First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
You’ve all heard and read this poem, written by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller, more than a few times. Niemöller penned this in 1946, at the end of WWII, the end of the Holocaust that took more than 6 million lives. It is engraved on a plaque at the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts, and is known worldwide. The poem speaks volumes and should serve as a warning to people all around the world today.
Here in the United States, they are coming for our voting rights, for our right to have a voice in our government. They are coming for our right to peacefully protest those things we see happening, such as police brutally killing unarmed Black men. What will they come for next?
“They” who are coming for our rights are not necessarily who you might think. Most of us, if asked who ‘they’ are, would likely say “Republicans”. Understandably, for they are the ones writing the voter suppression bills, the ones writing the bills that now allow people to run down and kill even peaceful protestors. But the truth of the matter is that the Republicans are but pawns in a much bigger game. They are puppets being moved like pieces on a chess board by the likes of Charles Koch and other uber-wealthy men who want to ensure their pawns stay in power, to ensure that We the People have only a very limited voice, or preferably in their eyes, no voice in how our government operates.
They work hand-in-hand with the likes of Vladimir Putin to buy politicians such as Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, Ted Cruz and more. They don’t choose the brightest bulbs in the pack to do their dirty work, but the weakest, those who have the most to lose if elections going forward are fair and honest, if every person over the age of 18 in this country has a vote, a voice.
HR1, now S1, For the People Act, would expand voter’s rights, end partisan gerrymandering, increase access to ballot boxes, postal ballots, and the polls. But, what frightens the shadowy cabals pulling the puppet strings the most is that it would limit secret campaign spending and provide more transparency about political donors, effectively stemming the flow of ‘dark money’ in politics. None other than the ignoble billionaire Charles Koch has said that congressional republicans would do better to ignore the will of the people and simply kill the bill in Congress. To whatever extent possible, that is what they will do, and we will never know quite what hit us.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative organization that consistently ‘advised’ the former guy on his staff picks, recognized that the For the People Act is tremendously popular almost equally among democrats and republicans, so they have encouraged members of Congress to subject the bill to the filibuster and shut it down before it ever sees the light of day. That is precisely what they are planning to do, and with the help of two Democrats, Joe Manchin from West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Women’s rights for an abortion under Overton Roe vs. Wade will likely be next on their agenda.
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Yep, I have no doubt. Sigh.
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A great share, Jill! Lets hope we will overcome this very sad situation. Michael
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I hope so, Michael, but with each passing day I seem to have less and less hope.
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Honestly, me too, Jill! Every morning too much horrible news, and always again Corona and vaccinations. Cant we stop this? xx
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I wish I knew how to stop it, Michael. xx
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Reblogged this on Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News and commented:
A must read – now!
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Wow … thanks, Ned!!!
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
This is one of my favorite poems … I learned about it and the meaning remained engrained in my mind!! … “You’ve all heard and read this poem, written by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller, more than a few times. Niemöller penned this in 1946, at the end of WWII, the end of the Holocaust that took more than 6 million lives.” … applies to so many things in life. Yet … it came ‘alive’ in my conscious brain in 2016.
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Thank you so much, dear Horty! This poem is timeless … I think there will never be a time when it loses its relevance. Much love and many hugs! ❤
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Most welcome, my soul sister!! Agree! 🙏🏽
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what about people like george soros who has billions, also influences elections and buys politicians? what, no bitching about him and his money? I thought all billionaires were evil and bad.
Maybe it’s just those to the right of stalin who are worth complaining about.
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I have very little use for most uber-wealthy people, for their lust for more money, for power, supersedes others’ needs for survival. Soros, Gates, and others are philanthropists who use their money to do good things for people. Soros has given billions to such causes as education for the poor, democracy, free speech, and more. He is given far too much credit by conservatives for manipulating governments. Don’t believe everything you read.
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We have similar problems in the UK. Democracy is under serious attack from ‘the 1%’. Use it, or lose it.
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It seems to be a global problem … having more money than one needs seems to lead to a lust for more, at any cost. And you’re right … when we begin to take such things as democratic principles for granted, we are destined to lose them. Sigh.
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Jill, one of the things I have noticed, when the truth is not a currency that is used for an argument, the name calling, labelling and volume increases. The best solution is to ask questions and listen. When one has to think of answers to lies they have used, it is harder to explain. It is harder with the shamelessness of many who spew lies such as , Trump, Carlson, Gohmert, Johnson, Hannity, etc., but we still must push back and ask questions. And, spread the word. Keith
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I fully agree with you on this, BUT … I have found that when I ask questions, I never get a sensible answer. Back in 2016, I would ask Trump-supporting friends, “What, exactly, do you think he will do for this nation?” The reply was always either, “He tells it like it is”, or “You just don’t like him”. Non-answers. The same is true today, and even our elected representatives have stock non-answers when we ask the important questions.
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And what will MAGA followers do, if the day comes and these folk take control, and as they will decide that actually
1. There are far too many guns in the hands of folk who are not under their direct control, and ‘for the good of the nation and with the co-operation of a ‘restructured’ NRA that it is time for ‘responsible’ gun owning.
2. That there are groups who really are not trustworthy and need to be brought into line, through the ‘due processes of law’ (Proud Boys you had better read what happened to the German SA after they proved to be too unruly).
3. That there are senators and congress folk who once useful have proven to be far too controversial for the new regime and happen to be the ones you voted for.
Because MAGA what you are missing is that in the long term what any group looking to hold onto power is seeking is ‘Stability’ and those who helped them there do not always suit that Stability.
What are you going to to do then?
When ‘they’ the ones you thought you trusted come for you?
And don’t think it couldn’t happen in the USA. Some folk you thought were friends want that ‘United’ to stay at any price (apart from their own of course)
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I wonder if the day will ever come when this nation is as one again? I have serious doubts, and if it does happen, at what cost (in human lives)? The universe tilts, and then somehow rights itself, I hope.
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It’s possible Jill, but it will be done either by dragging by the scruff of the neck, or smooth slight of hand. Still, if it keeps the body count down you shouldn’t worry about how clean the hands are. (And that’s Realpolitik- which worries some folk…it’s a European Thing- most of the time- though the USA used it during the Cold War)
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People don’t listen. You cannot reason with someone who won’t listen. Even if we are willing to compromise, the other side has to be willing to do so as well, but … they aren’t. Of late, I’m honestly starting to wish this nation would split in two, for it becomes harder and harder to be subjected to the whims of the maga crowd.
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There are slender hopes. A mob is a fickle thing and prone to sudden lurches of the herd.
Here’s a quote from Oliver Cromwell:
“Do not trust to that, for these very people would shout as much if you and I were going to be hanged.” – Response to John Lambert’s remarks that he ‘was glad to see we had the nation on our side’ as they were cheered by a crowd in June 1650.
The circumstances of such a switch are often unpredictable. So far a number of the common triggers, such as scandal, mis-handling of a crisis and criminally ridiculous behaviour have not set it off.
Ironically the saviours of the USA might well come from ‘Big Money’ who despite what thriller and action fiction/ movies would have you believe hate Instability. And MAGA is Instability writ large.
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What you say makes a great deal of sense. In fact, I had thought early on that the maga brand would wear thin quickly, but it’s still going … rather like the Energizer bunny! Still, perhaps you are right, especially about the ‘Big Money’ dudes for whom chaos is a death knoll. Time will tell, I suppose … and thanks, Roger, for your words of hope.
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Imagine. Democracy saved by Capitalism.
You have to love The Irony.
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Yes, I love the irony, but I’m not sure I trust the end result 10-20 years down the road!
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If it gets rid of this current pestilence… (I’m talking about MAGA not Covid) it’ll be one of those ‘Well, it’s not so bad’ deals.
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Your comment gave me an idea … there’s a vaccine to protect against Covid, so … why can’t a vaccine be developed against Terminal Stupidity???
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A lot of genetic research would be needed….. A whole lot.
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Might learn some interesting things about the human species that way!
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Highlighting the ‘Stupid’ gene would be a great step forward.
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Shouldn’t be too hard, for there are plenty of specimens to study.
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🤣🤣🤣
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Thankfully government weeks usually turn quite slowly. When they come for you, make sure you are somewhere else!
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More and more, I’m thinking I’ve outlived my usefulness in this world.
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Never, Jill, never think that. We might be small, but it’s the small ones who irritate.
But speaking of irritation, how does Spelchek get weeks out of wheels.
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Sigh. Maybe. As for how Spellcheck does that … I have no idea! It has a mind of its own, obviously.
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Heritage Action has already planned to use dark money to influence Manchin and Sinema to torpedo Democratic initiatives. We’re in for a wild ride as we approach 2022.
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I never did much care for roller coasters and other wild rides. However, it seems nobody asked me if I wanted to go on this wild ride. Sigh.
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I like them myself. I don’t like them enough to live on one though.
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I think we’ll all be tired of this one long before the ride ends in November 2022!
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