female–issues to deal with that I can’t imagine. Lisa and I will be untouched by any fuckery that may happen in our lifetimes.
But maybe it’s because I don’t have kids that I feel a responsibility. I really really want to try and I’m so sorry for them.