Echoes of McCarthyism remind us that history may not repeat, but it rhymes

Politics is an ugly business in the best of times, and these are definitely NOT the best of times. But sometimes the ugliness is so public and transparent that we all need to pay attention.

And, perhaps, vow to never descend to the depths that humans are capable of.

Big news lately has been the censorship of Rep. Paul Gosar, who tweeted an animated version of some fantasy comic showing Gosar killing AOC and attacking President Biden. He was properly censured but almost no Republicans joined in condemning his appalling "joke" or symbolic images or whatever his weak defense may be.

The whining about Democrats being "too touchy" or "too literal" reminded me of my frustration with the two ongoing trials of white men killing others, and how they now claim they feared for their lives... therefore the killings were in self-defense.

Ha! The logic of this escapes me, since if those self-righteous white males had simply NOT taken their guns to a confrontation they should never have had there would have been no violence. Their logic must be like this: "Sure I broke into your home intending to steal from you, but then you resisted and you seemed quite angry. I feared for my life so I shot you."

Even in America, that defense won't fly.

Somehow, something even worse occurred yesterday during a hearing for Saule Omarova, nominated to serve as Comptroller of the Currency. Her story is classically American and she is an immigrant whose family left the Soviet Union many years ago. She is an academic who has explored all sorts of economic positions, and those are what her detractors focus upon.

When I saw the clip from Louisiana Senator John Kennedy (definitely no relation) last night, my jaw dropped. Here is his statement: “I don’t know whether to call you ‘professor’ or ‘comrade.’”

Character assassination much, senator? Republicans don't like Democrats and vice versa. I get it. But we have now reached the point where we don't even bother to cloak our disdain with a veneer of courtesy.

I know tomorrow (or likely this morning) may bring us another fresh outrage, but that intentionally provocative rhetorical choice by the Louisiana senator may mark a point where we reached bottom as a nation.

That Professor Omarova sat politely, responded clearly and logically about how her family had suffered under Soviet rule and about how EVERY youth was automatically enrolled in a communist group... and she held back her anger and hurt.

I admire that but could never manage it myself. 

The politicians don't care how their words translate into physical violence, particularly the Republican cult members.

I fail to see what mechanism can change this dynamic.