The Monster

I'm adding my name to the roster of thousands of retired US military personnel voicing their concern that the president's misuse of the Armed Forces in this political stunt is both unlawful and unconstitutional.
Using the military as a prop to sustain the monstrous campaign fiction that poor refugees thousands of miles away from the US border somehow represent a national emergency is not what a sane man would do. It is what a desperate man would do. A desperate man would lie to his countrymen.
The president NEEDS to make this happen in order to create imagery on television to make the fiction appear real. He needs CNN, Fox, NBC, ABC, etc. to show up in Texas and film the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne, and other combat units laying out concertina wire, riding around in armored vehicles, stirring up dust in Humvees--he needs to do this to make gullible people ~believe~ his lies.
A U.S. military report concluded only 20% of refugees will arrive at the border to request asylum. As for claims about “middle Easterners” and “tough fighters," the "assessment does not support any of those claims.”
This is not just the president, either--many Republican incumbents and candidates are "all in" with this prop effort to whip up panic for the express purpose of energizing the GOP base. Their hope is to retain power. It's all about power for them. It's not about you; it's not about me.
These are not the actions of a sane man or a sane political party.
And we need to call it out for what it is.
No more euphemisms, no more bullshit, no more dancing around the lies, racism, hate, demagoguery, and nonstop deception flooding out of official channels.
This is madness.
We have distinguished military people telling us that this obscene misuse of official power is a prop--we have the best minds in this country calling this out as bullshit. Real patriots are putting themselves and their reputations on the line to denounce this theatrical display intended to win an election.
And listen: if you're backing this president's actions because you think that makes you a patriot, it doesn't. It makes you exactly the opposite. A patriot doesn't condone obvious disregard for the Constitution; a patriot doesn't joke about a president unable to tell the truth; a patriot doesn't stand idly by and let this atrocity influence their vote.
I'm worried.
I'm not worried about destitute women and children coming to this country for refuge--that's been going on forever.
I'm worried that my United States--the country of my birth, the country I defended for 25 years--could be in its dying days. I'm worried that people have forgotten what it means to be an American and instead have fallen victim to this "cult of personality" born of the "reality TV" craze of the 21st Century. I'm worried that hatred, pride, selfishness, greed, and racism are being expected--almost welcomed--in our communities.
An old buddy of mine, a guy I served with for over 20 years and one of my best friends used to say, "I'm not afraid of any man living."
Me, neither.
But I am afraid of what's happening to this country--and even more afraid of what might happen with each new day.
This isn't normal fear I'm talking about.
This isn't "I'm scared of the dark" fear.
This is real, helpless fear--the kind you have to wish your way out of. The kind you can't fight with your fists.
The only way to fight this fear is with words, ideas, and knowledge. But no one wants to do that. No one wants to listen, learn, debate, communicate. It's so much easier to worship at the altar of the hyper-wealthy, powerful oligarchs.
"America, where are you now--don't you care about your sons and daughters. Don't you know, we need you now, we can't fight alone against the monster."