Chris Gardner.
- Jun 14, 2019
- 10 min read

The 'F' Word

Updated: Jul 15, 2019

“It always makes me suspicious when you have these apolitical businessmen saying ‘I just wanna put the country back on its feet and restore incentives’ and so forth. There’s something frankly I think sinister about it…it’s much too easy to say ‘If the country could be run like USA Inc, you know, with a real can do guy,’ there’s a whiff of fascism to that, I think.” – Christopher Hitchens, CSPAN, 1992

“It’s no use arguing with you republicans. You refuse to see that one can no more reintroduce republican government at this stage than one can reimpose primitive feelings of chastity on the modern wives and husbands. It’s like trying to turn the shadow back on a sundial: it can’t be done.” – I, Claudius by Robert Graves

It always feels like a mistake, to be provoked. But in the moment you can’t help it. “Prove it,” he comments. A non sequitur. “You can’t prove a negative,” I commented in return. It was one of those Facebook arguments that made you feel like you were speaking to a child and couldn’t get out of it. It was here I should’ve realized that things were not normal. I was, in fact, defending my country from the comments of the president-elect who had recently chosen to degrade his own nation (the one he was about the lead) rather than call Vladimir Putin the killer that he is. “You think we’re so innocent,” he said. I bet most of you have already forgotten that one. It was early January 2017 when we still had a president that didn’t host a reality show. Even then it wasn’t the first time Donald Trump had chosen to defend Putin’s murderous appetite. “Well,” he said in 2015 speaking to MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough. “Our country does plenty of killing, too, Joe.” This obviously didn’t sit well with me. It offended me, not as a liberal but as an American. It was a clear (and false) affront to my patriotism. Surely everyone would agree. I shared a Washington Post article about Mr. Trump’s comments. “I think the president's comparison was a false equivalency.” I wrote. “In the context they were speaking in, we are innocent. The United States doesn't murder journalists or political opponents.” Not long after a stranger, a man I had never met and did not know apparently did not agree. I welcomed the challenge, considering it was so easy an argument and on his part, such a blatantly stupid thing to say (a decision I regret considering the toxicity and uselessness of arguing over social media). I told him if he had any evidence to the contrary to please share it. Of course, he didn’t and his response instead was a temper tantrum peppered with personal insults. You feel an unusual satisfaction revealing something to someone like that, especially when they are so clearly asking for it. It’s like cracking an egg with one hand. However the uneasiness that accompanies your triumph is the uncomfortable revelation of: “this is not normal,” hiding right behind that fulfillment. Then you panic. The reason I can only paraphrase this conversation is because most of it has disappeared. The man responsible for it had strategically deleted his comments soon after, to make himself look the victim and I the unreasonable aggressor. This man was so unwavering in his allegiance to Mr. Trump that he was more willing and ready to believe the United States murders (or imprisons) journalists and political opponents rather than accept the fact the president-elect was wrong. This encounter unfortunately is not the exception when dealing with a strong supporter of the President and neither is this the first time I have had to deal with this kind of incident.

Anyone who has spoken to a die-hard Trump supporter has most likely had similar experiences. “I love Trump, everything he does, I don’t care what he does, I love it,” are things I have heard frequently. The “Trump over Country” mentality is pervasive and mainstream amongst his most ardent supporters. There is a name for that kind of loyalty. Frankly, nothing could be more un-democratic and un-American. But this is the kind of support the president loves. There is a lot of talk of alarmism these days but the time comes when one must call a spade a spade. Do you believe the president would follow a court order? Do you believe he considers the law an asset or a liability? What do you think he cares more about: his reputation or the United States Constitution? Do you believe the president will contest the results on the 2020 election if he loses? Will he leave the White House if he does? There’s a chart somewhere where your answers will lead you to a word that has been kept off our lips but on our minds; forbidden for use only in the most extreme circumstances. If our current situation does not warrant its usage then what does? If you think I may be going too far consider the far more qualified former UN Ambassador and Secretary of State Madeline Albright. She described the word not as an ideology “but the willingness to do whatever is necessary – including the use of force and trampling on the rights of others – to achieve victory and command obedience.” Italian dictator Mussolini likened this ambitious strategy to plucking a chicken, slowly, feather by feather so each squawk seems so disconnected from the other that one hardly knows anything is happening at all. Now does that sound like somebody we know? Here are just some of the president’s own words over the years:

The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don't kid yourself. When they say they don't care about their lives, you have to take out their families – December 2015

I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters – January 2016

I would bring back waterboarding, and I’d bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding – February 2016

Real power is – I don’t even want to use the word – fear – March 2016

[Saddam Hussein] was a bad guy -- really bad guy. But you know what? He did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn't read them the rights. They didn't talk. They were terrorists. Over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism – July 2016

Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it – July 2016

I have made billions of dollars in business making deals – now I’m going to make our country rich again – July 2016

I have a message for all of you: the crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end. Beginning on January 20th 2017, safety will be restored - July 2016

If I win I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into [Hillary Clinton’s] situation – there has never been so many lies and so much deception - October 2016

I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election, if I win – October 2016

Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now – January 2017

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other – January 2017

Even on positive news [The Democrats] were like death and un-American. Un-American. Somebody said, ‘treasonous.’ I mean, yeah, I guess why not? Can we call that treason? Why not? I mean they certainly didn’t seem to love our country that much. – February 2018

[Kim Jong-un] speaks to his people and they sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same. – June 2018

Law enforcement, military, construction workers, Bikers for Trump -- how about Bikers for Trump? They travel all over the country. They got Trump all over the place, and they’re great. They’ve been great. But these are tough people. These are great people. But they’re peaceful people, and Antifa and all -- they’d better hope they stay that way. I hope they stay that way. I hope they stay that way – September 2018

I have the absolute right to do national emergency if I want – January 2019

He’s now president for life. President for life. No, [President Xi]’s great…And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot some day. – April 2019

The press is doing everything within their power to fight the magnificence of the phrase, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! They can’t stand the fact that this Administration has done more than virtually any other Administration in its first 2yrs. They are truly the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! – April 2019

We need to get rid of chain migration. We need to get rid of catch and release and visa lottery. And we have to do something about asylum. And to be honest with you, you have to get rid of judges. – April 2019

I can tell you, I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad. But the left plays it cuter and tougher - March 2019

[President Richard Nixon] left. I don’t leave. Big difference. I don’t leave. We did nothing wrong except create the greatest economy in the history of our country. We did nothing wrong except rebuild our military like nobody’s ever seen before – June 2019

Look, Article II [of the Constitution], I would be allowed to fire Robert Mueller. Assuming I did all the things... Number one, I didn't. He wasn't fired ... But more importantly, Article II allows me to do whatever I want. Article II would have allowed me to fire him - June 2019

If somebody called from a country, Norway, [and said] ‘we have information on your opponent' -- oh, I think I'd want to hear it... It's not an interference, they have information -- I think I'd take it – June 2019

It’s a fascist statement, it’s a disgraceful statement. I call her ‘Nervous Nancy [Pelosi],’ she’s a nervous wreck – June 2019

George Stephanopoulos: A president can't obstruct justice?

President Trump: A president can run the country, and that's what happened, George. I run the country - June 2019

Do you believe that the Failing New York Times just did a story stating that the United States is substantially increasing Cyber Attacks on Russia. This is a virtual act of Treason by a once great paper so desperate for a story, any story, even if bad for our Country - June 2019

And his acolytes:

Never in my life did I think I would like to see a dictator, but if there’s going to be one, I want it to be Trump [applause] – Supporter at the We Build the Wall rally

Continue to worship at the alter [sic] of multiculturalism and we may come to see that we are participating in the sacrifice of the one culture which binds us all - White House advisor Stephen Miller

Every American has the right to support a policy of retreat and capitulation, and, as so many leftists do, they also have right to lie and slander the country and the president to further this agenda.

- Stephen Miller

I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think he wanted Donald Trump to become president and that’s why he’s there

– White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders

I was surprised to hear there was anything negative in the Mueller report at all about President Trump. I hadn’t heard that before. I’ve mainly listened to conservative news and I hadn’t heard anything negative about that report and President Trump has been exonerated - A Republican and supporter of the President at a town hall for Representative Justin Amash

Some of you will join the fight against radical Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. Some of you will join the fight on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific, where North Korea continues to threaten the peace, and an increasingly militarized China challenges our presence in the region. Some of you will join the fight in Europe, where an aggressive Russia seeks to redraw international boundaries by force. And some of you may even be called upon to serve in this hemisphere…Like the Centurion who took the Nazarene at his word, saying he was “a man under authority,” so you will be men and women under authority. Respect the chain of command. Submit yourself to the authorities placed above you. Trust your superiors. Trust your orders.

– Vice President Mike Pence at the 2019 West Point commencement

The last, I have to say, was done in such poor taste that in any other administration should have been and rightly would have been a media death sentence. Some of the others, spoken by the president himself would be and should be considered treasonous. He also has the ironic tendency to ascribe names to his political opponents that would more aptly describe himself. I don't think most conservatives realized the current president would be as bad as he is, or anticipate the damage he would cause. Many even say he puts through many conservative policies. But at what cost? He attacks, at an increasing rate, the core values of American democracy, chasing the chicken around the coup, plucking feathers as often as he can in an effort to save his own skin at the expense of our own. I don't think he is fully aware of what he is doing. I don't even think he would understand half the words I have put down here. However it is unambiguously clear, especially after Robert Mueller's findings and the subsequent fallout, that the president believes himself to be more important than the United States Constitution. There is a word for that kind of thinking. You'd be right to say there are no soldiers marching in your streets. That you can still write what you want, say what you want and dress how you want, at least legally. Migrants are being separated from their families and put in cages with no court date set, but people aren't being massacred by the millions as they were in the Holocaust. This must mean things can’t be that bad and surely I must be exaggerating. Those points just mentioned which people keep referring to and insist on comparing our current situation, once reached, signify the point of no return. When we get there it’s already game over. Just because the United States has not become a fascist dictatorship does not mean there isn't a problem. It’s the plucking of these small feathers of democracy, attacking the free press, suspension of habeas corpus and undemocratic rhetoric especially, that we should be paying attention to now, calling out now, before we’re left standing naked for the rotisserie.