The Next Step- April 21, 2021



The conviction of Derek Chauvin on all charges is not surprising, given that the entirety of his act of murder was recorded. However, I feel the need to repeat what I said that day last year in late May when it happened. It's not just a few "Bad Apples". This has been going on for a long time, and is built into the criminal justice system, in the Courts, the Correctional System, and the Police Training programs.  There has been a proliferation of Christian Nationalist/White Supremacist Cults among Law Enforcement across the US. This is especially the case with ex-military and former Special Forces, who bring the mindset of Urban Warfare and counterinsurgency to Police work. 

Had it not been for the recording, Chauvin would have walked, as have the Cops involved in 99% of police killings in the US every year. 

Ask yourself what percentage of people who voted for Donald Trump did so for reasons of racism, and the desire to "get tough on crime", coded language for the explosion of white grievance since the election of Barack Obama. Then consider that 80% of FOP members voted for Trump. Also consider the behavior of Police in response to the protests last year, the welcoming of militia members and vigilantes, the large number of Police who contributed to Kyle Rittenhouse's legal defense, and Chauvin's defense, and think about those White Capitol Police who opened the gates, welcoming the terrorists in on January 6th.

How can anyone be so deluded as to think that it's only "a few bad Apples"? Well, if you know someone who is saying this, that's symptom number 1A of the social disease known as white privilege. 

Without belaboring the point, there is no such thing as justice in an authoritarian "one Party" State. You can see this today in the Russia of Putin, admired so greatly by Trump and his Neo-fascist GOP allies.

You cannot have Justice when your vote is suppressed, your wages are below poverty level, your Health Care unaffordable, your worker protections annihilated, your educational system tracking children for low paying menial labor or service jobs with no benefits. 

Justice, according to Thrasymachus, who was Socrates' debate antagonist in Plato's dialogue "The Republic", is "the will of the stronger". How is justice manifest, according to Thrasymachus? By rewarding your friends, and punishing your enemies", he said. 

That is the policy of the GOP of Trump, the Conservatives, the Old Testament fundamentalist phonies masquerading today as ultra-religious Christians and Jews. That is the outlook of the pro-fascist Billionaires who fund the political Right Wing, and stand behind the media empires of Fox, OANN, Newsmax, National Review, and the Wall Street Journal, and organizations like ALEC.  These are the Social Darwinists who believe that select people of a certain "breeding" are designated to be in the top tier, while everyone else is like "water that sinks to it's own level". 

You won't have Justice in the Courts or the streets without economic Justice, equal opportunity and democratic access to our institutions. Without these things, America still will dwell in the traditions of the Confederacy's old Plantation Slave System, in which people have to wake up in the morning each day and express their hope that "Massa in a good mood today"? 

So, obviously this is a time for activism on many fronts. I believe it's a mistake to operate with tunnel vision, and get stuck on one single issue, like police reform or gun control. I believe we need to escalate in every way against the Neo-fascist Trump/GOP machine in all of its manifestations. We need a strategic victory against this, not tactical gains. We need the full package Infrastructure Bill passed. We need to defend voting rights. 

The GOP needs to be fully investigated, prosecuted, convicted and jailed for their high crimes. Their ability to raise money for their racketeering and profiteering enterprises must be disrupted. Their media must be forced under the existing body of settled law to cease and desist their lies, disinformation, slander, and incitement to violence. 

The January 6th criminals must stand before the Bar of Justice, to be followed by those implicated in the murder by negligence of over 500,000 Americans in the past year. This is not, "rewarding your friends and punishing your enemies". Justice is, as Socrates said speaking for Plato, "it's own reward". 

This is what goes through my mind as I struggle to rouse myself to meet the day.

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