This is easy to explain. Trumpists are overthrowing our democracy so they can rule forever and keep all the money. What part of that did anyone miss? Trump already shouted out his plan. To win, he needs to break the existing government. Not content just to create a new Gilded Age, the MAGA goal last week was to gut the economic recovery. It’ll help them with their insurrection later.
How
Turns out, you can gut the recovery, and it’s easy-peasy. A right-fringe group of MAGA-adjacent protesters (stooges) just happened to blockade trade between America and Canada. Specifically, they blocked most auto manufacturing, a significant financial hot spot, just as supply backups were finally clearing. Surprise, surprise. The same gonzos are sporadically disrupting crosspoints across the entire US/Canada border to significant effect. Because of the asymmetrical effort, they can probably keep this up for years if they choose. And so far, they choose ‘yes.’
Why
Why would truckers risk their livelihoods to screw up international trade? Ostensibly, it’s because they hate getting vaccinated. Because freedom, you know? And reasons.
I agree completely. I have precisely the same disagreements with traffic regulations. This suffocating regimentation – tyranny, really – is the work of the devil (girly Democrats). Every civilized nation with any remaining masculinity should allow me the freedom to drive at whatever speed I choose. I mean, it’s my car! I paid for it! Isn’t that how sovereignty works? Liberty demands that I run every red light in the name of Jesus.
Who
Hard to say who’s protesting. Rumors of outside agitators exist, but those are usually overblown. Still, wherever they’re from, they don’t represent Canada. Ninety percent of Canadian truckers are already vaccinated, so mandates are no big whoop for them. Canadian and American trucking groups call the blockaders idiots. And FYI? Most protesters drive cars, vans, pickups, campers, and lots of things that aren’t commercialtrucks. Most real truckers aren’t in the protests because, you know, they have to work for a living.
[As an aside, trucking is an inexpressibly crappy job. Truckers get low pay, shitty working conditions, little job security, and too many days on the road. It’s a lonely fucking job. Given the current truck-driver shortages, our first step should be to improve their working conditions. But this crap protest does nothing for them.]No, I don’t believe these protesters are primarily truckers. I think they’re MAGA-adjacent goons happy to attack anyone their organizers point them.
The Popular Will?
As a protest, this shite fails the sniff test. It’s full of far-right connections and substantial American funding. Vox calls this an unpopular uprising for good reasons. Their demands are half-articulated nonsense. American support for the protesters is minimal outside of party Republicans and every Trumpian media outlet, who trumpet the Canadian blockade as a ‘victory.’
Similarly, every media outlet outside the MAGA bubble reported that their demands are hogwash. They started by attacking COVID mandates. Then they attacked COVID vaccinations in general. Last I heard, they were calling for the removal of Canadian President Trudeau and the legislature. All while waving Canadian flags, American Confederate flags, and neo-Nazi merch.
I’m usually on the anti-Nazi side of the table. It’s funny how Republicans just cheer them on, but MAGA always meant ‘White Nationalist.’
It’s also getting a crapton of money from America. And now Republicans are joining Qanon in calling for trade blockades in America.
Gut the Recovery; Dominate the 2022 Election
Politically, this is almost a perfect GOP tactic. First, get your stooges to shiv the auto industry. It’ll be months before the showroom prices spike. Right about the 2022 election. Voters will have forgotten the MAGA blockades. Republicans will blame Democrats for every problem because… you know, it doesn’t matter. They’re liars. But it’ll probably work.
They’re working on many fronts to gut the recovery and American standing in the world. They do it because, historically, voters blame whoever is in power.
Republicans are openly calling for revolution. Trump told us all that he wanted to overthrow the 2020 election, and most House Republicans voted pro-insurrection. We all know he’ll do the same for the 2024 election. The RNC gave up its morals long before Trump. Promoting the Orange Flim-Flam-Man was an easy extra step. And eight Senators voted with the majority of the Republican House to throw the election. The Republican Party has no platform other than “What Trump tells us.”
Republicans aren’t a political party. Not anymore. They’re an insurgency.
Overthrow the Nation
Will the country react before 2022 and the new crop of MAGA fascists start field-dressing the nation’s corpse? Remember when Trump told his followers to march in D.C. on Jan 6? Republicans are calling for an American convoy to come to Washington, D.C., just in time for the State of the Union speech.
It’ll be wild, I’m sure.
Imagine living under unchecked authoritarian rulers. Now consider how they’ll enforce some batshit Evangelical doctrine. Add in White Nationalism, toxic masculinity, misogyny, Insel, endless guns for the insane, self-dealing, income inequality run rampant, monopoly, and unbounded defense spending. We’ve seen their rule on Jan 6 and again in Ottawa. Does anyone who isn’t an oligarch-wannabee think that kind of Putin-inspired kleptocracy will be fun?
Republicans will gut the recovery any way they can. Chaos and unrest – causing America to fail, over and over – is part of their plan. We can see them working. We know how it will end.
Why aren’t we stopping them?
