RESIST ----- PERSIST ! ! !

Muzzling and Intimidating the U.S. Press

There is no longer room in the United States for dissension as continuing actions by the country's current administration demonstrate, despite what our leader would have us believe.

Excuses and reasons the administration gives for why "pick and choose" news outlets are blocked from White House press briefings simply are smoke screens in our leader's ongoing efforts to demean, discredit, destroy the Fourth Estate -- our free press.

More and more the question arises as to whether or not this leader has much to hide -- so, no wonder he wants to curtail press and other investigative efforts with loud pronouncements -- "not true" -- "did not" -- "lies" -- reminiscent of past presidents' later proven false claims.  "Methinks the man doth protest too much" to paraphrase Shakespeare's Hamlet.  So far, though truthfulness has hardly been one of his strong character traits, we've given him the benefit of the doubt as is the American way. Would he do the same for us?  His words might say, "Yes", but his actions likely would say, "No".

Only a Press that supports our current leader's point of view is permitted -- his administration's alternate facts -- fake news -- reporting his outright lies, distortions of which he's proven to be a master.  Eliminating such phony reports is laudable, desired by most, but this administration arbitrarily excluding credible credentialed news outlets from Press news briefings is a blatant effort to control the news the media reports that has little or nothing to do with the accounts legitimacy.

These news media attack actions also serve as a distraction -- a tactic our leader often uses when there are matters he doesn't want the public and news media to focus on, such as issues like
-- questions of  Russia's involvement in U.S. politics, even our government,
-- questions of conflicts of interest with his business dealings,
-- questions about what he may be hiding by not releasing his income taxes.

Citizens, who in good conscience to safeguard our democratic republic.....

    -- our nation's founders, WWII veterans, especially, other military service men and women fought and died to preserve,
    -- those in the Press who attempt to provide the truth to the rest of us to preserve our nation's sovereignty and freedoms, some of whom have also died in the process,

are under assault by this administration!

The 'Cool' Aid (misspelled deliberately to not malign the commercial product) that this administration's leader serves -- already drunk by a large but minority number of our population -- is addictively sweet to the many drinking it.  His possibly hypocritical words often espouse their morals and values, that some of them are all too willing to impose on everyone else rather than allow all individuals the freedom of determining what is best for themselves -- contrary to what our nation promises us.  

His words feeding false fears of inadequate existing security measures with a need for excessively more, scapegoating others, fosters a willingness by a worried segment of the public to relinquish freedoms, little by little, for contrived safety.

History tells us this is a repeat of the pattern that ultimately resulted in nations leaders evolving into dictators.   Before that final step occurred some of a leader's programs might even temporarily have increased his country's prosperity, disarming his people into believing he has their best interests at heart.  They were increasingly willing to grant him even more power unaware he was becoming what seemed to be a benevolent dictator.  The price they paid -- their freedoms -- for too many, even their lives -- was high.

Those who recognize the danger today -- who express disagreement with any of his actions -- who publicly resist his efforts to thwart reality and the truth -- are increasingly prevented from expressing themselves -- chastised from his bully-pulpit.   In time, probably subjected to much worse.  His vindictiveness for those who disagree he freely demonstrates.

Early on in the leader's campaign to gain power -- by making gross flamboyant statements to appeal to the basest of human nature's qualities -- his words (later excused simply as violating political correctness which many applauded) incited the subsequent unleashing of an unsavory segment of supporters to begin initiating violence into the community.  Later lukewarm statements condemning such actions are periodically uttered by the leader, but they know through subtleties unknown to the public that he doesn't really mean it.   The documented instances of racist, sexist, other discriminatory violence increases as is happening in the U.S. such as this most recent crime.

In fact, this administration's leader wants the violence to increase the public fear which he can grandiosely exploit with a promise to quell by using more and more law enforcement -- hopefully, for him -- to a level he can marshal the military, declare martial law(?)   Then, his power will have no restraints.   Our leader's supporting segment of the public embrace their, essentially, benevolent-seeming dictator so they willingly relinquish each little freedom for safety like mindless sheep led to slaughter.

Just the other day one of his most trusted advisers in a rare public interview stated an intent for "deconstruction of the administrative state" which clearly could lead to a different form of government (bet you didn't know you elected as pseudo-President the author of that statement).   Continued characterization of  "media" as the "opposition state" dominates the White House position.   Our leader in another context used the term "military operation" inappropriately toward those he's scapegoating that discloses his real mind set on executive actions he's ordering as his minions rushed to try to explain away what he said as being otherwise.

In the meantime, the Legislative Branch of our democratic republic's government has decided to go along with this leader in order to accomplish some of their goals --  and they like the power.  After all, they believe, they can control him if he goes too far astray.  They're thinking, don't we have checks and balances to protect us?   History in other nations shows us some supporting government officials thought that once, too, only to be rudely disabused of that notion when they realized too late they were impotent and dissident purges began sweeping up even some of them.
  
Our Judicial Branch becomes subverted with appointment of an Attorney General who seems likely to have a rubber stamp perspective on his leader's views.  The Supreme Court may take a bit more time to mold but expected additional appointments may bring them around.   We might wonder, will they be a check and balance to protect our democratic republic?

The Fourth Estate -- the Press -- the last bastion of the people to help us preserve our democratic republic -- continues to be under assault by an administration that is busily.....
.....disparaging, demeaning, destroying all Press dissension,
.....punishing perceived Press dissension by exclusion from attending briefings,
.....preventing true transparency in disseminating executive branch government actions information,
.....obfuscating executive branch actions using the smokescreen of necessary secrecy from the press,
.....eliminating the means by which citizens can expose government wrong-doing,
.....requiring all news stories about government be reported only in a positive light, even if untrue.

When this leader happily tells the American people all is progressing just fine for his administration, he's correct.   He's thinking of the plan above, not the people's goals they're thinking of, no matter what verbiage he spouts to them.  We already know he speaks out of both sides of his mouth.

The chaos and confusion his governing manner creates that is so distressing to so many in the U.S. and around the world is exactly what he wants in his march toward consolidating power in himself despite --
--his behavior, whether rational or irrational,
--his words, whether or not factual and true,
--his actions, whether in the best interest of the people or not.

Make no mistake, this administration is not just a routine change of one political party assuming office over another so many want to believe as has been the case throughout the history of our country which so many of us have accepted in the past.

Mollifying this administration is exactly what they're counting on -- the people's belief their leader shares their basic ethical, moral and spiritual values despite the fact his lifetime of actions, words have demonstrated otherwise in his personal and most notably business practices.  A failure to recognize that their leader's pursuit is primarily for his own personal interests -- anything that's legal, or not, if he can get away with it.  

Our system of government.....our democratic republic.....is under assault by means of taking over from within.....by using our own systems of law, then stretching and going beyond laws limits -- in the beginning -- then, further and further afield.   Laws will eventually be whatever the government dictates with no freedom protections, quite unlike today as imperfect as law may sometimes be.  

SAVE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC,  AMERICA!   

RESIST -- PERSIST!!!