Basically, it’s the “people are lemmings" argument juxtaposed with the “you either support and defend Constitutional democracy or you don’t and there is no halfway" argument. Also, to properly judge someone (politically) you need to look beyond solely what they’ve actually said and done. You need to consider their moral character, their deeper belief systems, and who they’ve aligned themselves with. You need to think about how those things intermesh with your local interests as well as the broader political landscape.
McCarthy was never an existential threat to democratic governance. His actions, while reprehensible, never worked toward overturning the Constitution, our binding agreement for how we govern ourselves. Hers do. She has sided with those who would overturn 250 years of government of the people, by the people, and for the people and replace it will an insane, power hungry, wannabe despot.
She’s an autocrat. McCarthy was not. She believes in, advocates for, and exemplifies government by physical violence. McCarthy did not.
His actions led to violence but that was not his intent. It is hers. That distinction needs to be made and understood.
McCarthy never threatened his colleagues with violence and death. She has and continues to do so.
McCarthy never disrespected the American people who chose someone he disagreed with to represent them by threats of violence and attempts to discount their legal and democratic vote. She has aligned herself with a group who has done exactly that.
As long as democratic and Congressional norms held, he was kept in check enough to prevent the rise of a violent and ignorant out of control mob like the founders feared long enough for the red scare fever to break and sanity to return before unrecoverable existential damage was done.
We are still in the cross hairs of the MAGA fevered mob. It’s too soon to determine what course the fever will run before it breaks.
We have to note that it’s not all about Gteene any more than it was all about McCarthy or it was all about Hitler (I hesitate to use the Hitler example because people tend to overreact to the comparison but it applies nonetheless). It’s about the emotional, fearful, volatile mob that has clustered itself around them as a leader, drawn to a particular type of charisma that validates and stokes their fear as well as scapegoats their problems onto the backs of (an)other group(s). None of them would have been able to do the things they did (or in her case are trying to do) without that hysterical mob behind them.
When mobs like that form, they have to be carefully watched and contained until the hysteria dies down and the energy dissipates or they’ll stampede us all over a cliff just like lemmings. That’s just the way it is, it’s got to run its course one way or the other. The ‘other’ way is a purge, a massacre, an implosion of violence, similar to the witch trials of the middle ages following the little ice age. Thousands tortured and slaughtered. I once read an account of a village that butchered every female over 2 days of violence and death because of witch hysteria. When it was over only 2 females survived who had managed to hide themselves away and stay quiet and hidden. A grandmother and her 5 year old granddaughter. I would link, but I can’t find a reference to it easily on the internet based on specifics I remember and I’m not sure where I originally read it. Maybe a book on German history?
Do you really believe the events of Jan 6 released anywhere near the amount of energy in the MAGA mob? I don’t. That energy is still volatile and could erupt out at any time with the smallest nudge of reckless words and actions. It will take a long time to dissipate. The rest of us will have to be on guard until it does.
Greene isn’t someone who wants or is capable of working to dissipate that energy. She has her own political ambitions. She wants Trump in office forever or she wants control of the mob. I’m not saying she’s a political genius or savant. She’s a full tilt lunatic. Crazy as a loon. But also crazy like a fox; she does have some political shrewdness about her. She’s a pyromaniac who will gleefully light the match, kick back, and watch it all burn.
Therefore, she absolutely represents an existential threat to democracy. To be fair, she’s not the only one. But she is one of the most currently dangerous. People need to recognize that and conduct themselves accordingly.
I confess, I’m disheartened but curious by your assessment of Greene. Why are you so dismissive of her? Is it the Qanon quackery, because she’s a woman you automatically think “not a threat", her legal and Constitutional ignorance, her current position as a newly elected Representative, you think it’s all performative?
