THE U.S. MILITARY IS INVADING…THE U.S.!

It sounds preposterous. But it's real.

Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT

The militarization of U.S. cities is well underway, as federal troops now walk the streets in D.C., Chicago and Portland. One day we’re told they’re there to “fight crime,” then on another day that they’re there to “protect ICE facilities.” The fact that their very presence goes against the stated preferences of elected leaders in all those cities means little or nothing to the Trump administration. To them, all power flows from the White House.

First, a few days ago the President said he would send troops to “war-ravaged Portland.” The absurdity of his claim that Portland is “war-ravaged” was criticized by many, including me of course. But facts don’t matter to a gang that’s intent on imposing military control over the U.S. population. They’re doing all this because they can.

Additionally, the President has signed an Executive Order establishing a “quick reaction force” to quell domestic protests. You might ask, “But wait, doesn’t the First Amendment give us the right to protest?” Yep, it sure does:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

But our President is presumably not a fan of the Constitution. To the Trump administration, apparently any protest is violent protest - unless of course it’s perpetrated by his supporters. While it was Trump fans who looted the U.S. Capitol and assaulted police officers on January 6, 2020, according to him it’s the “left wing lunatics” who pose a violent threat to America. Stephen Miller has gone so far as to call the Democratic Party a “domestic extremist organization.” The President has now deemed Antifa a “domestic terrorist organization,” even though it’s actually not an organization at all.

The current militarization of our cities, and establishment of crack down squads for domestic protestors, is presumably in preparation for the No Kings Day demonstrations that are planned for October 18th. It is critically important that these protests be peaceful, and that they be massive. If you’re taking part, however, be very careful. The Trump administration seems willing to deem even peaceful protests an assault on America.

None of this is really about Right vs. Left, of course. None of it makes political sense because it’s all a show. This is a grab for state control perpetrated by forces who view actual democracy as a threat to their power.

The Heritage Foundation - along with an array of White Supremacists, Christian Nationalists, and techno autocrats such as Peter Thiel and Elon Musk - want to replace the American Constitutional system. They find it inefficient and inconvenient to their purposes. Their plan is to establish a corporate monarch, with America run by corporate fiefdoms controlled by state surveillance.

That by the way, would be fascism. Fascism isn’t a judgement, it’s a description.

In order to achieve their goals, the proponents of the corporate monarchy need to demolish the U.S. government as it now exists. They are collapsing the country for a reason: to destroy our economy, our system of checks and balances, and our individual freedoms. They do it in order to create so much havoc that people think, “Well, democracy obviously doesn’t work.” That way, presumably, we’d be open to the possibility that giant tech companies in cahoots with an all powerful executive branch can do a better job at running the country.

I know. It sounds preposterous. But it’s real.

Later today, I’ll be sending you two substacks…

One is my interview with public theologian Brandan Robertson, in which we discuss Christian Nationalism versus progressive Christianity. The other will be my sharing ideas about an holistic, whole person politics required to successfully meet this historic moment.

We can meet it. And we will.