Though I sleep better now that I have quit drinking coffee (formerly a morning and late afternoon ritual which was an excessive addiction because of the appalling strength of each cup), I nonetheless occasionally continue to ruminate idly throughout the night. My inveterate middle of the night preoccupation is about what I intend to write on my web site. Not that I consider the expositions duty or employment; but rather for some inexplicable reason I must elucidate. It is likely no more than an inborn bent for storytelling. Last night’s witching hour focus was an inquest behind the distasteful behaviour of Trump supporters; in particular, what fear, hate and anger promotes such apparently insane beliefs as those advanced by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene whose vows according to Senate Minority Leader Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr are “a cancer” for the GOP.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (born May 27, 1974), also known by her initials, MTG, is an American far-right politician, businesswoman, and conspiracy theorist serving as a U.S. representative for Georgia’s 14th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, Greene was elected to Congress in November 2020 and sworn into office on January 3, 2021.
Greene was one of the 139 representatives who challenged the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Congress on January 7, 2021, the day after the storming of the U.S. Capitol. She has voiced support for disproven and discredited far-right conspiracy theories including Pizzagate, QAnon, false flag shootings as a means for Congress to legislate for gun control, 9/11 conspiracy theories, and the “Clinton Kill List“. Her Facebook account has expressed support for executing prominent Democratic politicians. After falsely asserting Donald Trump was elected in a landslide but the election had been stolen from him, Greene filed articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden the day after his inauguration, alleging abuse of power.
Greene campaigned as a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump. She ran on the slogan “Save America, Stop Socialism!” In the days before the primary election, Facebook took down a Greene video for violating its terms of service. In the video she held an AR-15 style rifle and warned “antifa terrorists” to “stay the hell out of Northwest Georgia”.
On September 3, 2020, Greene shared a meme to her Facebook page depicting herself holding an AR-15 style rifle next to a collage of pictures of Democratic representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Greene claimed that it was time for “strong conservative Christians to go on the offense against these socialists who want to rip our country apart”.
Prominent Republicans who supported Greene in her candidacy included representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio and Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Mark Meadows, President Trump’s former chief of staff.
Jordan, a member of the Republican Party, is a former collegiate wrestler and college wrestling coach. Ohio State University wrestling physician Strauss committed suicide in 2005. In early June 2018, at least eight former wrestlers said that Jordan had been aware of, but did not respond to, allegations of sexual misconduct by Strauss.
Hate is a strong word not only because it implies utter opposition but more because it signifies the percolation of something poisonous from deep within a person. Hate – perhaps because of its profound visceral headspring – is something intuitive and therefore not readily explained in the standard colloquial terms. To attempt to attach political sense to the emotion is probably misguided and a waste of time. Yet hate can be understood. There is always a meaning behind it even if the explanation initially smacks of triviality. Nor is there anything wrong in asserting the meaning as nothing more than fearful objection without any deeper significance. Anxiety about life can spring from innumerable sources; and sometimes people just want to go back, to make things like they were and to avoid confrontation with additional elements of frustration and complication. Sometimes violence and revolt appear to be the only persuasive answer to one’s arcane misfortunes, bred at times of mere frustration about an overriding sense of humiliation or impending inadequacy.
Friendship is no more easily defined. First and foremost every friendship I’ve had is characterized by disagreement somewhere along the line. Discord is almost a prerequisite to the legitimacy of a relationship! Pointedly it is not uncommon that an erstwhile strife translates into an ensuing harmony. As inscrutable as the perambulations of politicians may be, they’re still humans like any one else, they have their strengths and their weaknesses, their prejudices and preferences, their silliness and devotion. Most significantly all humans have the same global ideals of happiness and society however it is characterized. Certainly we may think we’re more comfortable with one person than another; but ultimately we have more in common than in dispute. It is only those of evil or nefarious ambition who destroy the possibility of alliance. Meanwhile if any one of us remains steadfast to a unique perspective we violate the bridge to unity. What makes friendship work is often as much its commonality as its tolerance. Both are required, make no mistake. You can’t win all the time. And don’t forget that everyone – including you – likes an occasional bit of glamour howsoever fashioned. There is no indignity in saying. “I crawl!” It is by far more cowardly to insist upon having the last word.
Directing oneself towards friendship instead of disagreement is more soothing for both parties. Never have I known a lingering dispute to afford anything but acidic eruption. It may turn out that the parties cannot come to a feeling of amicability but they are better for having tried. Universally any subsequent division will have the paradoxical flavour of equality of disagreement.
The happier side of friendship is the absence of formality or cleverness. The old shoe comfort is never to be diminished! Longevity is a curiously human aspiration even though it does appear among certain animals. In the plight for self-expression which identifies so many of us nowadays the goal of endurance is frequently lost in the fray. Not everyone is propelled by the qualification of “My man, I love him so“.
It’s cost me a lot
But there’s one thing that I’ve got
It’s my man, it’s my man
Cold and wet, tired you bet
All of this I’ll soon forget with my man